My first two books have taken in Dubai, Margarita Venezuela and Gibraltar. All very different but still places many people would visit. For variety, I would like to weave Cuba into a novel. It is strange to me that the US condemns Cuba as part of the axis of evil. Former US Secretary of State John Bolton, speaking to the Heritage Foundation in 2002, a right-wing political think-tank, singled out Cuba for particular criticism, saying that the country's threat to the US was consistently "underplayed".
"(Cuba) has at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort (and has) provided dual-use technology to other rogue states," he said.
Codswallop said Andy Reeley speaking to any one who cared to listen via his Blog in 2006.
Having been to Cuba and engaged with the ordinary people, I come away with a sense of irritation with the US government. This is in no way an echo of what the Cubans themselves think, no, they all seem to be amused that the Americans don't want to visit their Island Paradise, no this is more my personal reaction to what I see at the populace level. In that my books have good old fashioned goodies and baddies, I shall find it challenging to incorporate Cuba and its people in a negative or bad way; and to show them as good would probably be dismissed by the supposedly knowledgeable (of these matters) as mere unenlightened rhetoric. From my brief investigation into what went on, all I see is a small bunch (Around ten, that is all) of American Gangsters pillaging the Caribbean Island for their own purposes, and then having amassed huge fortunes, having the financial clout to sway (or is that buy?) American political decisions. That was in the fifties when a bunch of locals ( = terrorists ) stood up for themselves and the people and revolted. A revolution is not a terrorist attack. They are completely different. Cuba has meddled in the odd foreign affair here and there, but from what I can see, that is in response to a (from the Cuban perspective) view of opposing an unjust oppressor, ie, to the US ‘Rogue States’.
I know life is actually quite hard on the Island, but I am sure it would have been an awful lot better if the US Govt had just let them get on with it. Anyway, end of rant. ( I could blog about it for thousands of words, but I will stop. Now. Honest)

So how to bring in all the good aspects of Cuba without the usual anti rhetoric. I don’t want to do someone having a holiday or getting married there, too predictable. I shall have to get my thinking hat on. It will need to be sympathetic with the flow of my story arc, and it will be a little difficult to bring in Edward or Geraldine due to the nature of the Department (Organisation is a better word) that they work for.

When I was last in Cuba, we stayed away from the main touristy bit, and stayed in the Guardalavaca area of Holguin, and yes we got out of the resort and went into local villages and met people and spent time with them. It just reinforced our love for the people and the island. We were fortunate, having elected to stay at the Paradis Rio Del Oro, and being able to negotiate an upgrade to the Garden Villas (see the picture.) We were exceptionally well looked after by the whole staff, but especially Julio (who butled for us) and his wife Yudith who did restaurant bookings and other front of house stuff. It really is a superb hotel, and is probably amongst the best on the island. Well worth a visit.