Before you book: A look inside Cuba

A wave of diplomatic talks hit the shores of Cuba this week as Washington and Havana work to normalize relations that had been severed in the wake of Fidel Castro's seizure of power in 1959. The U.S. diplomatic delegation is the highest-ranking American group to arrive in Cuba in 38 years. CNBC photographer Justin Solomon is on the ground to give us a glimpse of colorful Havana.

—By CNBC's Anita Balakrishnan.
Posted 23 Jan. 2015

Not all the cars in Cuba are vintage American relics. Here, a driver washes his taxi, maybe the one that will pick you up from the airport on your next vacation.

Here you go! The driver of this 1956 Buick taxi stops after being hailed. Orbitz CEO Barney Harford told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" that it would be a year before American tourists could book a commercial flight there.

Tourists take in the sights from a tour bus. "This is a wonderfully ironic experience," an American tourist told CNBC's Eamon Javers earlier this week. "To be sitting in Cuba—in Havana, Cuba—and be in the basement of the Hotel Nacional watching Obama's State of the Union. I love it."

The symbols of Communist Cuba remain. This mural in Havana shows the logo for the Young Communist League: "Study, Work, Rifle," with images of icons Julio Antonio Mella, Camilo Cienfuegos and Che Guevara.

When the talks began, the unsettling appearance of this Russian intelligence-gathering ship was quickly dismissed as routine naval activity.

The historic talks have failed to get the attention of local media, although Cubans are bracing for increasing tourism from the U.S., according to Javers. Pictured: Pedestrians wait for a bus.

Hand-rolled cigars are one of the big draws for Americans. The new restrictions allow U.S. travelers to bring back $100 worth of liquor and cigars from Cuba.

A classic car sits outside a movie theater. "I'm excited to see the culture preserved," Brown University student Hannah Cole told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on the "TODAY" show.

This bright promenade gives American travelers a peek of what's to come, even if diplomats won't be sure of the details until the talks close this weekend.