Across the Harbor & a Musical Afternoon
Last year, we had wanted to go across the harbor to a small settlement. Our guide thought that it might be unsafe, so we decided against it. This year, with the input of our local guides, we decided to go over but stick close to the waterfront. There was a church over there that had ties to the Santería and Yorùbá religions (see Day 03). Many people cross over on the ferry to make offerings, and we felt this was an extension of what we had seen earlier in the week as well as an opportunity to see a different part of the city.
Many years ago, one of the ferries was hijacked with a view to heading for the US. I don’t think they made it out of the harbor, but since that time, security is very strict boarding the ferry. This, by the way, was no fancy ferry. It was old, rusty, had minimal seating … but it did float.
We could not photograph inside the ferry terminal, so Arnie had visions of my disappearing into one of the Habana jails when I thought it was OK to photograph and started to click the shutter. Woops, no, we were still inside the official, governmental, ferry confines, albeit outside the actual building, so I apologized and quickly put the camera down. Whew!
On the other side of the harbor, people were fishing. I am not sure I would want to eat anything that came out of that industrial harbor, but then, I do not have a cast-iron stomach!
We checked in at the church and our guide found there was going to be a ceremony for the Santería a bit later in the morning, so we meandered the streets, each person finding his/her own images. It was not a busy part of the city, so when I saw this scene, I knew what I wanted and had to wait a bit until a young mother came around the corner, adding a splash of color to the street.
A lineman set up a tall, orange ladder and climbed up to do battle with the snaggle of wires around the pole. His friend, below and out of the image behind me, kept up a friendly banter. He chatted with our group, too and obliged by posing so some could do some portraits of him. I got a quick grab shot with the lineman, pole, and angles.
As we mentioned, this is not the touristy area of the city, and as such, one has to be extra careful, just as one has to do in any city. Having said that, we feel La Habana is safer overall than most cities in which we have spent time around the world.
We had explored the areas that made sense for our group, and it was time to head back across the harbor. As we were walking towards the ferry, I recognized a man whom I had seen on the ride over. Clearly, he had been to the special ceremony at the church. Now, he was having a quiet moment and making an offering — that small, lone flower stalk in the water in front of him — to the gods.
The afternoon was devoted to dance and music. We were very fortunate to visit the dance group Pro Danza, started by former solo dancer Laura Alonso, whose mother founded Ballet National de Cuba. We got to meet and show our appreciation to Ms. Alonso who trains her students with an exacting discipline that produces dancers so well trained that many go on to dance with troupes outside of Cuba. When I was relaying all this to a local friend upon our return to the States, she instantly knew of the reputation of Pro Danza. Perhaps through her parents (Russian father, Mexican mother) who had started a well-respected ballet company in Mexico City many years before.
There was a performance the upcoming weekend, so we had the extreme good (and last-minute) fortune to see the group practicing and doing a dress-rehearsal in the theater. Our group braced themselves along the edge of the stage to capture various aspects of both the practice and dress rehearsal. It was magical, and we were all enthralled with the expert training, dedication of these dancers, and the pure artistry of their talents.
It was hard to tear ourselves away, but we had another special performance to attend.
Alberto Feya is an amazing musician. A scholar of the history of Cuban music post-Indian times, he took us through the development of music in Cuba with its various influences to the current day. His son and wife were also there. His wife is a well-respected professor of music in La Habana, and she took a turn at the keyboard for us in an early part of the program, their son, a member of a superb improv jazz quartet, playing the base. It was a family affair, and one that kept us all riveted and engaged.
I always love the details. The night-club lights on the drums caught my eye. And then, it was time to say our thank yous and farewells. It had been another treat for us, but it was time to head off for dinner. But not before many bought a CD to remind them of the rich musical history of Cuba.
Larger versions of these photographs and others from previous blogs may be seen at https://plus.google.com/b/116621161649335930471/photos/116621161649335930471/albums/5990265691496243105
Next: A Famous Cemetery and a Free Afternoon in La Habana
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