Cuba’s multiracial history is apparent everywhere, but elements of its racist legacy are no where. On the streets, on the job, on the dance floor there seems to be no reference to heritage. "African", "European", "white" and "black" are used to describe people but with no implications. I ask one of the "African-Cubans" who was part of the group, in a couple of different ways, whether is she identifies herself as "African-Cuban", whether whites felt like they had a different cultural as "European-Cubans" or whether white and black Cubans looked at themselves as being culturally different. She, with great politeness and poise seemed to be trying to figure out what the heck I was talking about. From the stratified and polarized society Cuba had thirty-five years ago, a "non-racial" society seems to be one of the great successes of the revolution.

We have left the mountain valleys and are now on the alluvial plains. Agriculture has changed to reflected a lot more cattle and sugar cane. The are the spitting image Hollywood’s cowboys, driving cattle and swing their lassos. The coastal towns did some fishing. Agricultural diversity was in the form of one new very young papaya farm.

I seem to be seeing posters of the Pope on more doors. For some last months papal visit must still live on.