Translation of títere

The machine arrived in Cuba at nine and it was already dark. The border control was nothing like the one in Mexico. They were communist and one could see the strictness and uneasiness of them.
You may know that most young students fly South on spring break. You can imagine how the parties look like down there, and how many drugs are consumed during this vacation. I prefer the quietness.
The express ferry took us to Macau, a Portuguese colony near the Chinese Guangdong province. Although the distance is not short the express ferry gets there in one hour and is totally modern and reliable.