The vintage Chevrolet Bel Air taxi had back seats big enough for a comfortable ride around the world, let alone across Cuba.
But the taxi rolled down a steep, narrow hill from the center of Santiago de Cuba, a city at the eastern edge of the island, and stopped at the train station, where a tired collection of train cars waited for a late evening departure for Havana.
When the train rolled into the countryside, stars stretched overhead. A conductor stepped to the center of one car and said, “Buenas noches.”
Passengers, already settling for sleep, dug for their tickets, and an answer: “Buenas noches.”
TOM HAINES

http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/latinamerica/articles/2009/03/29/night_watchman/