ix years ago I wrote what I called a 'preliminary report' about living in Cuba.  I called it a preliminary report because I recognized the complexities of writing a full-fledged report about living in Cuba at that time.  Cuba had, and still has, a 'two tier' pricing system.  One price for Cubans, another price for foreigners.  It's an idiotic economic system, but Cuba has an idiotic economic system across the board; that's common knowledge.  This two-tier pricing system is designed to solve problems inherent in socialist economics while bringing to Cuba much needed hard currency. 

Despite my hesitancy to make a full commitment to living in Cuba at the time when I wrote my so-called  'preliminary report' I was aware even then of a little known fact about Cuba that was certainly not common knowledge then, nor even now.  Thousands of foreigners were living in Cuba then, and living well.  Since then, many thousands more have joined them.  There is no law in Cuba that prevents foreigners from living there; and living well is not very difficult in Cuba once you learn how to go about doing so. 

So, yes, there are a large number of expatriates living in Cuba and I have met and talked with hundreds of them. I have interviewed so many I've lost count; and always in each inteview I sought information about how to go about living in Cuba, especially about the methods they are using to deal with the disparities in the pricing system and still stay afloat. My analysis of what I've learned from those interviews leads me to the conclusion that while Cuba has not yet become a expatriate location for everyone, it certainly is a damn interesting location for select individuals. It is really safe, among the safest places in the world to live, and it is extremely private. (One is essentially off of the radar as far as Big Brother is concerned; and if you're not practicing espionage or engaged in activities harmful to Cuba, you will find yourself totally unmolested by the Cuban authorities . . .)  Cubans are extremely friendly and the police in Cuba are extremely helpful. Essentially, in Cuba you will never experience the police harassment, the armed robbery, the rape, the brutality, nor the hostile atmosphere that you do every day of the week in Washington DC.

As I say, in Cuba, like everywhere else on the planet, it is essential to take the time to learn to deal with the economic system. This probably doesn't shock the reader as unexpected news. We know going into the situation that Cuba is a socialist nation with a socialist economy.  Socialism causes mischief, but it has also has had its benefits to Cuba and to the Cuban people. It is clear that there have been benefits, and anyone who states that this is not the case is merely posturing and not looking at the facts. As an extranjero, (foreigner) you can play the best of both worlds.  You don't have to become a card carrying communist in order to live in Cuba; you're not a Cuban and you're probably not a communist.  As I've said before; use each nation for the attributes it has that work in your favor, why should you live in one oppressive nation on its terms when you can live in all nations on your terms? In Cuba you can have a base of operations that is extremely private, including your banking, business and personal affairs. You can deal with the wider world; live whenever and however you want in the Caribbean world of Cuba; and come and go as you please without your private affairs being made public knowledge as they are in the USA and Europe.  Privacy is a great luxury! Did you know that you can travel worldwide on a Cuban airline without your personal and private travel information being reported to Big Brother?  The airlines of most nations are forced to provide a list of passengers to the US Gestapo. That's a fact.  There are numerous cases of passengers flying from Canada to South America being pulled off of planes that had to make an emergency stops in Miami - - This won't happen to you on a Cuban airline and Cuban airlines serve absolutely every area of the world except the United States of America. Isn't it ironic that after 200 years of striving for financial freedom that the only safe and private places to place your money is China and Cuba?  Talk about the world turned upside down.

The old Cuba The new Cuba  The new Cuba at places like Marina Hemingway is one among many locations where the extranjeros are now living - Did someone tell you that you can't live there?  Who?  It is surprising how many rational people still obeyed Hitlers orders even after it was evident that the Nazis no longer had a moral imparative. - -  Don't obey irrational orders - Your life belongs to you, not to some moron with a 91 IQ

