The U.S, policy re Cuba has been and is bankrupt even moreso today.

I have been there, in Havana and nearby and in the countryside, 90-110
miles west of Havana.

I wanted to go to see for myself, and not depend entirely on
fragmentary and, as it seemed to me, somewhat slanted news reports
about, conditions in that island country.

First to be noted -- no water birds in Havana harbor. None. I waqs
told all have been eaten.

Second, Havana is largely a picture card city, with much restoration
work on old buildings, surounding large open sqaures, large and small,
completed and underway, except for churches, where exterior niches are
devoid of any figures and interiors are almost empty. Other areas are
multi storied slums, with men collecting water from a constantly
running hydrant in an alley and young children on wooden chrates used
for carts that had skate wheels.

Third, police in Havana seemed tired and disinterested, listless and
bored. Standing on a few street corners, they shuffled a few feet,
back and forth, dressed in light blue shirts and dark blue trousers,
armed with pistols. I almost felt sorry for them.

Fourth, countryside was beautiful, except for patches of small wood
and unpainted shacks with no windows or doors. Next door, often, were
new houses, freshly painted, with windows and doors. Water buffalo
were plowing a small rice paddy. One town, we drove through twice, was
crowded with pedestrians and no grass anywhere, but few cars or
trucks. Highway to the area was 4 lane and divided, policed by smart
looking motorcycle cops with new cycles and shiny black helmets.

Fifth, uniformed children walking to, in and walking home from
elementary and high schools. They seemed to be adequately fed and
freshly maintained.

Sixth, mountains in west were unlike any I had seen before, anywhere
in the world, or have seen since. They come straight out of the ground
to a height of several hundred feet and have evenly domed tops.

Once I was approached in Havana by a mid thirties man, dressed in
white shirt and black trousers, and he asked me if I wanted a "snort."
My instant response: "No, gratias." We both kept on walking in
opposite directions.

Cuba seems not be hurting too bad with U.S. embargo. European tourists
are filling resorts to east of Havana, bringing in many U.S. dollars.

I am now waiting for opportunity to return to see more of the island
and its people -- when and if the U.S. government sees the folly of
its bankrupt travel policy.

anchorlt,
How were you able to get there. Isn't it against U.S. law to visit Cuba?



"anchorlt" wrote in message
om...
The U.S, policy re Cuba has been and is bankrupt even moreso today.

I have been there, in Havana and nearby and in the countryside, 90-110
miles west of Havana.

I wanted to go to see for myself, and not depend entirely on
fragmentary and, as it seemed to me, somewhat slanted news reports
about, conditions in that island country.

First to be noted -- no water birds in Havana harbor. None. I waqs
told all have been eaten.

Second, Havana is largely a picture card city, with much restoration
work on old buildings, surounding large open sqaures, large and small,
completed and underway, except for churches, where exterior niches are
devoid of any figures and interiors are almost empty. Other areas are
multi storied slums, with men collecting water from a constantly
running hydrant in an alley and young children on wooden chrates used
for carts that had skate wheels.

Third, police in Havana seemed tired and disinterested, listless and
bored. Standing on a few street corners, they shuffled a few feet,
back and forth, dressed in light blue shirts and dark blue trousers,
armed with pistols. I almost felt sorry for them.

Fourth, countryside was beautiful, except for patches of small wood
and unpainted shacks with no windows or doors. Next door, often, were
new houses, freshly painted, with windows and doors. Water buffalo
were plowing a small rice paddy. One town, we drove through twice, was
crowded with pedestrians and no grass anywhere, but few cars or
trucks. Highway to the area was 4 lane and divided, policed by smart
looking motorcycle cops with new cycles and shiny black helmets.

Fifth, uniformed children walking to, in and walking home from
elementary and high schools. They seemed to be adequately fed and
freshly maintained.

Sixth, mountains in west were unlike any I had seen before, anywhere
in the world, or have seen since. They come straight out of the ground
to a height of several hundred feet and have evenly domed tops.

Once I was approached in Havana by a mid thirties man, dressed in
white shirt and black trousers, and he asked me if I wanted a "snort."
My instant response: "No, gratias." We both kept on walking in
opposite directions.

Cuba seems not be hurting too bad with U.S. embargo. European tourists
are filling resorts to east of Havana, bringing in many U.S. dollars.

