0:00:06 > 0:00:10Cuba is at a turning point.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Last year saw the end of decades of isolation from the USA,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16with tourism needing a new spirit of enterprise here.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Some sanctions have been lifted, like commercial flights from the US.
0:00:19 > 0:00:26The wheels are in motion, but everyone's wondering exactly
0:00:26 > 0:00:32where is Cuba headed right now?
0:00:32 > 0:00:37That question is especially poignant after the recent death
0:00:37 > 0:00:39of Fidel Castro and election of Donald Trump
0:00:39 > 0:00:41to the US Presidency.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45If the thawing of relations does continue, the economy here may
0:00:45 > 0:00:49benefit but is this country in danger of losing its soul?
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Those precious assets that make this place, well, Cuba!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56On my first trip here for nearly 20 years,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00I'm on a mission to find out!
0:01:11 > 0:01:14It may be a small island, 90 miles off the coast of Florida,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18but Cuba has a unique story to tell.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Ever since Fidel Castro and his band of revolutionaries
0:01:20 > 0:01:22seized control in 1959, the country has followed
0:01:23 > 0:01:23its own socialist path.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27The USA imposed a trade embargo on Cuba in the early 60s
0:01:27 > 0:01:34and Americans here were told to return home immediately.
0:01:34 > 0:01:51Classic cars like this were left behind when the rich
0:01:52 > 0:01:59American playboys left town after the revolution.
0:01:59 > 0:02:06Now, it looks like they're on their way back!
0:02:13 > 0:02:15The new US President may threaten to reimpose
0:02:15 > 0:02:19recently lifted sanctions...
0:02:22 > 0:02:25But right now, driving around Havana in vintage cars is a hit among those
0:02:25 > 0:02:30tourists who're already here.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34You're restoring this 1958, lovely Bel Air car.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Can I help?
0:02:36 > 0:02:39OK, come on!
0:02:39 > 0:02:40Sit down.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43OK.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Checking the window.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48OK.
0:02:48 > 0:02:49Turning?
0:02:49 > 0:02:50At this moment?
0:02:50 > 0:02:51Open.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53OK.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Perfect.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Incredible, going inside these old cars!
0:02:59 > 0:03:00Beautiful!
0:03:00 > 0:03:04All these wires made in the 40s and 50s!
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I feel like a master craftsman, even though
0:03:06 > 0:03:15all I was doing was this...
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Nonetheless.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Julio was a taxi driver five years ago, with his beloved
0:03:27 > 0:03:311955 Chevrolet Bel Air.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Now he's taken advantage of government reforms
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and is a partner in a business that restores and hires out classic
0:03:36 > 0:03:38vehicles to tourists.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43There are now 22 cars in total under their banner.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51This is such a rewarding thing to do!
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Already cleaner!
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Painting it!
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Tourists will be important for us, this business particularly.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09The business brain behind the company is Julio's wife.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11She has already been invited to Washington
0:04:11 > 0:04:15by the Vice President in recognition of her entrepreneurial acumen.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17She's lucky.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Most Cubans can't travel.
0:04:20 > 0:04:27For us, it's very important when we finish the restoration to get money.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30For us, it's very important when we finish the restoration to get money.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31You get money?
0:04:31 > 0:04:32We can't travel.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34We live like capitalists.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40We work a lot but we live better now.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Only three in Cuba!
0:04:42 > 0:04:46In a country where even a brain surgeon can earn only $30 a month,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49running a private enterprise like this can be
0:04:49 > 0:04:57relatively lucrative.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It was Julio's wife who quickly saw the appeal of vintage
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Chevrolets to foreigners.
0:05:01 > 0:05:01Beautiful car.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Can we go for a drive?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08She wasn't always a fan of these vintage vehicles.
0:05:08 > 0:05:20Now she has names for all of them, including her favourite - Lola.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24At the beginning I didn't like to drive but now I love to drive.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27It's very easy and it's not common to see a woman
0:05:27 > 0:05:36driving this kind of car.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38What's happening here?
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Wi-Fi area in this part.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46They are connecting with the internet.
0:05:46 > 0:05:47So like a hotspot.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Everyone comes to get online.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Wow.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55The internet is the revolution that passed Cuba by.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01For most, it's unaffordable and restricted.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Take a stroll around town and you see more evidence
0:06:06 > 0:06:08of a gulf in wealth.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Ration shops, poor housing conditions and two
0:06:10 > 0:06:17parallel currencies - one for locals and one for tourists.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20This market trader tried to explain it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21This is what?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24This is convertible peso.
0:06:49 > 0:06:49Soon?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51When the embargo lifts?
0:06:51 > 0:06:53I hope so.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56For that explanation I'm going to give you a tip.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Thank you very much, you're kind!
