Cuba news round-up * There is a tropical storm-might-turn-into-hurricane that is actually named ERNESTO on its way to the island. Seriously, Ernesto. WTF.

* Speaking of el Che, I finally saw "The Lost City" and holy crap was it ever bad. So, so, so very bad. Like, second only to "Freddy Got Fingered" bad. I had heard at least the music was good and it looks pretty--a sort of love letter to Havana--but those are evil, vicious lies.

* Chávez apparently went back to Havana this week to visit his friend. Not any publicity this time. Not sure what's up with that.

* Russian media sources are reporting that Fidel's first wife, Mirta Diaz-Balart, is in Cuba for the first time in 40 years to make peace with the man who basically abandoned her and kidnapped their son. This little news item baffles me completely; it's pretty impossible to imagine her returning to Cuba unless he really is deathly ill or dead already. Still waiting for more confirmation on this one.

* But this is the weirdest piece of news of all--rumor has it that Castro is turning back to Catholicism now that he's dying.

Okay, more soon. Back to packing.  ¶ 1:47 PM