Diplomats meet in Havana to discuss U.S., Cuba relations

HAVANA, Cuba- A top diplomat called talks between the U.S. and Cuba positive and productive. It’s the second day of face-to-face talks as the two countries work on normalizing ties after more than 50 years of animosity.

During this week’s historic diplomatic talks, WINK News set out to the streets of Havana to find out how the people feel about the potential shift in policy.

Thursday, every single hotel was booked in the city of Havana, filled with visitors and journalists from across the world.

No longer do Americans need permission to travel to Cuba, and it’s already starting to show.

The city is alive, with eyes of anticipation by Cubans and foreign travelers alike.

Visitors arriving for the first time since the embargo should not expect things to have changed overnight.

U.S. cellphones will not work and many email accounts are inaccessible. American credit and debit cards are also useless on the island.

Getting to the country will continue to be a challenge for many travelers. Corporate charter flights out of Miami are few and the supply hasn’t caught up with the demand.

Customs officials in the U.S. advise not to bring anything back from Cuba. But if you do, they expect a receipt for everything. Without proof of purchase, officials say the items will be seized. Officials admitted they aren’t exactly sure how to deal with Cuban goods brought into the U.S.