the sea is just across from this building. in my mind it was clear, obvious, that once castro dies the regime will fall, and once it does the rich cubans who fled to miami and elsewhere will return and then there will be trouble. it was explained to me that early in the revolution castro disposessed the rich and partitioned their properties into small untis that were given to the poor to live in. understandably the new occupants had neither the means nor the vested interest to maintain these opulent properties and over the years have resorted to cannibalising their interior for scrap metal to sell, wood to burn, etc. it is thus not unusual to see apartments without doors or windows, with bare light fixtures, and other evidence of partial demolishion. these are 'prime real estates', certainlyy worth significant amounts of money. and this brings me to my main curiosity when i arrived in cuba: are cubans really different? not the leaders, not the movement, but rather the average person. is the average person a 'communist' who will carry on the revolution after the charismatic and all powerful leader dies? in a way i wanted to find that, i wanted to find people who really think differently and have different values. but i didnt. the cubans i met, and i stayed with many, dined with many, partied with many, were just like me and anyone else ive ever met. they all wanted a better material life, all expressed frustration with the artificial poverty heaped on them. who knows what would have been without the american embargo, maybe they would have been more like scandinavians, but as it was they seemed to be eager, hungry for the most inane of material conforts - a dollar to buy this or that, a pair of trainers, blue jeans, whatever. so i didnt see any evidence that the revolution will survive at the level of the people and without that those with motivation and means will be able to come back and reconquer what they believe belongs to them....