Photos and Videos

The door to Cuba is opening slowly, permitting glimpses once off-limits to U.S. travelers, thanks to the Obama administration which, in 2011, reactivated the licensed people-to-people programs begun in 2000 but quashed by Bush in 2003. Insight Cuba, which pioneered the programs in 2000, was the first company to send Americans to Cuba under the new regulations in August 2011. Shown here, a familiar scene in Havana, noted for its vintage '50s cars and its vibrant artwork. Photo courtesy of Insight Cuba.

Photos & Videos

The real Cuba

The door to Cuba is opening slowly, permitting glimpses once off-limits to U.S. travelers, thanks to the Obama administration which, in 2011, reactivated the licensed people-to-people programs begun in 2000 but quashed by Bush in 2003. Insight Cuba, which pioneered the programs in 2000, was the first company to send Americans to Cuba under the new regulations in August 2011. Shown here, a familiar scene in Havana, noted for its vintage '50s cars and its vibrant artwork. Photo courtesy of Insight Cuba.

The door to Cuba is opening slowly, permitting glimpses once off-limits to U.S. travelers, thanks to the Obama administration which, in 2011, reactivated the licensed people-to-people programs begun in 2000 but quashed by Bush in 2003. Insight Cuba, which pioneered the programs in 2000, was the first company to send Americans to Cuba under the new regulations in August 2011. Shown here, a familiar scene in Havana, noted for its vintage '50s cars and its vibrant artwork. Photo courtesy of Insight Cuba.

Ballerinas at the Pro Danza dance company in Havana. Unless otherwise note, photos are by Gay Nagle Myers; posted Nov. 5, 2013

Members of the Pro Danza dance company in Havana rehearse several hours a day each day.

A work by sculptor and designer Jose Fuster.

Azariel Santander Alcantera, a celebrated potter in the town of Trinidad, demonstrates his talent at his pottery wheel.

A typical street scene in Havana.

Cars from the '50s continue to be a staple of Cuban roads and transport.

The Orquestra de Camara, a chamber music orchestra of seven musicians, performed for our group in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

Schoolchildren were as curious about our group of Americans as we were about them.

Caribbean lobsters, caught off Cuba's coasts, were served as a main course in several of Cuba's state-run and privately run restaurants.

Examples of art could be seen everywhere: in artists' studios, galleries or street kiosks.

A poster at an artist's studio in Havana.

Artists' studios showed evidence of works in progress.

Graphic design is a popular art form in Cuba, and visitors come right into the workshops to see the presses at the Grafica de Cienfuegos in Cienfuegos on Cuba's south coast.

The Cuban government is investing heavily in the restoration of crumbling mansions that line many streets in Havana. The pace of restoration is slow, but the results magnificent.

The glittering Melia Cohiba hotel overlooking Havana's Malecon (seawall) is a state-run hotel for tourists.

Transportation within Cuba takes many forms, including horse-drawn carriages that carry produce and passengers.

Is this Paris or Havana? The night scene in parts of Havana Vieja (Old Havana) is reminiscent of similar scenes in Europe.

The Cuban government is permitting more private enterprises to open, including renting rooms in private homes.

Entrepreneurs operate small kiosks selling sweets, fruits and juices under regulations that now permit such businesses.

Enterprising Cubans try to drum up sales for eggs, which are often in short supply in the bodegas and farmers markets where most Cubans shop.

Cuban shoppers can find variety at the bustling farmers' markets in Havana, although the prices can be out of reach for many of them.

Fruit displayed at a farmers market.

Children at La Colmenita "Little Beehive" Children's Theater in Havana enjoy the art of dance at a young age.

Angela is one of many dancers at the "Little Beehive" program in Havana, an after-school program funded by the government.

Ernest Hemingway's fishing boat, Pilar, is on display at Finca Vigia, the author's home on the outskirts of Havana.

Gay gets ready to light up a Cohiba. The cigars can be purchased for about $20, but forget about bringing them back to the U.S. Photo by Bill Jeffryes