Bolivian President Evo Morales (left) shakes hands with Cuban acting President Raul Castro as Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque (second right) and Vice-President Carlos Lage look on in Havana, Thursday. Morales is in Cuba for a one-day official visit. - Reuters

HAVANA (Reuters):

Bolivian President Evo Morales visited convalescing Fidel Castro on Thursday and said the Cuban leader looked like he had recovered well from a health crisis that sidelined him from power.

In a quick one-day trip to Havana, Morales met with Cuba's acting President, Raul Castro, who took over from his brother 10 months ago, and other Cabinet members.

Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, said he spoke with Fidel Castro for two-and-a-half hours about health, education and energy issues facing Latin America's developing nations.

"He looks much recovered," a beaming Morales said of the 80-year-old leader, whom he considers an ideological beacon.

Castro underwent several op-erations last year for a life-threatening intestinal condition that has kept him from reappearing in public.

Racquetball in Havana

Morales, who gets his exercise playing soccer in the Andean highlands, found the time to play racquetball in Havana with Cuban Vice-President, Carlos Lage.

Since he took office last year, Morales has brought Bolivia into a leftist alliance forged by Castro and Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez to oppose U.S. policies in Latin America and block a plan for hemispheric free trade.

Nicaragua joined the so-called Bolivaria for the Americas this year after Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega returned as president.

Castro has taken to writing articles in his convalescence, mostly attacking U.S. President George W. Bush's policies.

On Tuesday, Cuban television aired a one-hour interview with Castro which shed no light on whether he intends to resume governing Cuba.

"I am a big admirer of Fidel and I am sure we will continue talking," Morales said before returning to La Paz.