Program 399: Cuba for American Travelers; Easter in Sevilla

Listen in as Christopher P. Baker, one of America's top experts on travel to Cuba, reports on the reaction in the streets of Havana to President Obama's announcement - and addresses common misconceptions about what the policy change really means for Americans who want to visit Cuba. Then learn about southern Spain's elaborate Semana Santa observances, which fill the streets of Andalucía in the week leading up to Easter.

• Christopher P. Baker, tour guide and guidebook author
• Concepcion Delgado, tour guide based in Seville

Pgm 399 Where I Live entry:  Carol Tobon, Old Town (Dixie County), Florida

Morning Symphony in Dixie County, Florida

It's 5 AM.  Our venue is a country porch in a small North Florida town.  The stars are spotlights at the ready.  Our maestro — the fullest of moons — begins to nudge the musicians to attention.  From high in the pines the owl's opening overture begins.  The notes dance on the breeze enticing the listener to stay for the magic in store.

Wild turkeys enter with the sonata, the next part of the orchestration.  The owls and the turkeys — committed to the symphonic poem — prepare us for the roosters.

The third component, the andante, belongs to them.  A chorus of verse and responses lend an amusing air to the composition.

Their capricious crowing alerts us to the impending scherzo, the fourth movement of our masterpiece.  Seldom in unison, the pups begin their rhapsody with solos.  Each is performed with the tonality unique to their breed and training.  The deep basso "woof, woofs" contrast nicely with the tenor "yap, yaps" of the smaller, more delicate instrumentalists.

At last, when the listener cannot imagine being more enraptured, the howls of the hunting hounds are a fitting finale and bring a triumphant close to the magnum opus.

Amid cries of "Bravo" and pleas for an encore, a cow and donkey delight us with a ballad that has its roots in barnyards all over the world.

Our applause continues as the sun raises the houselights.  We take comfort in knowing there will soon be a repeat performance with an open invitation for all who care to listen.

• Christopher P. Baker is the author of the Moon Cuba, Moon Havana, and National Geographic Traveler Cuba guidebooks
• Christopher P. Baker links to his travel writing, photography, and information about his tour guiding in Cuba.    
• Chris Baker recently spoke with CNN and China's CCTV about the impact thawing relations between the US and Cuba will have on island tourism.    
• Wikitravel has details on the new provisions for Americans traveling to Cuba.