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Take care.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11On the flipside, there is a strong sense of national pride here,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15of pulling through, and many local communities have thriving
0:07:15 > 0:07:21cultural scenes.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34The Chaleco de Hamel, complete with murals and crazy artworks,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36is a shrine to Cuba's African roots.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38This is the voice of black Cuba.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Raw, intense, even sometimes angry.
0:07:40 > 0:07:49Always emotional and passionate!
0:07:49 > 0:07:53This street is the brainchild of local artist Salvador.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54He encountered opposition from the authorities
0:07:54 > 0:08:00who accused him of promoting dangerous, mythical beliefs.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38And then, rather rashly perhaps, the performers let me join in.
0:08:45 > 0:08:55From the raw and passionate, to the sublime.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58The Cuban National Ballet School, founded in 1962, today
0:08:58 > 0:09:01with some 3,000 students, is the biggest of its
0:09:01 > 0:09:09kind in its world.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13This couple are partners on and off the stage and they feel ballet has
0:09:13 > 0:09:26a unique place in the Cuban way of life.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47As rising stars, Annette and Danny live in a nice part of town
0:09:47 > 0:09:49with their young daughter.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52But they say there is no sense of celebrity here...
0:10:12 > 0:10:13But people recognise you?
0:10:13 > 0:10:16They say "it's Danny"?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26And as night falls in the city, old Havana loves to
0:10:26 > 0:10:29celebrate its artistic side.
0:10:32 > 0:10:40The Gran Teatro de La Habana, a Havana landmark since 1838.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43But with the Castro government's belief in arts for all,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45it's become a theatre for the people, not
0:10:45 > 0:10:46just the privileged.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53It's a big charity gala tonight.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55The talk of the town.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57And choreographed by the living legend of Cuban
0:10:57 > 0:11:00ballet, Alicia Alonso.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Danny and Annette get themselves ready.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15And so to the centrepiece of tonight's show.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Annette and Danny perform a sequence from the ballet Giselle.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28It may look effortless, but this is the result
0:11:28 > 0:11:31of years of dedication, and a passion I've already noticed
0:11:31 > 0:11:41so many Cubans share.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Head out of Havana and there's an awful lot more to discover
0:11:58 > 0:12:00about the Cuban archipelago.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05My next destination is Trinidad, the sugar town, halfway along
0:12:05 > 0:12:10the coast of the island, some 350km from the capital.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16One really cool thing I've noticed about Cuba,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18there's hardly any traffic!
0:12:18 > 0:12:21We've been driving down some of the main arteries in the island
0:12:21 > 0:12:30on the way to Trinidad and I've hardly seen any cars!
0:12:33 > 0:12:37This is what perpetuates the notion that Cuba is stuck in a time warp.
0:12:37 > 0:12:43A perfectly preserved, Spanish era colonial settlement.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Tourism is Cuba's biggest industry and is currently booming,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52fuelled by the rush of new tourists - many from the USA.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58Hotel rooms in the capital are heavily booked, which leaves
0:12:58 > 0:13:02the traveller on a limited budget with a Cuban option
0:13:02 > 0:13:08of casas particulares.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12This is basically the AirBNB prototype, people lease out
0:13:12 > 0:13:15spare rooms to tourists.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18And for many this is a lifeline out of poverty.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22But where is the man who actually runs this B!?
0:13:25 > 0:13:32Hola! How are you?
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Very well!
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Welcome!
0:13:37 > 0:13:37Hello!
0:13:37 > 0:13:38Who is this?
0:13:38 > 0:13:39Let me introduce you.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Luno.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44My favourite horse!
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Turns out Julio has several strings to his bow!
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Not just a hotelier, but also a horse whisperer!
0:13:53 > 0:13:59You're going to show me how to keep the horse calm?
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Fantastic.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Starting to be nervous.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05The neck goes up?
0:14:05 > 0:14:06Yes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:14And of course, the restlessness can reveal itself in other ways.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Nice! Really nice!
0:14:22 > 0:14:23You actually talk into the ear?
0:14:23 > 0:14:25No!
0:14:25 > 0:14:28This is the funny thing, we never whisper!
0:14:28 > 0:14:36We establish the cheek, then you see the body language.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38I have a solution.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43You and me, we lose the hair!
0:14:43 > 0:14:48Transplants are expensive but you can do this!
0:14:50 > 0:14:52You look like a heavy metal rock star.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Appropriate, as Julio's favourite band is Iron Maiden.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Horse and a cheap hat!
0:15:02 > 0:15:06On a more serious note, Julio and his wife,
0:15:06 > 0:15:13a trained accountant, are more proof of the
0:15:13 > 0:15:15entrepreneurial spirit that is blossoming all
0:15:15 > 0:15:15around the island.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17He's an ambitious man.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18I need...
