Cuba, the country where the clocks stopped for decades, is finding its way back to the future. A population desperate for change is recovering from the Cold War’s longest hangover and warming once again to its closest neighbour, for so long its frostiest foe, the US. Far from becoming the American neo-colony it once was, however, this proud nation, whose stature and influence within Latin American has long outweighed its small size, is holding on tight to what makes it so special.

 Salsa still runs through the veins of every Cuban, roadside billboards still declare “Socialism or death” (rather than “Sale now on”), world-class ballerinas and baseball players continue to work for a state salary, and the island’s breathtaking beaches and forest-covered mountains aren’t going anywhere.