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While a group of American tourists rested and sipped sugar cane nectar following a boat tour of limestone caverns outside Viñales, Cuba, a two-year-old member of the entourage delighted in discovering a friendly puppy. As the toddler frolicked with the Cuban dog, several locals gathered to watch the playful scene. An older man, the puppy's owner, turned to the girl's Ameri-can parents and queried, " Why don't you adopt him and take him back to the United States, since she likes him so much? " The father answered politely, " Well, we would love to but we already have a dog. " With a mischievous sparkle in his eyes, the Cuban responded by recounting to all within earshot that he knew an employee at Havana's luxurious Hotel Nacional who witnessed a middle-aged North American woman bring a skinny Cuban dog back to her room. There she fed it steak and paid veterinarians to administer shots and vitamins. Eventually, the woman flew back to the United States, taking the now-plump and pampered Cuban dog with her. For weeks, the refrain of the workers at the Hotel Nacional was, " Gee, why can't I become a dog? " This type of wry humor abounds in Cuba. The average Cuban lives in hardship, as the basic requirements of life are scarce. At the same time, Cuba is under siege by foreigners, many of whom stay in opulent government-owned hotels and dine at restaurants where food is abundant and varied. This duality of existence has created a serious strain on Cubans who have already