In 2016, President Barak Obama talked about easing sanctions and removing the embargo on Cuba.  I realized that this was one of my last chances to see Cuba before it moves into the globalized, capitalist world.  We previously visited Holguin and the center part of Cuba, but I was interested in visiting Havana and its surrounding.

We arrived just a month after the death of Fidel Castro (he died on November 25th 2016), so the country was still in mourning.  New Year’s Eve was calm (and somewhat boring), as celebrations were banned due to the death of Castro.
During our short nine day trip, we visited Havana and Matanzas.  I was surprised to see how touristy Havana was compared to other parts of Cuba.  Matanzas was pleasant as we visited caves, beaches and rented a boat to cruise along the Rio Canimar.