Interesting old building in Cuba. Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/rudiheim/65098327.

For years I have dreamed of traveling to Cuba. My desire may have originated with the movie Havana, which starred Robert Redford, but since then I have become even more intrigued upon seeing photos of streets filled with 1950′s and 1960′s era cars and hearing stories of the wonderful music that emanates from bars and cafes on every street.

I have seriously considered entering Cuba via Mexico, the Bahamas, or Canada, as Americans have been doing for years, but just never pulled that together. Three years ago, I even booked a tour through a firm that had obtained legal permission to travel to Cuba under the auspices of a “cultural exchange program” but then had to cancel that trip for personal reasons. So when I read that the rules regarding Cuba travel had been eased, I was excited. Continue reading →