( dpa )- In sunny Havana, life followed its usual course on Tuesday, despite an announcement by Fidel Castro that he would formally step down from power after close to half-a-century of rule.
Castro, 81, "temporarily" gave up power to his brother, Raul, for health reasons on July 31, 2006, and most Cubans have already grown accustomed to the absence of their long-time leader.
"It was expected, (Fidel) is ill. The people were prepared for that," said Alejandro, 25, as he queued up before a food shop in the central Havana neighbourhood of Vedado. He and other sources spoke to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on the condition their full names not be used to protect themselves from possible repercussions.
Cuban Communist Party daily Granma published a message from Castro on Tuesday, in which he announced he would not be a candidate when the new National Assembly meets to fill high government and military leadership positions on Sunday.
"I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief," Castro said in a message to the Cuban people.
The Cuban press published the message in their online editions early Tuesday, when Most Cubans were asleep. And very residents on the communist island would have seen the messages anyway, since few have access to the Internet.
Later, radio and television news programmes spread the message, reading it in the slow rhythm with which they have reported on scores of earlier messages from the Cuban leader in recent months, with no stress and no comment on a historic change that is undoubtedly the end of an era.
Marta, 30, did not change her routine.
"It hasn't been really a surprise. From the sentimental point of view, we feel a bit sad, but you cannot change fate, the country needs new people," she said as she dropped her son off at school.
For her, the decision was predictable.
"You need someone who is strong to carry out the activities that (the presidency) requires. He can no longer climb up mount Turquino (the highest in Cuba) as we would like him to," she explained.
Sitting before her news stand, Maria heard of Castro's decision on the radio, before Granma's print edition arrived.
"The conga is over for him, his mind is lucid but he is physically not fit to keep going," she said.
Some, but not many, held out hope that Castro would return to the presidency for five more years after Sunday's parliamentary vote.
"I was not expecting it," admitted Manuel, a man in his 50s, who got a bit emotional as he thought of the news.
"It has been a surprise, we expected him to be there until he died," fellow-middle-aged man Julio agreed.
Still, none were really knocked off their feet by Castro's exit, and they agreed that everything will stay "the same."
"This stays the same, it is going to stay the exact same," Julio said confidently. "I think nothing has to change. (Fidel) will transmit the ideas to whoever succeeds him."
Did Castro's retirement from formal politics cause apathy or sadness? Just a few hopes, replied Juan, a disenchanted pensioner.
"I do not think there is a lot of sadness. It was about time!" he said with no qualms. "By this stage no one is crying. If you had told me 30 years ago, I would have cried too. But now there is nothing to cry for."
Most Cubans consulted by dpa in betting on Raul Castro - the country's interim leader for the past 19 months - as Cuba's next head of state.
Many Cubans hope this means some change.
"I think something has to change, there have to be some improvements for people," Alejandro explained.
Juan, the pensioner, is also confident of Raul Castro's candidacy, but warns of possible complications, because he heads the Army.
"He knows perfectly well that this is an explosive situation and that in the long run or in the short run there will be problems," Juan said, advising everyone to keep an eye on the country's immediate future.
"(February) 24 is the interesting date," he said with a smile ahead of Sunday's National Assembly session.