Fidel Castro, Jeffrey Goldberg and Julia Sweig watch a performance with dolphins at Havana's Aquarium

  Fidel Castro, U.S. journalist Jeffrey Goldberg and U.S.Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Director Julia Sweig watch a performance with dolphins at Havana's Aquarium 

People sit on Havana's seafront boulevard 'El Malecon' after sunset

People sit on Havana's seafront boulevard 'El Malecon' after sunset 

spike from Michal Winiarski

 spike from Michal Winiarski during the World League volleyball tournament  (Cuba vs Poland)                            AFP - Getty Images

Cuban students watch waves crashing into Havana's seafront boulevard

Cuban students watch waves crashing into Havana's seafront boulevard "El Malecon" . 
 REUTERS/Desmond Boylan

Havana, Cuba

February 2008, Havana, Cuba.

"We sailed into Marina Hemingway under a perfect a blue sky and watched as a group of uniformed officials started to gather on the customs dock," Catherine Hockley blogged. "I thought we would have time to tidy up a little, but before I knew what was happening we were being introduced to the first of 11 government officials that would ask to come aboard."

(Courtesy Catherine and Neville Hockley) - abcnews.go.com

A Cuban sackcloth-dressed worshipper crawls

A Cuban sackcloth-dressed worshipper crawls as he pushes a rock to pay homage along a road leading to the shrine of Saint Lazarus in the town of Rincon, some 30 km from Havana December 17, 2009. The annual pilgrimage to one of Cuba's most sacred icons drew thousands of both Roman Catholic believers, and followers of the Afro-Cuban Santeria faith for whom Saint Lazarus also symbolizes the deity of Babalu-Aye, introduced by African slaves brought to Cuba when it was a Spanish colony.
Credit: REUTERS/Desmond Boylan