Rather than go into the politics, the disparities, the name calling and the sharpening-stone grinding of one select ax or another I will get to the point.  Cuba is a hell of a fine place to live; but up until now there was no detailed information of how to live there.  With this eBook by Christopher Howard that changes; at least the part about the lack of information.  I stated above that " . . . living well is not very difficult in Cuba once you learn how to go about doing so."  I also stated that Cuba is a "is a damn interesting location for select individuals"  Okay, while that doesn't say it all, that at least opens the doorway into the garden.  Yeah, living in Cuba is extraordinary, and not just for those old guys looking for a sixteen year old Cubana chica to shack with...   foreign women are going to Cuba to live; (educated women) getting involved in social programs; sending their children to Cuban schools, and learning things they never would have learned had they not made the jump; monied people are also going to Cuba and running their affairs from there with a greater degree of privacy than they an find anywhere else. There is also business opportunity in Cuba.  Yeah, it sounds like an oxymoron; who makes money in Cuba you might ask.  Well, I have a pal who is involved in the new BMW dealership in Havana; and he reported that they sold 400 BMW's the first day they opened. Hemingway always lived in the best places.  Paris, Spain, Key Largo, Cuba.  He was constantly hounded by the IRS and the FBI, and the hounding eventually killed him, as it did Joe Louis, Woody Herman, and other American heroes.  He loved Cuba, loved his home there, but pressures from the US government forced him to abandon his home and go to the USA to live.  There is strong evidence that the move killed him, and the pressure of being accused of being a communist by the FBI drove him to suicide.  The recent arrest of Dr. Ward Dean MD in the USA provides further evidence that the USA is no longer a safe place to live, nor a moral nation with a moral government.  If Hemingway would have stayed in Cuba he might have lived another 20 years and produced further works of art that would have enriched humanity.  Protect yourself by thinking independently and as an individual. You own your own life...  protect it by making independent judgments. Should we be surprised?  Imagine that you are rich, a Spaniard or an Italian say, with a huge multi-national corporation that makes millions.  You want a Caribbean hideaway?  Where else? To some US or UK government controlled Caribbean island where your business is common knowledge to your Gestapo overseers?  In Cuba, you've got one of the most secure spots on earth.  (This based on the very probable supposition that anyplace safe from US Government snooping is the only safe place to be.)  I very much agree with that.  There is no crime in Cuba.  (Whoops the US government left that out when they told you it was a Rogue State.) Even foreigners get excellent medical treatment in Cuba at a price lower than anywhere else in the world based on what you get for what you pay.  (A large number of non-Cuban foreigners specifically travel to Cuba for medical treatment, as they get 'First World' medicine at bargain basement prices.)  Okay, the US government left that part out too.  But they're the ones who've blockaded Cuba and pushed her into a economic corner.  Well, it is easy to admit that Castro could have done better things with the economy while Russia had the island on welfare and he had a free lunch; but he was too busy being a firebrand.  That aside, this isn't a political document, it's an announcement of the fact that you can live in Cuba, and live quite well.

News Update: Cuban Doctors Help Reduce Infant Mortality in Honduras - At present some 200 Cuban medical specialists are offering their services in rural public hospitals in Honduras. News Update:  14,000 Iraqis killed in Iraq in 2006 - - U.S. Military Deaths Confirmed in Iraq By The DoD: 2,957

The bottom line?  Cuba is absolutely beautiful . . . has great food, great cigars, great rum and great entertainment.  Start living you life as if it belonged to you.  It is your life.  You can live it the way you want to in Cuba and still travel the rest of the world on an airline that doesn't broadcast your personal affairs to those who would opppress you.  The world has changed; learn how to utilize those changes, or give up the idea of a worthwhile future. 

This guide offers assistance to anyone seeking a safe, affordable place to live outside of the United States and Canada.  It contains all of the ins and outs, dos and don´ts, rules of thumb, secret insider information and invaluable data about all aspects of living in Cuba.  It shows you how to stay busy, where to reside, how to learn Spanish, where to find companionship.  It provides you with novel, sure-fire ideas for starting businesses and, best of all, this eBook will give you a head start before you even move to Cuba.

