Since the Soviet Union's support for Cuba has ended long time ago--and the US embargo is still in place--the country is economically facing rough times. Everything, especially petrol, must now be bought in Dollars. To make things worse, the price of Cuba's main agricultural product, sugar cane, has taken a dive on the world markets.

Fidel Castro, the ageing "Maximo Lider" has begun to focus on tourism as the only remaining source for hard currency. Fortunately, his country offers more to the growing numbers of visitors than cheap sex and great cigars: pristine beaches, friendly people and a genouinely relaxed atmosphere.