Cuba The Travel Show

Cuba is at a turning point. Decades of isolation from the USA are set to

end and tourism is leading a new spirit of enterprise. The wheels are

in motion but I was wondering exactly how and where Cuba is headed

right now. The economy may benefit, but is this country in danger of

losing its soul. The most precious assets that make this place, well,

Cuba. In my first trip here in nearly 20 years, I'm in a mission to

find out. It may be a small island 90 miles

off the coast of Florida, but Cuba has a unique story to tell. Ever

since Fidel Castro and his hand of revolutionary seize control in 1959

the country has followed its own socialist path. The USA imposed a

trade embargo on Cuba in the early 60s and Americans here were told to

return home immediately. Classic cars like this were left behind when

the rich American playboys left town after the revolution. Now, it looks

like they are on their way back. Because relations have thawed

between the two countries and vintage cars are a hit amongst

tourists who are here already. You are restoring this 1958 car, a

lovely car, can I help? Please. Sit down. Check the window wipers. Is it

popping? Perfect. It is beautiful inside this car with all of these

wires. I feel like a master craftsmen even though I was just

doing this. Nonetheless, wow! This man was a taxi driver five

years ago with his allotted 9059 car. Now he is taking advantage of

government reforms and is a partner in a business that restores and

highs are classic cars to tourists. There are now 22 cars in total. This

is such a rewarding job. Look, it is already getting cleaner. The United

States allow all the tourists to come here, it'll be very important

for us and that is this is particularly. The business brain

behind the business is his wife, was already been invited to Washington

by the vice president. She is lucky because most Cubans can't travel. It

is very important when he finishes this restoration to get money for

that work. We will live much better because we can't travel and we will

live like capital is but we worked a lot. We live better as well. There's

only three in Cuba. Only three in the whole of Cuba? In a country when

even a brain surgeon can only earn $30 a month, running a private

enterprise can be relatively lucrative. It was this man who was

quick to see the appeal of the ditch cast to foreigners -- vintage cars.

Beautiful! , go for a drive? He was not always a fan of these cars. Now

she has names for all of them, including her favourite, Lola. At

the beginning I did not like to drive but now I love to drive. It is

very easy and not very common to see a woman driving this kind of car.

What is happening here? It is a Wi-Fi area and they are connecting

with the Internet. That is the hot spot where everybody comes to get a

line. Yes. The Internet was the revolution the past Cuba by. For

most, it is unaffordable and restricted. Take a stroll around

town and you see more evidence of a golf and wealth. Two parallel

currencies, what the locals and won the tourists. You should buy that

one. I should buy this one? This man tried to explain it to

your two different types of currencies?

