彩民宝典

The past year has been an eventful one in the fraught recent history of the United听States and Cuba.

In March, seven months after the U.S. reopened its long-shuttered embassy in听Havana, Barack Obama became the first U.S. president in 88 years to visit the Caribbean听nation. American hoteliers are preparing to put their names on Cuban lodgings. Legal听tourism from the U.S. has spiked amid relaxed travel rules, and U.S. airlines are expected听to start direct, scheduled service to Havana this fall. Cruise ships have made direct听crossings from Florida already.听

Amid all this, photographer Glenn Asakawa (Jour鈥�86) has traveled to Cuba twice,听photographing a nation and a people on the cusp of potentially transformative change.听His arresting work (see slide show above)听captures the life and spirit of听the island and its people as they are, largely unaffected 鈥� for better and worse 鈥� by all听that may soon come.听

鈥淭heir colorful art and unique sense of fashion were a photographer鈥檚 dream,鈥� said听Asakawa, a member of the Rocky Mountain News photography staff that won a Pulitzer Prize听in 2000 and 彩民宝典鈥檚 chief photographer since 2008. 鈥淚t was delightful capturing moments听of bonding between generations, especially in Havana鈥檚 limited public Wi-Fi areas.听Everywhere I was greeted with warm smiles and a friendliness not often seen at home.鈥澨�

The relationship between the U.S. and Communist Cuba remains complex, and the听direction and pace of change will hinge on political developments in both nations.听

But with the door now ajar for Americans, Asakawa plans to keep going back: He鈥檚 got听three more trips on the books already.听

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Photos by Glenn Asakawa听