[Doug1943]

Anyone interested in what's happening in Cuba, and especially in the big changes that are taking place there, is urged to read The Havana Times, an online newspaper in Spanish and English at http://www.havanatimes.org, written by Cubans living in Cuba.

You should consider a holiday in Cuba this year, before it gets changed forever.

You can stay (legally) at private homes (called 'casas particulares') for £20 a night, eat for less than a tenner, take cheap (but tourist-standard, i.e. not bad) coaches around the island, and have a great time. People are generally friendly and helpful, the violent crime rate is very low (hey, it's a police state, which has its postive side), and it's a very interesting country.

It wasn't my interest when I was visiting, but there is a LOT of art, and music everywhere.

It's the last bastion of sane socialism (North Korea being the last bastion of insane socialism), and it's very instructive to, say, try to buy a bar of soap in each town you go to, if you're the inquisitive type. If you're not, or in any case, there are wonderful beaches, and trails to hike ... or you could have a great cycling holiday -- there is not much traffic on the roads and people are used to bicycles and even horse-drawn transport.

If you're a political person -- and what are you doing here if you're not -- there are places you can go to talk politics with people (in English). And things you can do (safely, legally) to help open up political space for democratic dialogue there. (PM me for details.)

So ... what are you waiting for?

[Eauz]

Disposable income?

[Doug1943]

Ah yes -- the base upon which the superstructure of travel, and much else, is built. I wish you luck in exchanging your labour power for some, and when you do, Cuba will stretch it about as far as any place (although I understand Damascus prices are pretty good for tourists right now).

[Angelamerkel]

The best publications written in Cuba are "Translating Cuba" and "14 1/2".

[Doug1943]

Yes, I agree these are excellent. Havana Times is not a blog, but is more of a news magazine. You've got to read the blogs also to keep with the detailed texture of day to day life.

What I find astonishing is that these blogs, written (for the most part) from inside Cuba, exist at all.

[KurtFF8]

The best publications written in Cuba are "Translating Cuba" and "14 1/2".

There are better sources that you can access online for Cuba related news like the Granma and Cuba Debate and of course teleSUR

[Heinie]

A round-trip ticket for me to Havana is 705€. That's more than a year's supply of cigars.

[Doug1943]

Granma and CubaDebates and TeleSur are certainly useful sources of information, but I wouldn't say they are 'better'. What they do is to give the Official government view.

But while the Havana Times does have contributors who are uncritical government supporters, it also has contributors who are critical, and in some cases extremely critical, of the government.

And you can't understand anything if you only hear one side of the story.

But don't take my word for it -- have a look: http://www.havanatimes.org

[KurtFF8]

Havana Times isn't horrible, I wasn't responding to a post about Havana Times though.

[Doug1943]

Okay, I misunderstood.

There are some people who call it an organ of the government, because most -- not all -- of its contributors support the gains, as they see it, of the Revolution. There are some people who denounce it as a CIA organ, because many of these contributors are not uncritical supporters of the state.

I enjoy reading it because you get a wide range of views there, which is interesting in itself, but it's also just what Cuba needs right now: an unfettered debate about the way forward.

Okay, every country needs this, but Cuba has a special need of it, because if the embargo ends, they're going to face a threat which is just as potent as all the bombs and poison and arson thrown at them by the CIA and the Miami Mafia: namely a flood of American tourists and more importantly, businessmen, with fistfuls of dollars.

I think this can become a source of great prosperity for them, which will undercut most of the popular discontent (not outright opposition) that many Cubans have about life in Cuba today.

But it can also be a source of terrible, systemic corruption. And to prevent this, open unfettered debate and discussion is needed, which is why I like the Havana Times.