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The beaches that were built for the foreign tourists are not open to the ordinary people. But Cubans have their own beach resorts that they can go to. These consist of small cottages built along the shoreline. They are popular places to get away from the city for a swim, picnic, or just hanging out in your car. |
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| In December 1988 Trinidad was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Settled in 1514 by the Spanish, it remains a living museum of colonial architecture with its carrera marble floors, baroque church towers, wrought-iron grills, red-tile roofs, and cobblestone streets. | ||
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These grills are typical of the colonial architecture. The house fronts abut the sidewalk so passersby can easily see the interiors of homes. |
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| Cuba has one of best public health system in Latin American. It includes special care for pregnant women who might have some difficulty with their pregnancy. They stay in maternity hospitals so they can be watched and any problem addressed. Cuba has one of the worldís lowest rates of infant mortality, only slightly higher than the US. |
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A good way to get around is by bicycle since private cars are scarce and hard to buy. |
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| In downtown Havana there is a unique cultural center dedicated to the SanterÌa religion, an amalgam of Catholic and Yoruba beliefs. A whole block is painted and decorated with the symbols of this Afro-Cuban religion. This small boy was fascinated with one of the altars. The poem says ìtengo me proprio caminoî. (I have my own road or way in life). |
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| Few cars have been imported into Havana since the 1950ís; the old cars that were there at the time of revolution are still being fixed up. The system of finding or making parts to keep these cars running attests to the ingeniousness of the Cuban people. For those of us visiting Cuba, it is like being in a time warp. |
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One of the major industries in town besides tourism is cigar making. Local people as well as visitors enjoy relaxing with a cigar. |
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| This
house is now open for tourists to visit and enjoy the colonial architecture.
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Old
cars live on and on in Cuba, and so do refrigerators. This Frigidaire graced the kitchen of the guest house where
we were staying. The large
plastic tub was used to store water. |
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| During the hot summer days there are few places to go to cool off. There is very little air conditioning and no swimming pools. Swimming in the river provides the next best way to cool off and is a fun family outing. |
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Cuba has an excellent ballet school and the lessons are free if your child is a talented dancer. These girls continue to practice on the front steps of the school as they waited to be picked up by their parents. |
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| If you get up early in the morning and walk around the city parks, you will often find groups of senior citizens participating in exercise programs. Afterwards they go to various centers for other activities. In 2000, I brought this group some of the pictures I had taken on the earlier trip. They were delighted to see themselves in the photographs. |
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The lunch counters in old Havana have that 50ís look, just emptier. Only a few things are on the menu, maybe a weak cup of coffee and some bread or cakes, if you are lucky. This is typical of the government owned businesses. |
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| One of my favorite places in old Havana was the promenade. And the most interesting place on the promenade was the wedding palace. There were always groups of people watching the wedding parties come and go in old vintage cars, horns blaring. |
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During a tropical storm, I ducked into an open doorway. Inside a band was practicing for Carnival. I was told it was a very popular band. The sounds were loud, reverberating around the small room. Seated along one wall was the brass section. With the low light due to the rainstorm outside, the playerís movements blurred like the sound in this enclosed area. |
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| This is one of the oldest houses in old Havana. It is literally falling down around the people who live there. These boys live on the top floor. They had made their way down a very rickety iron staircase to take their puppy for a walk. |
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Nightclubs are very popular entertainment spots among the young in the evenings and on weekends. This group of young women had just emerged from a Sunday performance at a popular nightclub downtown. |
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| This child was all smiles as I took her picture. |
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