Gadling

There has been a lot of speculation lately on what will happen to Cuba when Fidel Castro–who is currently very ill–dies.

Castro’s death will certainly have numerous ramifications to the island’s inhabitants. Hopefully, his death will also affect Americans–at least those of use who travel. That is because there are many who believe the subsequent political upheaval which may follow Castro’s death will eventually convince the United States government to lift the embargo and allows its citizens to travel there.

The venerable Rolf Potts has just penned a column tackling this very issue. To get to the heart of these concerns, he interviews Christopher P. Baker, author of Moon Handbooks Cuba, to find out his thoughts on the future of American travel to Cuba, as well as what to expect if/when the gates finally open (fantastic cities, culture and sites, but horrible food and sketchy transportation).

In the meantime, Baker has a few tips on how Americans can slip into Cuba under the current restrictions. Check it out, but don’t blame us if you get caught and fined by the U.S. government.

His health is failing, he hasn’t been seen in public since the summertime, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has just told the press that the Cuban leader is “fighting for his life.”

So how long until he kicks the bucket?

We here at Gadling certainly don’t want to wish death or illness upon a person we’ve never met, but Castro is one exception deserving of such wishes. Sure, I respect him for standing up to the USA and running a country longer than anyone else alive (despite all the attempts on his life), but the man has made life miserable for the millions of Cubans still enslaved by his communist government and it’s time for him to go.

Unfortunately, the many attempts to aid him along with a variety of unnatural causes have all failed and we now must wait for nature to take its course. And nature, apparently, is working overtime on the request.

And that is why we are inaugurating the Castro Countdown Pool.

Want to take a guess when the old coot will finally hang it up? Post your estimated Date of Death in the comment section below and the person closest to the date of Castro’s demise without going over, wins!

We haven’t the budget to be handing out big prizes here at Gadling, however. So, if you happen to guess the correct date, you will be awarded with your own personal post here on the web’s favorite travel site.

My guess? February 16, 2007

Since the arrival of communism, travel to Cuba has been, at best, merely comfortable.

Tourists traveling to this economic backwater knew to expect poor facilities, run-down hotels, shabby food, and a dilapidated infrastructure. Those looking for a luxury vacation never give Cuba a single thought.

According to a recent article in The Independent, however, the comforts of luxury travel have finally made inroads in Cuba. Sort of.

Comfort begins with your hotel and journalists Simon Calder and Cathy Packe key us in on some very nice, modern hotels which have recently been renovated and are allegedly up to western luxury standards. As you can tell from the photo above, the Suite Habana at the Hotel Saratoga, for example, certainly looks upscale. For $670 a night, it sure ought to be!

But that’s where it stops. The problem is that this new “upscale Cuba” sort of falls off the map after the hotel category. The authors write about “traveling in style” but can only recommend renting some of the island’s famous 1950s American automobiles. A couple of bars are suggested for some fine cigars and local drinks, but I noticed only two restaurants are mentioned and one is a paladare–a private restaurant usually found in a person’s house.

Sure, Cuba has a few fledgling luxuries for tourists, but the island is still years away from anything even remotely considered luxurious elsewhere in the world. Cuba is a tough place to travel and if you’re looking to get pampered and well-fed, better look elsewhere in the Caribbean–at least until Castro kicks the bucket.