The chief reason to visit Cuba soon, I believe, is to marvel at the extraordinary beautiful buildings, to admire the estimated 60,000 American 1950s cars and experience a country that for nearly 50 years neither the 20th nor the 21st century has touched in a negative way.

In our world of free enterprise, you have to constantly remind yourself that the government owns everything in Cuba. All the hotels, restaurants, shops, businesses and bars are owned by the government, except for a handful of in-house dining rooms called paladares.