Cuba - Lonely Planet [404]
Uneac – Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists)
vaquero – cowboy
vega – tobacco plantation
VIH – virus de inmunodeficiencia humana; HIV
Yanqui – someone from the US
Yoruba – an ethno-linguistic group from West Africa
yuma – slang for someone from the US; can be used for any foreigner; see americano/a and gringo/a
zafra – sugarcane harvest
zarzuela – operetta
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Behind the Scenes
THIS BOOK
The 5th edition of Cuba was researched and written by Brendan Sainsbury. The Health chapter was written by Dr David Goldberg. The 4th edition of Cuba was researched and written by Brendan Sainsbury, the 3rd edition by Conner Gorry and the 1st and 2nd editions by David Stanley.
Commissioning Editor Catherine Craddock
Coordinating Editor Branislava Vladisavljevic
Coordinating Cartographer Valeska Cañas
Coordinating Layout Designer Carol Jackson
Managing Editor Bruce Evans
Managing Cartographer Alison Lyall
Managing Layout Designers Sally Darmody, Indra Kilfoyle
Assisting Editors Andrea Dobbin, Kate Evans, Victoria Harrison, Anne Mulvaney, Kristin Odijk, Helen Yeates
Assisting Cartographers Karen Grant, Mark Griffiths, Alex Leung, Marc Milinkovic, Andy Rojas, Sam Sayer, Peter Shields
Assisting Layout Designer Paul Iacono
Cover Designer Jane Hart
Project Manager Rachel Imeson
Thanks to Lucy Birchley, Jessica Boland, Nicholas Colicchia, Melanie Dankel, Ryan Evans, Brice Gosnell, Lisa Knights, Robyn Loughnane, Malcolm O’Brien, Wibowo Rusli
* * *
THE LONELY PLANET STORY
Fresh from an epic journey across Europe, Asia and Australia in 1972, Tony and Maureen Wheeler sat at their kitchen table stapling together notes. The first Lonely Planet guidebook, Across Asia on the Cheap, was born.
Travelers snapped up the guides. Inspired by their success, the Wheelers began publishing books to Southeast Asia, India and beyond. Demand was prodigious, and the Wheelers expanded the business rapidly to keep up. Over the years, Lonely Planet extended its coverage to every country and into the virtual world via lonelyplanet.com and the Thorn Tree message board.
As Lonely Planet became a globally loved brand, Tony and Maureen received several offers for the company. But it wasn’t until 2007 that they found a partner whom they trusted to remain true to the company’s principles of traveling widely, treading lightly and giving sustainably. In October of that year, BBC Worldwide acquired a 75% share in the company, pledging to uphold Lonely Planet’s commitment to independent travel, trustworthy advice and editorial independence.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with over 500 staff members and 300 authors. Tony and Maureen are still actively involved with Lonely Planet. They’re traveling more often than ever, and they’re devoting their spare time to charitable projects. And the company is still driven by the philosophy of Across Asia on the Cheap: ‘All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!’
* * *
THANKS
BRENDAN SAINSBURY
Muchas gracias to Julio Roque in Havana (as always), Yoan Reyes and family in Viñales, Angel in Santa Clara, Nilson Guilaré in Baracoa, Mireya and Julio in Trinidad, my very understanding editor Catherine Craddock in Oakland, and my two vital accomplices: Liz (wife) and Kieran (son), without whom none of this would have been possible.
OUR READERS
Many thanks to the travelers who used the last edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful advice and interesting anecdotes:
A Albert Aixala, Thomas Albright, Matthew Alexander, Nassor Ali, Ester Almenar, Arian Alonso, Marko Andric, Florian Ansorge, Paul Appleton, Asa Arencrantz, Miguel Angel Arroyave Rios, Jules Atkins B Andrea Badalucco, Gavan Baddeley, A Bajo, Irena Batistic, Corinna Bayerlein, Nick Beddow, Kavita Bedford, Lina Bellou, Johan Benesch, Stephen Benjamin, Ron Berezan, Anna Bergman, Bengt Bergman, Norma Bernad Romeo, David Berry, Jessica Berube, Norbert