Cuba, Day 14
The Famous Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón & a Return to the Malecón
We returned the second week to Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón, the largest in Havana. The city has a population of over two million, and this cemetery alone, covering some 140 acres, is reputed to have over one million interred within its walls. It is also a place of history and of art.
Surrounded by an ocher wall with white crosses, such as the one shown here, and laid out like a city with wide avenues and cross streets, there is clearly class division here.
The Cuban government maintains the tombs and monuments … at least for the rich who imported Italian marble to show off their wealth along Avenida Cristóbal Colón, the main street. A good percentage of the other statues, monuments, and tombs, however, are crumbling, their families long gone, many probably now in Little Havana in Miami. It is sad to see the marked differences between the social strata in a country that supposedly did away with that during the revolution.
Money is money, and corruption happens in any country. Practicality also plays a large role. After all, visitors come to see the elegant and lavish monuments, so the government takes care of those first.
Many of the monuments have stories. Near the famous firefighters’ monument stands the lavish, art-deco tomb built for Catalina de Lasa by her second husband. In the early 1900s, they fell in love when both were married to others.
Cuba was then predominately Catholic with little tolerance for such circumstances, so they fled to France and ultimately got an annulment, enabling them to get married. Eventually, they returned to Cuba.
When Catalina died, her husband commissioned René Lalique to design and build her tomb. Made of marble, presumably Italian, and decorated with Lalique glass and sculpted black-granite doors, there is nothing else like it here.
There is a 75-foot-high monument to the firefighters who lost their lives in the great fire of May 17, 1890. Cuban law decrees that no monument may be higher. Catalina’s husband tried to get around this by planting two palm trees in the hope that some day, they would grow higher than the firefighter’s memorial seen in the background. They have not and at this point are unlikely to do so!
The streets and avenues, however, are well maintained. Here, a man slowly and carefully sweeps the leaves aside under a wide, tree-lined avenue.
Another legend goes with the much-visited burial place of Amelia Goyri de Adot who died in childbirth in 1901. According to custom, her newborn son, who also died, was buried at his mother’s feet. Amelia’s distraught husband commissioned a sculpture to commemorate his wife’s death, her likeness leaning on a cross, holding their child.
It is customary after two years to remove the bones to make way for the “newcomers.” It is not macabre, rather practical. There is only so much room in the cemetery, so the older bones are moved to a smaller crypt where they rest peacefully in the family plot.
When Amelia and her infant were disinterred, the story goes that the infant had moved from her feet to a place by her heart.
Believers visit the site, their backs always turned away from Amelia, asking for miracles for their own families. There are stacks nearby of small plaques of thanks, proclaiming success. Whatever one’s beliefs, it is certainly moving to see people come with offerings of flowers, muttering prayers, gently touching Amelia’s dress, walking around the statue, and backing out to the street.
It was time to leave this city within a city, and we headed off to lunch at the grand Hotel Nacional with its commanding view of the Straights of Florida. This was our last full day, and many wanted to return to the Malecón. It felt like home to us, as we had come here so often. We enjoyed watching the people enjoying themselves down by the water.
It was difficult to leave, but we needed to return to the hotel start packing and get ready for dinner. This was our last full day in Havana, and we were ending the week by riding in a couple of the 50s-vintage cars to dinner. Tops down, of course!
The cars gave us a tour for about a half hour, through various parts of Havana, along the Malecón with the lamps coming on, making a nice pattern against the deepening sky.
Past the amusement park we drove, through Revolutionary Square, along the main route in Miramar with its elegant houses and embassies. We all wanted to return in the same transportation, so our drivers gave us a good rate to come back later. It was a hoot, and through the windshield, you can see the other car, a yellow one, with the rest of our group.
What a way to end our two weeks in Cuba! We cannot wait to return next year. The dates are March 1-8, and already we have sign-ups.
Next: Tripods & Ball Heads, Updated
Just returning from an unexpected four day business trip to Puerto Rico. One of the people with whom i met was born in Cuba and was fascinated by my images. Because she was born in Cuba, she has to travel there under special papers, making it difficult and expensive. It was interesting to compare PR with Cuba. I had one day to walk around Old San Juan and then back to the hotel on foot (about five miles). My conclusion is that Cuba far exceeds PR in charm and interesting architecture. People are almost as friendly, but with the greater number of cars, there is a much more frantic pace in PR. Cuba is a special place.
Dave,
Having been to Puerto Rico several times, mostly on islands Vieques and Culebra, I have passed through San Juan. While I enjoyed old San Juan, it cannot compare in my mind to Havana and Cuba.
I totally agree with your assessment. Thanks for sharing it.
Take care,
TBC