I am now waiting for opportunity to return to see more of the island
and its people -- when and if the U.S. government sees the folly of
its bankrupt travel policy.

anchorlt

How did you go there? I thought it was illegal?

"anchorlt" wrote in message
om...
The U.S, policy re Cuba has been and is bankrupt even moreso today.

I have been there, in Havana and nearby and in the countryside, 90-110
miles west of Havana.

I wanted to go to see for myself, and not depend entirely on
fragmentary and, as it seemed to me, somewhat slanted news reports
about, conditions in that island country.

First to be noted -- no water birds in Havana harbor. None. I waqs
told all have been eaten.

Second, Havana is largely a picture card city, with much restoration
work on old buildings, surounding large open sqaures, large and small,
completed and underway, except for churches, where exterior niches are
devoid of any figures and interiors are almost empty. Other areas are
multi storied slums, with men collecting water from a constantly
running hydrant in an alley and young children on wooden chrates used
for carts that had skate wheels.

Third, police in Havana seemed tired and disinterested, listless and
bored. Standing on a few street corners, they shuffled a few feet,
back and forth, dressed in light blue shirts and dark blue trousers,
armed with pistols. I almost felt sorry for them.

Fourth, countryside was beautiful, except for patches of small wood
and unpainted shacks with no windows or doors. Next door, often, were
new houses, freshly painted, with windows and doors. Water buffalo
were plowing a small rice paddy. One town, we drove through twice, was
crowded with pedestrians and no grass anywhere, but few cars or
trucks. Highway to the area was 4 lane and divided, policed by smart
looking motorcycle cops with new cycles and shiny black helmets.

Fifth, uniformed children walking to, in and walking home from
elementary and high schools. They seemed to be adequately fed and
freshly maintained.

Sixth, mountains in west were unlike any I had seen before, anywhere
in the world, or have seen since. They come straight out of the ground
to a height of several hundred feet and have evenly domed tops.

Once I was approached in Havana by a mid thirties man, dressed in
white shirt and black trousers, and he asked me if I wanted a "snort."
My instant response: "No, gratias." We both kept on walking in
opposite directions.

Cuba seems not be hurting too bad with U.S. embargo. European tourists
are filling resorts to east of Havana, bringing in many U.S. dollars.

I am now waiting for opportunity to return to see more of the island
and its people -- when and if the U.S. government sees the folly of
its bankrupt travel policy.

On Mon, 31 May 2004, "Bob" wrote:

Isn't it against U.S. law to visit Cuba?

No.

It is not and for many years has not been otherwise against U.S. law
to visit Cuba. However, it has been unlawful to spend U.S. dollars
while in Cuba absent a (U.S.) government-provided waiver and except
for certain Cubans residing in the U.S. with family in Cuba (talk
about irrational ethnically-oriented partisan politics!).

By its its self-help use of strict sanctions imposition policies
having to to with the don't-spend-U.S.dollars-in-Cuba prohibitions of
law, the Bush/Ashcroft admin. is attempting in effect to make "against
U.S. law" for persons other, in effect, than Cuban-born nationals
residing permanently and voting mostly in Fla. whom the administraton
presumes to be likely voters/supporters.

wrote:
On Mon, 31 May 2004, "Bob" wrote:

Isn't it against U.S. law to visit Cuba?

No.

... [details snipped] ...

For those readers who don't consider rec.boats.cruising the very last word
on US government policy, there's always the Treasury Department's own page
on Cuba:

http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotff...uide-cuba.html

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/

That site is not the latest word either. It has not been updated for
the policies declared by executive orders sense the first of this year.
The "Comprehensive Guidelines" do not show the new restrictions.


Armond Perretta wrote:

For those readers who don't consider rec.boats.cruising the very last word
on US government policy, there's always the Treasury Department's own page
on Cuba:

http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotff...uide-cuba.html


--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Glenn Ashmore wrote:
Armond Perretta wrote:

For those readers who don't consider rec.boats.cruising the very
last word on US government policy, there's always the Treasury
Department's own page on Cuba:

http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotff...uide-cuba.html

That site is not the latest word either. It has not been updated
for the policies declared by executive orders sense the first of
this year. The "Comprehensive Guidelines" do not show the new
restrictions.

There are several pages on the site dated May 2004, so I don't fully share
your view that the site is "not the latest word." In any case, it's "the
latest word" that your government has deigned to publish.

Maybe they're busy doing other stuff.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/