Cuban leader Fidel Castro is passionately attached to the children's game Chutes and Ladders (He doesn't like the English version, Snakes and Ladders because he hates snakes). He plays the game obsessively, with the same endurance that is evident in his multi-hour speeches. In his younger days he was known to play the game for over 24 hours in a row. He says that the game is the perfect metaphor for life with its unexpected setbacks and advances.