Cuba, Day 03

Walking Around the City

There are some wonderful faces in Havana. With our Cuban professional photographer guides, Ishmael and Orlando, we have been privy to the places they love to photograph.

It might be in an old building needing rehab, yet a little girl in pristine school uniform will come down the somewhat rickety circular iron staircase and head off to classes.

An elderly gentleman sits in his traditional Cuban chair, beautifully carved and low to the ground, and obliges by letting us photograph him.

We head off to the restoration school, where Cubans learn all manner of skills, from bringing an old chair back to life, to scraping untold layers of paint off some intricate carvings, to refurbishing stained-glass windows, all set in wood, not lead, to working in plaster, to learning the complicated patterns of brick work and moldings, etc.

There were even students building beautiful miniature replicas of “Old Ironsides,” a ship I have known since the first time I boarded it as a six-year-old. Many may better know it as the “U.S.S. Constitution.”

We were all very impressed, and many of us voiced the thought that with restoration being in many places a dying art, these students will find jobs all over the world, certainly in Cuba where so much restoration of buildings is going on.

We headed for the Prado, a long avenue whose raised center is lined with magnificent old trees that meet overhead, forming a delicious canopy that provides a respite from hot days.

Below, lines of classic cars, many from the 50s, cruise by, ornaments hanging from the rear-view mirror, drivers’ elbows casually draped on the door. Some wave to us and ask us where we’re from. Others are engaged in conversation with car-mates. Motorcycles with sidecars take their turn, too.

We split up into two groups and take off in different directions. Some stroll down the Prado all the way to the sea where the water splashes high and threatens to drench anyone within reach. Along the way, children play, while elders sit on the stone benches that line the walkway.

The others take off into less-upscale areas where our photographer friends have arranged to have us visit a couple of families that live in a once-magnificent house. While the apartments are modest, everything is clean and tidy. Our hosts are so welcoming and charming and work with our small group.

Below, there is a store with trinkets, touristy items, and art for sale. I like the juxtaposition of the nude with the women in the purple jersey and faded jeans.

Several of us poke our heads into a doorway. A chicken wanders about, perhaps looking for food, and definitely looking well fed. A staircase catches my eye with its beautiful colors. One can only imagine what this looked like in its heyday.

Neyla, our HavanaTur guide always makes sure everything is OK. If we need to change the schedule, she works with us so that we make sure we satisfy the parameters of traveling here under a special visa.

She loves photography and she is eager to learn as much as she can. She has a good eye. Once a teacher, she now guides for all manner of groups visiting Cuba. She is a fountain of knowledge and a lot of fun, too!

“OK,” she waves. She has made sure the restaurant across the way has room for all of us to have lunch. It is cool, and we sit and converse, enjoying some time to replenish our energy and enjoy a mojito or beer while we wait for lunch to be served.

Having visited the restoration school in the morning, we head to an Art Deco building that once was in terrible disrepair. Built by the Bacardi family, it is once again a magnificent example of the architectural genre.

As part of our cultural tour, we get to see the work of three local photographers – our two photographer guides and a third. All have exhibited internationally, and all had really strong and compelling work. It was a real treat.

Before we visited the exhibition of one of the photographers, we were walking across one of the plazas, and a character, whom you can see was once featured on the cover of National Geographic Traveler, asked me if I wanted my photo taken with him. Of course, and Nestor Marti, the photographer whose exhibition we were headed to see, took my camera and did this fun shot.

After another stop or two, we headed back to the hotel to share stories and images, and to see the portfolios of four Cuban photographers. What a treat that was. Their work is all very strong, and all different. It was a memorable evening, for sure. Artists always love sharing with other artists, and this was an amazing opportunity to see such work.

Next: A Trip to a Beautiful Valley

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