Class Among The Classless

As per my earlier prediction, I have indeed changed my tune regarding the city of Cienfuegos.
More exploration today revealed that though my initial observations of the people still stand, it's a very interesting place.
Above is the natural bay around which the city resides. Like a giant mirror that reflects the sky - I'll leave it to you to decide if it's a phenomenon of natural beauty, or a result of the sheen of pollution seeping from the mass industrial sector sprawled across the opposite side of the bay.

Today I visited the beautiful and haunting spectacle of Cuba's only above-ground cemetery. All stone crosses and angel statues, it was worth a look.
Despite blistering heat and skin that wouldn't look out of place on a vampire, I chose to walk there so I could do more exploring. My skin-burning stroll took me through what seemed to be the poorer part of a town that appears, by Cuban standards at least, to be pretty well off.
As I walked past shoeless kids, crumbling buildings and people selling sub-standard food from living-rooms-come-restaurants, a man approached me opening a huge tub of paint, revealing what in fact were tasty looking pastries hidden inside. Clearly he was selling without a state required license, too expensive a prospect for many Cubans, who would then fork out a huge slice of their profits to the government as well.

Despite ideals to the contrary, there is clearly a class system in Cuba. Fuelled by the dual monetary system, whereby luxury items are priced in convertible pesos (essentially US dollars) it means those lucky enough to access such currency have instant access to a higher standard of living than those who cannot.
This lack of financial opportunities also means the black market in Cuba is huge and extensive. Almost anything is available under the table, from rice and coffee to TVs and internet access. Some need black market products just to survive each month, whilst others are looking to attain the higher standard of living so often demonized by Fidel. On the other side of the fence, the black marketeers themselves risk fines, imprisonment or losing their homes, just for using their initiative to try and make ends meet.
The ultimate irony in this most ironic of countries, is that a crackdown eradicating such outlawed activities would see the country grind to a halt, many people unable to survive their daily lives without the support of the black market.

Before the fall of Soviet Russia, and the horrors of 'The Special Period' in Cuba, many were happy with Fidel and their lot. Things have long since changed however, the country now heavily reliant on tourism and outside investment - and the very capitalism it so readily denounces.
From the outside Cuba looks broken beyond repair, change looming patiently on the horizon.
How quickly that change comes however, is anybody's guess.