Lush greenery, beautiful mountains, farms and beaches were just around each corner. For some, I was the first U.S. citizen they had met. Once, when I had trouble summoning an elevator, a gentleman approached and offered assistance. Another time, a young woman who was studying economics at a university in Havana was so shocked at meeting a U.S. citizen that she simply stared at me as if she could not speak. Finally, she summoned the courage to ask me if the American people like the Cuban people.
People define a country.
People everywhere have the same basic need for security and happiness. In Cuba, I found friendly, educated, hard-working people struggling under a failing system. One afternoon I visited the Marina Hemingway with a friend, a professor of English at one of the medical schools in Havana. This marina, east of the city, is relatively new and looks like any marina in Florida. Boats flying Canadian, Bahamian and U.S. flags were tied up and their crews were enjoying late afternoon drinks.