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Freedom to do business.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24I am not afraid because I know Cubans are smart enough
0:15:24 > 0:15:31and won't lose the Cuban identity.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Some Americans, I work with them, they say soon you'll have
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Some Americans, I work with them, they say soon you'll have
0:15:37 > 0:15:38McDonald's, Starbucks...
0:15:38 > 0:15:44Maybe similar, but in Cuban style.
0:15:44 > 0:15:51I like good burgers and good coffee but in our style!
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Julio took me on a trip by Trinidad on horse and cart.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04On the town?s cobbled streets, it's the most practical way!
0:16:04 > 0:16:10You'd like to try?
0:16:10 > 0:16:11Sure!
0:16:11 > 0:16:19Doing very well!
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Common sense is everything!
0:16:20 > 0:16:25Common sense is everything!
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Soft hands...
0:16:38 > 0:16:41And our man of many talents isn't finished yet.
0:16:41 > 0:16:49Julio runs photography courses for tourists too.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50Interesting location.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54What do you like?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56This kind of photo is like hunting.
0:16:56 > 0:17:02But no rifle, a camera.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09Not like this.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Julio actually likens his style to a gunslinger.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15The John Wayne technique!
0:17:17 > 0:17:21They do this.
0:17:21 > 0:17:27Feel the adrenaline. Movement.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31This is the way.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Vertical!
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Very good!
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Julio finds his perfect shot.
0:17:40 > 0:17:47The tower is the symbol of Trinidad.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48I'll reach that point!
0:17:48 > 0:17:49Show me!
0:17:51 > 0:17:54One shot is enough!
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Wow, bang!
0:17:58 > 0:17:59He's on a roll here...
0:18:01 > 0:18:02No change to the picture.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04The picture comes to you.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10You love who?
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Iron Maiden!
0:18:13 > 0:18:14What's your favourite song?
0:18:14 > 0:18:20All of them, but...
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Run to the Hills?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25How does that go again?
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Run to the hiiilllsss!
0:18:47 > 0:18:53Just down the coast, 180km south east of Havana,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55is Cienaga de Zapata.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57This is where you find the historically
0:18:57 > 0:18:58significant Bay of Pigs.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01The scene of the failed invasion by Cuban opponents
0:19:01 > 0:19:04to Castro in 1961, backed by the US government.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Any invasion of these days is from a new rush of tourists
0:19:11 > 0:19:14to sample the island's nature.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17That potentially itself creates a new problem.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Because until now, Cuba has been protective
0:19:23 > 0:19:26of its environment and wildlife.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30That includes protecting this fella!
0:19:41 > 0:19:43The critically endangered Cuban crocodile.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50This breeding farm was created at the behest of Castro in 1962.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54There are 4,000 crocs here in total, separated by age and size.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Wow.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Check this out.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Obviously they can't bite now!
0:20:04 > 0:20:14Colours and markings, distinctive.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Yes, one of the characteristics.
0:20:16 > 0:20:16Cuban.
0:20:16 > 0:20:24What makes them different!
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Wow!
0:20:25 > 0:20:26One movement from me!
0:20:26 > 0:20:29When they get bigger, I'll be jumping!
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Cross breeding with the thriving American crocodile is the biggest
0:20:32 > 0:20:38current threat to the Cuban crocs.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41We are prepared.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53And this is what makes the Cuban crocodile so unique.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55They jump for food!
0:20:56 > 0:21:06All of this is to protect the species of the Cuban crocodile.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Yes.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12To stop it being overrun by American crocodiles.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Something symbolic here?
0:21:14 > 0:21:19I don't know! Maybe!
0:21:30 > 0:21:35My time in Cuba is about to end, but sunrise in the morning gives me
0:21:35 > 0:21:37one more special glimpse of the island's wildlife.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47This is the biggest swampland in the Caribbean.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51It's also home to 33 kinds of aquatic birds,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55including one of the most glamorous, the pink flamingo.
0:22:00 > 0:22:07They come and go as they please.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Now, not all residents of Cuba enjoy that kind of freedom and certainly
0:22:10 > 0:22:17not over how their country is run.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Recent changes may now take another twist with the recent US
0:22:20 > 0:22:26administration, and the death of the original revolutionary leader
0:22:26 > 0:22:29of the flock, Fidel Castro, has been a revolutionary moment.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33There's no turning back now for Cuba and the rest of the world will watch
0:22:33 > 0:22:36with keen interest to see how this proud island negotiates its journey
0:22:36 > 0:22:37into the unknown...
0:23:04 > 0:23:04Hello there.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Compared with some other parts of Europe our weather