90 miles south of U.S. soil, 100, 000 Cubans gather along the Malecon seawall for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the legendary American funk group Kool and the Gang perform live on December 21st 2009. Previously banned in Cuba, fans had to find surreptitious ways of accessing American music.

Teenage boys hang out together on the streets of Habana.

A pair of twin teenage girls dressed for a wedding. The infant mortality rate in Cuba is 6.95/1,000; less than the current U.S. rate. (2012) Health care is free for Cuba citizens and is regarded highly in the international medical community.

Hugging and kissing this tree is not uncommon for the thousands of Cubans that hold it in high regard. This Ceiba tree is the historically honored tree around which El Templete (in the Plaza de Armas, Old Habana, Cuba) was constructed in 1828. It is said that the first religious services and town council meetings were held under this tree, which also served as the spot where the city was later founded in November 1519. Today, this tree embodies magic for the people who travel from afar each November to circle it three times and drop coins at it's base; honoring its history and hoping to fulfill present day wishes.

Portrait of a young girl in Habana.

Over the town of Trinidad, a young man flies a kite made from a black plastic bag, twigs and yarn.

Individual 'Casa Paticular' owners crowd the door to a tour bus filled with new arrivals in Trinidad, Cuba. Casa Particulares are run by entrepreneurial home owners permitted by the Cuban Government to allow guests to reside at their homestead in exchange for CUC dollars ('Convertible' pesos) as long as taxes are paid. The CUC is practically equivalent to the USD while the Cuban Peso is worth a fraction of this value while used in similar circumstances to buy goods and produce. This dualistic monetary system creates wealth amongst those that work for touristic enterprises while those that work for Cuba/Cubans get paid pennies to the dollar for their work as Doctors, Teachers and in other public services.

Portrait of the owner/operator of a Casa-Particular in Cienfuegos. Casa-Particulares are private residences that offer lodging to travelers for a fee, with dinner and/or breakfast often included. These Casas became a legal means of family income in 1997, requiring government issued licenses and payment of taxes, while most other tourist accommodations are government run hotels, motels and camping areas.

This woman asked for the clothes I was wearing and offered a visual sign of the number of pants she owned; zero. This request occurred many times but my reply was never met with conflict. It usually was followed by a discussion of unrelated things in a friendly manner.

Visitors to Old Havana sit on the front steps of the old capital building 'El Capitolio'. Many are tourists from outside of Cuba, yet many are also from within Cuba. Havana is a destination for Cubans who otherwise cannot secure visas to travel beyond the island borders. El Capitolio was for years the home of the Cuban Academy of Sciences and is currently undergoing restorations so that the Cuba's National Assembly can once again assemble as the Cuban Congress once did from the building's completion in 1929 until the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

Many Cuban families depend on the limited forms of public transportation that are available. Antiquated vehicles and pushing the limits of vehicle passenger occupancy are common. Old Habana.

One man on a bicycle gives another man a lift while riding through Old Havana.

Citizens form a line at the bustop, waiting for the commonly crowded state-run bus, known as the guagua. Standard bus fares within Habana are one Cuban Peso (CUP) as subsidized by the Cuban government, an equivalent to less than four cents (USD 2012). Bus transportation is common in socialist Cuba, where individuals need special permission from the state to access cars for purchase.

A group of young men play hand-ball (two-square) in Parque Jose Marti of Cienfuegos, Cuba.

Portrait of a young boy in Habana.

Cuban soldiers wait in line to receive train tickets for cross-country travel. Between the ages of 17-28 there is a compulsory 2-year military service obligation for both sexes. Old Habana

One worker shows his hands during an excavation project on San Carlos street in Cienfuegos. He was solitary in his effort to fix a plumbing problem affecting his residence. His tools included a pick-axe, a hand-saw, a wedge, two wrenches, two shovels, a bucket and his two hands.

Portrait of one Cuban man. He rides aboard a boat ferrying across the Bay of Cienfuegos to the town of Jagua, home of the Jagua Castle, built by the Spanish crown in 1745 to protect Cienfuegos. Jagua and its neighboring town Ciudad Nuclear, is also close to the Juragua Nuclear Power Plant which was originally funded for construction by the Soviet Union starting in 1983. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the project was suspended in 1992 and now sits disabled.

A Guarapo merchant takes a break from manually grinding sugarcane to make the fresh sugary juice. In cooperation with four other workers this street vendor tends to the constant flow of customers for the popular drink. Sugarcane is one of Cuba's biggest agricultural foci and comprises a large majority of it's exports.

A book merchant naps alongside his collection of used books on the sidewalk in Old Havana.

Two men sit streetside smoking cigars. Tobacco is one of Cubas major exports and plays a big part in their international identity.

A group of Cubans sift through a pile to find the best garlic. State-run markets such as this one offer the goods that are listed on the rationing sheets issued to all citizens. Produce is limited to what can be harvested locally as the U.S. trade embargo continues to limit world-wide trading. Local citizens used sustainable agriculture and fuel-free techniques independently of the government due to the fuel shortage that began in 1989 when assistance from the Soviet Union ceased. The practice is still alive and well and has been absorbed into the state system for provisions. Interested groups from all over the world come to see their practices and innovations.