deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

República de Cuba. The Republic of Cuba. “ A country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean meet. Cuba is located at the east of the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico), south of both the American state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Hispaniola(Haiti/Dominican Republic), and north of both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.” (Wikipedia)

Not so far from here
There’s a very lively atmosphere
Ev’rybody’s going there this year
And there’s a reason
The season opened last July
Ever since the U.S.A. went dry
Ev’rybody’s going there and I’m going, too
I’m on my way to. [Refrain:]
Cuba, there’s where I’m going
Cuba, there’s where I’ll stay. (“I’ll see you in”) C.U.B.A. By Irving Berlin

The indigenous people who occupied this territory were the Ciboney Taino people. They were independent until the Spanish came and colonized these islands in the 1500s. in 1898 the Spanish – American war resulted in The United States making Cuba a U.S. Protectorate. (Teddy Roosevelt became famous in this war.) It was a fragile democracy until 1952 when a military coup took place and Fulgencio Batista became dictator. His regime was marked by corruption. In 1959 another coup took place and Fidel Castro became the leader. Cuba became one of the only pure Marxist Communist countries in the world.

“The national flag of Cuba (Spanish: Bandera de Cuba) consists of five alternating stripes (three blue and two white) and a red equilateral triangle at the hoist, within which is a white five-pointed star. It was designed in 1849 and officially adopted May 20, 1902. The flag is referred to as the Estrella Solitaria, or the Lone Star flag.” (Wikipedia)

“The three blue stripes represent the three departments in which Cuba was divided at that time, the white purity of ideals, the red triangle, originating from the French Revolution – and the three ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity: red for the blood and the courage; the star for the independence of Cuba.” (Wikipedia)

Why don’t you travel with us on a train or a bus
To Miami where we can begin
To plan a wonderful trip on a plane or a ship
That’ll take us from Florida to Havana?
See you in C.U.B.A.!
Cuba, that’s where I’m going
Cuba, that’s where I’ll stay. (“I’ll see you in”) C U B A. By Irving Berlin