Some months ago, ETECSA, Cuba’s telecommunications monopoly, set up a number of pay-for Wi-Fi hot spots around the country, allegedly aimed at greater public Internet use. This has resulted in incomes above what the company had predicted.
Santiago de las Vegas was once one of the most commercially and socially active cities in Cuba, known in the mid-20th century for the extraordinary cleanliness and pristine state of all its asphalted streets. The changes over time have not exactly been for the better. (50 photos)
The normalization of diplomatic and commercial relations between Cuba and the United States began seven months ago. I thought perhaps one can already make direct Internet purchase from Cuba, so I gave it a try for my small company.
This past June, I was again contacted by two State Security officials who warned me of the dangers I could become exposed to if I attended places in Havana where “political activities sponsored by the enemy” were held. They also tried to persuade me to act as an informant for them.
The City of Cienfuegos has a population of over 300,000 and, much different from Havana, it is certainly one of the cleanest in Cuba. It is located in the south central region of the Majagua peninsula, on the shores of the Bay of Jagua. (44 photos)
Water shortages in the town of Santiago de las Vegas (in Havana’s municipality of Boyeros) have become more frequent since January of this year. The Boyeros municipal government has mobilized over 50 water trucks as part of a plan to mitigate the problem.
The Cuban government’s economic restructuring policies have in part afforded the population opportunities to secure licenses for businesses aimed at a sexually diverse public. Clubs and discos that once operated in the shadows no longer do so, and these are becoming more numerous and visible, especially in the capital.
Nearly half of Cuba’s population carries more than a few extra pounds. The most recent study reports that 43 percent of the population is overweight or obese as a result of sedentary lifestyles, high intake of fat-rich foods, sugar and salt and low consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Some say the most interesting thing in the Zapata Swamp, located in southern Matanzas, are the beaches, the crocodile meat, scuba diving and the history museum recounting the events of the Bay of Pigs invasion in the 1960s. We can add two other attractions. (37 photos)
Those interested in coming into direct contact with nature and enjoying good beaches should definitely visit the towns of Caleta and Playa Larga, located in the Zapata Swamp, south of Matanzas, Cuba. (23 photos)
