In 2019, I visited Cuba during the off-season. Everywhere, I saw empty beach chairs and smooth sand without footprints. It was quite nice - I felt like I was on a private beach on certain stretches. At the same time, it felt eerie. The rows and rows of vacant resorts made the area feel like a desolate post-apocalyptic town. It makes me wonder, how did this happen? During the Cold War, Cuba experienced stable economic growth due to the Soviets purchasing Cuban sugar at prices well above the international market rate. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the collapse of the Cuban economy followed - no one was willing to pay ridiculous prices for Cuban sugar. Since then, Cuba tried to revive its economy by pivoting to tourism. Despite their efforts, Cuba has been failing to meet its projected goals, largely because of America's embargo, isolating Cuba from the rest of the Caribbean. The desolate resorts and the pristine sands while incredibly beautiful, are also saddening.