Cuba is the largest Caribbean island, full of colour and music everywhere you go. It is well known for rum, cigars, Castro and Che. It is one of the last remaining truly communist countries, and has suffered under United States government sanctions since 1959. There are no flights connecting with the US and very little trade, leading to quirky side-effects such as the continued prevalence of American cars predating the embargo. In recent years things have begun to look brighter for the people of Cuba, but it remains one of only two countries where Coca-Cola is not officially sold, along with North Korea.

We visited Cuba in October 1999, to find that our hotel had been damaged by a recent hurricane, so we stayed at the adjacent hotel “El Viejo y El Mar” at Marina Hemmingway. I realised the following year that old Havana’s architecture is very much like Miami’s South Beach, but with decades of neglect. Unfortunately being the recalcitrant teenager that I was at the time, I had neither the means nor the appreciation to take decent photos, but this does give me another excuse to return someday soon.