OK. Soon, I'm glad it will happen when the embargo is. Further

explanation I will give you a tip. Thank you very much. Take care. On

the flip side there is a strong sense of national pride here. Of

pulling through and many local communities have thriving cultural

scene. This is a shrine to Cuban's African roots. Rohrl, intense and

sometimes angry. Always emotional and passionate. This man is the

brainchild of the local after. He encountered opposition from the 30s

promoted him of promoting dangerous mystical beliefs. -- authorities who

accused him. And then rather rashly, the

performers let me join in. From the Rohrl and passionate, to the sublime

-- raw. It was founded in 1962, today with 3000 students is the

biggest in its kind in the world -- of its. This couple are partners on

and offstage and they feel ballet has a unique place in the Cuban way

of life. As rising stars, they live in a nice

part of town with a young daughter. But they say there is no sense of

celebrity here. But people recognise you? As night

falls in the city, old Havana loves to celebrate its artistic side. The

grand Theatre is a Havana landmark since 1838. But with the Castro's

believe that art is for all, it is a for the people, not just the

privileged. It is a big charity gala tonight, the talk of the town, and

choreographed by the living legend of Cuban ballet. The performers get

themselves ready. APPLAUSE. And so too the centrepiece

of tonight's show. Anette and Dani perform

a sequence from the ballet Giselle. It may look effortless, but this is

the result of years of dedication and a passion that I've already

noticed so many Cubans share. Head out of Havana and there is

an awful lot more to discover My next destination is Trinidad,

the sugar town, halfway along the coast of the main island, some

350 kilometres from the capital. One really cool thing I've noticed

about Cuba is there is hardly any We've been driving down some

of the main arteries in the island on our way to Trinidad, and

I've hardly seen any cars. This is what perpetuates the notion

that Cuba is stuck in a time warp. A perfectly preserved Spanish-era

colonial settlement. Tourism is Cuba's biggest industry

and it is currently booming, fuelled by the rush of people

anticipating the end of an era with Hotel rooms in the capital

especially are now very heavily booked, which leaves traveller

on a limited budget with a very This is basically the Airbnb

prototype, whereby people lease out their spare

rooms to tourists, and for many this But where is

the man that actually runs this B? Let me introduce you

to Luna de Miel. Turns out Julio has several

strings to his bow, not just a hotelier, but also a horse

whisperer. And you're going to show me exactly

how to keep the horse calm and make her trained,

is that right? You see she's started

to be nervous? And of course, Luna's restlessness

can reveal itself in other ways. You actually talk into the ear,

or not? This is the funny thing, we never

whisper, we never whisper at all. What we do is first establishing the

leadership, I have a solution for you,

you and me, we lose the hair. I know that a hair transplant

could be very expensive but you can Yes, you look

like a heavy metal rock star. Which is appropriate as Julio's

favourite band is Iron Maiden. The only thing you need is

a horse and a cheap hat. On a more serious note, Julio and

his wife, who is a trained accountant,

are more proof on my trip of the entrepreneurial spirit that is

blossoming all around the island. What I expect, I need,

because it's my way to be more free I'm not afraid

of too many things, because I know Cubans are smart enough, and they

won't lose the Cuban identity. So some Americans, because I work

a lot with American people, and they say oh,

soon you will have McDonald's. But maybe we can have things similar

but in our style, in our Cuban style because I like the hamburgers, and I

like coffee, because I like to enjoy good

coffee, but it will be our style. Julio took me on a trip

around Trinidad, On the town's cobbled streets

it is the most practical way. So it's no Mercedes

but it's really good anyway. Common sense will

tell you what to do. And our man

of many talents isn't finished yet. Julio runs photography courses

for tourists too. Here is an interesting location,

what do you like about here? The conception of this kind

of photography is like hunting. Hunting, but instead of using a gun

or a rifle, you are using the Julio actually likens his style to

a gunslinger, the John Wayne In the cowboy movies, you see before

shooting, they do with their This is the feel you should have,

feel the adrenaline. The adrenaline and the movements,

this is the way to keep the camera. The beautiful tower is the symbol

of Trinidad, so I will shoot Don't chase the picture,

the picture will come to you. What's your favourite song by

Iron Maiden? I think all of them,

but Run To The Hills. Run To The Hills,

remind me how that goes again. Just down the coast and

about 180 kilometres south-east This is where you find

the historically significant Bay of Pigs, the scene

of the failed invasion by Cuban opponents to Castro in 1961, which

was backed by the US government. Any invasion these days is from a

new rush of tourists to sample the island's nature, which potentially

itself creates a new problem. Because up until now, Cuba has been

fiercely protective And that includes

protecting this fellow. The critically endangered Cuban

crocodile. This breeding farm was created at

the behest of Fidel Castro in 1962. There are some 4,000 crocs here

in total, But the markings,

are they distinctive? The colours and the markings

of the skin? Yes, it's one of the characteristics

of the Cuban crocodile. One of the differences between Cuban

and American. Yeah. Whoa, look at that, one

movement from me. When they get bigger I'll be

the one that's jumping. Crossbreeding with

the thriving American crocodile is the biggest current threat

from the Cuban croc's survival. This area we prepared

for the re-population. They need the area for warmth,

for the sun, and for shadow. And this is what makes the Cuban

crocodile so unique. They can jump this high using

the tail. And all this is to protect

the species of the Cuban crocodile? And to stop it from being overrun

by American crocodiles. Do you think there is

something symbolic here? But sunrise the next morning gives

me one more special glimpse This is Salinas de Brito, the

biggest swampland in the Caribbean. It is also home to 33 kinds of

aquatic birds, including one of the most glamorous, the pink flamingo,

who come and go as they please. Now, not all residents

of Cuba enjoy that kind of freedom, of course, and certainly not over

how the country is run. But who knows where the current path

of reform and change may lead? There is no turning back now for

Cuba, and the rest of the world will watch with keen interest to see how

this feisty, proud island negotiates