Cuba libre!

[Ray1936]

Hey, with all the ballyhoo about new relations with Cuba, how many of you are planning on going there and picking up a couple of '58, '59 Chevys and Fords? Sounds like a plan to me! Saw a '56 Chevy on NBC Nightly tonight that was to die for.

[Jimaz]

Hey, with all the ballyhoo about new relations with Cuba, how many of you are planning on going there and picking up a couple of '58, '59 Chevys and Fords? Sounds like a plan to me! Saw a '56 Chevy on NBC Nightly tonight that was to die for.

They're going to need some work though. I've heard many of them have been driving around with one windshield wiper and no headlights due to lack of parts. Big boon for antique parts suppliers here.

And premium cigars-o-plenty!

Word is that this was a big surprise for even those that had been lobbying for relations for years. Inevitable though.

Mr. Obama, tear down this wall! Okay, done.

• Radio Habana Cuba

[Downriviera]

And premium cigars-o-plenty!

Not for us. The Cuban cigar production is all spoken for. Spain gets most of them by contract. Its a small island with an even smaller growing region. Weather, insects, and disease can have a big effect and reduce the production in a given year. They just don't have the supply to accommodate the US. More than 75% of the Cuban Cigars you see are fake. This will continue. Opening the US market will increase the prices on Cuban smokes worldwide.

I've been given Cuban Cigars on occasion. I feel is is my civic duty to destroy them. This I do by burning them. Ahhhh.

[Honky Tonk]

I've been given Cuban Cigars on occasion. I feel is is my civic duty to destroy them. This I do by burning them. Ahhhh.

I totally support your cause. If you ever need assistance, please feel free to look me up.

[Danny]

At last Cuba finally given up as a isolated Marxist Communist post-Soviet government. Their "VIVA LA REVOLUCION!" is over.

Sorry Che Guevera and Fidel Castro! The U.S. has won over your Pan-American Socialist dream.

[Hypestyles]

Southeast Michigan doesn't necessarily have a big Cuban-derived population, does it? But in comparison, maybe the Grand Rapids area does? In any case, I want tourism to be fully opened to the public. They probably have nice beaches. And nice women to populate them.

[oladub]

I know a Canadian who travels to vacation in Cuba about every third year. He brings basics like aspirin to a family there on his trips. This began some years ago when he was having his car serviced in Florida and engaged in a conversation with a lady that worked there. When she found out he was traveling to Cuba, Canadians have the freedom to do that, she asked him to deliver such things to her family. There is a lot of poverty there despite Cuba's advances in common education and medicine.

I support the president's initiative except if there are established laws governing our relationship with Cuba. Isn't Congress supposed to override those laws with new ones? Even if this is viewed as a treaty negotiated by the president, it can only be approved by a 2/3 vote of the Senate. As much as I agree with the sentiment of ending the embargo, there is a constitutional way of doing this. So far, the press has not indicated the role, if any, of Congress on this. I hope the president doesn't think he has just issued another post constitutional edict. I don't know that he has because I haven't read, one way or the other, about what Congress' role will be in fulfilling the president's initiative.

This will be good for the Cuban people. I wonder though that if the president had waited a little longer, Venezuela, Cuba's biggest trading partner [[30% of trade) might collapse under low oil prices. Then he could have negotiated a better deal for the US.

[Midnight Rambler]

Sorry Che Guevera and Fidel Castro! The U.S. has won over your Pan-American Socialist dream.

Seems to me the US has become more socialist than those guys ever imagined was possible.

[rb336]

Seems to me the US has become more socialist than those guys ever imagined was possible.

yet another person who has no concept of what that term really means.

[coracle]

yet another person who has no concept of what that term really means.

Please explain what the term "socialist" means when referring to a country.

[Danny]

Please explain what the term "socialist" means when referring to a country.

Socialist is a political materialistic structure where people of the union are the government and its resources are equally shared and distrubuted along the masses. It's kind of close to Marxist pre-communist classless culture, but not achieved to communism.

[oladub]

Tom Donohue, the head of the US Chamber of Commerce visited Cuba on May 27,2014. I think opening up Cuba is generally a good idea but I would guess that the Obama initiative is more than coincidence.

[Jimaz]

The situation evolves: Castro: Ready to go back to church after meeting with Pope Francis

This story showcases how diplomacy often prevails over confrontation.

[Gannon]

That agreement to allow ferry service was announced the day after we left Key West/Miami...not that it would be up and running so soon, it was funny to see it in the news while it was all such an experience.

The trip was worth going to the Versailles bakery/coffeeshop in Little Havana alone...and the smell of those cigar 'factories' on the strip. I bought one, and I'm not even a tobacco smoker!

[Jimaz]

First Cuban product to be sold in U.S.: coffee--sorry no cigar

The coffee will first be sold as a limited edition, called [Nespresso] Cafecito de Cuba, in stores, online and over the phone, with the eventual goal of making it a regular product.

That could be interesting.

Wait. What?

Nespresso will begin its Cuba experiment by buying coffee beans from European importers, roasting the beans, packaging the coffee in pods and selling them in the United States.

[Richard]

First Cuban product to be sold in U.S.: coffee--sorry no cigarThat could be interesting.

Wait. What?

LMAO see how quickly how they embrace capitalism. Being in Tampa there is no shortage of Cuban cigars,I have acquaintances that fly there regularly,not that I would personally partake in something considered illegal.

Another quirk about coffee is that it is illegal to bring coffee back from Columbia thanks to Hills bros. Best coffee I have ever had came from Amsterdam.American coffee in comparison to the rest of the world is like water. I have Cuban coffee every morning and in Miami you buy it by the shot on the street kiosk,used to be 25c,a shot of coffee and glass of water and you were good to go.

Already tried the vintage auto parts export route,they are really creative with no money and make their own parts from scratch.Windshield washer bottle works well under the hood as a gravity fed fuel tank.

Even if you get the parts there they have no money to buy them.There are several that get asbestos from the government one way or another and actually rebuild the brake pads in their garage,cutting and grinding with no mask.The majority of the people have 0 funds,like the lawyer that was hooking on the side to earn extra money to remodel her apartment.

The one that have vintage cars will never sell them,that is the only thing that they have and it is their pride and joy,rightly so,and it would be like selling their kid so it would not be like getting them cheap where money has little meaning.

[Hypestyles]

how can "average" folks travel to Cuba at this point, if at all? How much are tickets? What about lodging? How is money handled?

[sturge]

My parent just went there this summer. It was with a cultural tour group and you had to stay with the tour group. If you're interested, I can get more details.

[Hypestyles]

My parent just went there this summer. It was with a cultural tour group and you had to stay with the tour group. If you're interested, I can get more details.

That would be great, thanks

[sturge]

This site should get you started. http://www.cubaculturaltravel.com/

My parents used Colette travel via AAA.
http://www.gocollette.com/en/tours/s...rica/cuba/cuba

[Richard]

I have an acquaintance that just came back from spending a week there,I have a meeting with him later this week and I will see how he did it,kinda speculating music/arts related.