Cuba is the most populous and largest island in the Caribbean.  Located only 90 miles from the U.S. mainland, Cuba - sometimes called the "Pearl of the Caribbean" for its beauty - boasts miles and miles of breathtaking terrain, towering mountains, spectacular landscapes, quaint colonial towns and a couple of cosmopolitan cities.  The 300-odd unspoiled beaches, bays and inlets surrounded by the beautiful crystal clear waters of the Caribbean have always been the island´s main attraction.

Cuba offers something for every imaginable taste and lifestyle.  Trends Magazine has predicted that Cuba would someday become the baby boomers´ retirement haven of the future.  In June 1998 The Miami Herald stated, "A mass new migration of retirees will start to settle abroad, lured by the low cost of living to stretch their shrinking pensions, reasonable health costs and warm weather.  Cuba will be the hottest destination due to its proximity to the United States and the relative lack of industrialization."

Cuba is ripe for entrepreneurs since foreign investment is now welcome and small enterprise is beginning to flourish.  The country´s 12 million people constitute the largest potential market in the region.  Canadians and Europeans are pouring capital into the country since investment laws have been relaxed.  The country´s new investment law allows foreign businessmen to own businesses, their offices and their housing.  Cuba has left the Cold War behind and is now ready to participate in the emerging global economy.  It is now time to get your foot in the door before the gold rush begins and hordes of entrepreneurs carve up the island completely.  A few of the reforms made to the Cuban economy in the last 10 years have created limited self-employment, legalized the use of U.S. dollars and encouraged foreign banking and investment.  Additional advantages for foreign investors include a highly-educated and well-disciplined labor force, tremendous opportunities in tourism´s untapped areas, and an improving infrastructure. 

Although conditions for investing and living in Cuba are improving, nobody can foresee the future with absolute certainty.  However, given the events of the last couple of years and the direction the country is currently moving, the predictions made in this eBook are on the verge of coming true. 

This guide deals mainly with the current realities of living and investing in Cuba, and will assist you with these important questions:

• What is required to become a legal resident?  Can I meet these requirements?  What is the cost?  How often does residency have to be renewed, what are the conditions of renewal and what is the cost?  What is required to visit, or while you are waiting for residency?

• What is the political situation?   What about income taxes, and other taxes such as sales tax, import duties, exit taxes and vehicle taxes?

Cuba´s people are warm, hospitable, fun-loving people famous for their sense of humor and knowing how to enjoy life and getting together for song and dance.  Many will even take you into their homes to meet their families.  Despite the poor relations with the U.S. in recent years, the average Cuban will treat U.S. citizens courteously.

Now the Cuban government realizes the time has come to participate in the new world economic order. The country is indeed ripe for the international investors who want to start new businesses, so the time has come for adventurous individuals to reap the tremendous opportunities which may await them in Cuba.

Once the country is completely accessible to Americans you will have the option of living there on a full-time or part-time basis.  Moreover, it will be comforting to know you will be able to return to the states quickly in the event of an emergency or other personal business - Miami is only 30 minutes away by air.  Such closeness also tends to reduce the feeling of isolation that affects many people when they leave their own country to move to a foreign land.  Friends and relatives will be able to visit you easily and vice-versa.

Canadians, Europeans and others have been flocking to Cuba for years to escape harsh winters.  Cuba has around 300 days of sunshine each year.  The mild climate agrees with most people and Cuba´s longevity rate is as high as most developed countries´.  The healthy life-style is also due in part to Cuba´s first-rate health care system.  Doctors are well-trained and medical facilities are good, and foreigners can be sure of receiving excellent health care.  And again, because Florida is so close, if you don´t feel comfortable with Cuba´s health care system it will be easy to travel to see a U.S. doctor.

Non-U.S. foreigners have been enjoying this paradise for the last couple of decades.  It will soon be your turn.  Come to Cuba to start a new and exciting life and take advantage of all the wonders this beautiful country has to offer.  Christopher Howard´s Living and Investing in the new Cuba is the one and only guide you will need to help you achieve this goal that seemed impossible just a decade ago.  If you´ve had this goal, this is the time that you´ve been waiting for.