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Sleeping beauty.Faces of Sancti Spíritus, Cuba...“Havana daydreaming...” always great to welcome Señor @jimmybuffett back to Cuba. He has a lot of cool things in the works and I am glad he likes our new CNN Havana hats.It made me happy yesterday to see this man lavishing affection on his dog in Havana. There has been discussion for years in Cuba about passing a law that would protect animals rights but so far nothing has happened. And lately there has been talk in the Cuban state press about the “debate” over an animal rights law. A debate implies two sides though and in this case there aren’t two sides. There is just right and wrong and every society should be judged on how it treats it animals.There’s a little bit of New Orleans in Havana this week as the @festivaljazzplaza kicks off and some great American and Cuban musicians perform together.El Teatro Nacional.Have had really good fortune when it comes to seeing rare and interesting cars the last few days. This classic Porsche Carrera I came across in the 10 de Octubre neighborhood yesterday is a stunner.History everywhere you look... the Teatro Proa in Old Havana.Late night line for bread.Taking a break.First dip in the Pacific.Twenty years visiting Panama and I still find new places that are spectacularly beautiful.Exploring the beautiful Panamanian countryside. The rocks in the 2nd and 3rd photos are known as “las piedras pintadas” and have markings made by indigenous people that are hundreds of years old.Panama from above.El malecón from up high....Like nowhere else.La máquina...As I went to take a photograph of the Christmas Tree in the Lonja de Comercio —the building where I work and supposedly the proprietor of Cuba’s tallest Christmas tree— I heard a loud “pst-pst!” It was a building security guard who was built like a Judo instructor and hissed at me in the way Cubans sometimes do to get each other’s attention. “Compañero,” he said gravely. “No photos of the tree.” In my time in Cuba, I have been told not to take photos of military installations, airports, hospitals and government ministries. This was the first time though that I had been told that I couldn’t take a photo of a Christmas Tree. Was it because up until only two decades ago, Cubans weren’t allowed to openly celebrate Christmas? Was it to keep out the hordes of tourists although Old Havana feels pretty empty these days? Why would one erect a large fake tree with brightly colored lights and then not let anyone take photos of it? “It’s the policy of the building,” the security guard helpfully explained. That reason was good enough for him, it apparently should have been good enough for me. Since I am a person who asks questions for a living, I checked with the building management, who clarified that, yes, while the general public was prohibited from the photographing the tree, I, as a tenant, was exempt. “Whenever you like,” they wrote me, “You are free to do so.” Thus it is truly my special privilege to both be able to take and share this photo with you all. Happy holidays everyone.Polski power.Havana is a good place to have eyes in the back of your head.
