Life doesn't get much better on this earth, and you sure can kick a lot of them back watching the waves lap the sand. We danced at a club called Ciroa, in Santiago's fanciest neighborhood, Vista Allegre. It was actually in a former school building. For a surreal touch, the stage was set up in front of what used to be the swimming pool. Patrons sat and gaze into the empty depths between dances.
Music seems to be everywhere in Cuba.
Musical bands on government payroll give free concerts in public parks, at schools and cultural centers. A great son band played every night at our lodging place. They loved singing Beatles classics into the night, passing us their guitar. This year, Cubans seemed a little fatter, there were more hard currency stores than ever, and more Cubans were in them. The police seemed in a mellow period.