Many Cubans have their eyes set on the future. Young adults, between the ages of 20 and 34, are expressing hope that their nation will move forward.
Cojimar, Cuba. Here people of all ages have a long-standing relationship with the bounty of the sea.
People here make their living as fishermen.
Ernest Hemingway came here often seeking inspiration before writing his novel, "The Old Man and the Sea."
Young Cuban men continue that tradition. 29-year-old Gabriel Rama owns this small fishing boat, he calls "Tito." Rama has a wife and two daughters.
With a wife and two daughters, he says it's hard for a fisherman to make a living in Cuba.
"Maybe, I'll never have a millionaire's yacht. But it would be good to have a boat with GPS, and sonar to help us fish without the fear of running into something that damages our vessel or that the motor fails. Maybe that's asking too much," said Gabriel Rama, Cuban fisherman.
"But in the rest of the world, all boats have these things."
Many resources here remain tight. Carpenters still make fishing boats by hand.
As winter approaches, both young and old fishermen see an increase in their daily catches, and their incomes also rise -- slightly.
"The fishermen say this shark is a little over two meters long and probably weighs more than 180 kilos. It's a large catch," said Franc Contreras, Cojimar, Cuba.
30-year-old, Reinel Aguilar has pulled swordfish from the rough seas here at night, when waves rose above four meters high. He says it's a tough life, but accepts it.
"The winter, with its storms, is always more intense. But fishermen are used to exposing ourselves to such dangers. We respect the sea, but we do not fear it," said Reiniel Aguilar, Cuban fisherman.
Nearby, these young Cubans preferred to watch televised football game between Real Madrid and Barcelona - clandestinely. Instead of watching State Television's memorials to Fidel Castro.
And all the young Cubans we interviewed off camera say they hope their leaders will find ways to move Cuba forward socially and economically.
