Antonio y Ellagua

One afternoon Roberto and I were talking. He asked me if I wanted to go to a Santeria ceremony the next day. I asked if the students could go and he said "OK." WE commandeered a van the next morning and drove out toward Cojimar and turned off the road toward the beach. We ended up at a small beach with a Rapido and nothing else. The key thing at the beach was that a freshwater river entered the ocean there. The Babalao had told Roberto and Maria that this was the type of place they should find for the ceremony. Antonio, who has been pictured before, is shown here wearing his tee shirt I had given him a year or two before. It was for an exhibition and the photo on the shirt was made at the Tropicana. Antonio sang, chanted, drank rum and puffed his cigar for several hours non-stop during the ceremony. I don't know how much of this was real, how much for show, but it was a fascinating event.

Hanging Out

It is a hot Saturday afternoon. All these folks are out in their front yard which sits on Linea. They are joking, drinking rum, and having a good time. All of them live in apartments in the house behind them. The old homes in Vedado and some in Miramar have been divided up into apartments. Note how one apartment has been repainted and another has not. Almost all the old homes not taken over by businesses or rented to embassies and their officials have been sub-divided like this. Some are reasonably well maintained. Others are not. I guess that it is a lot like public housing in most parts of the world.

Three clerks

These guys who are enjoying their morning cigars were all working in a small shop. There was not much merchandise for sale and one person certainly could have done the job. There are a lot of situations like this throughout Cuba. There is definitely no thought given to efficiency. Labor is cheap, and an effort is made to have everybody "employed." A friend of mine once told me that when he was working in Havana as a press photographer there were two people in the elevator of his hotel at all times. One person asked "What floor?" Then, the other person pressed the button.

Private Food Stand

This food stand has better offerings than the state owned one. Here the producers sell their products and then they are taxed. Their products are better although far from outstanding. Most of the choice produce goes to the hotels and restaurants that cater to the tourist industry. Also some is exported, most of the pineapple, for instance, goes to Switzerland I have been told. At the house where we generally stay, the owner goes out in the morning and returns later with several bags of good vegetables and fruits. I don't know where he gets it, I don't ask, I just realize that the bolsa negra is alive and well.

State Owned Produce Stand

In this stand at the produce section of the market are the vendors for the state. The produce comes from state owned and run farms. Hardly anyone shops there. The produce is smaller, more discolored, and is not as fresh as that sold in other stands. As a consequence there are rarely customers shopping. The vendors all seem quite bored and resigned to their situation.

More Market

Upstairs at the market is the meat department. There are slabs of beef, pork, and various butchered cuts of meat sold here. Nothing is refrigerated. In the back of the meat market is the live section which has chickens, guineas, and other fowl for sale. This is a place where life and death, existence and non-existence, and to some extent the balance among living things comes to its cross roads. There are not many vegetarians in Cuba in my experience, but there is not much to please the palate of a serious meat eater. I find it fairly easy to eat a lot of vegetable-fruit meals, leaving the meat and seafood to others. Needless to say, there is not a pandemic of obesity-childhood or otherwise in Cuba.

Free Market

One of my favorite things to do while in Havana is to go the Free Market over in Cerro. It is at a big crossroads, full of food vendors and lots of activity. Around the outside are several shops that sell the relics and implements needed for various santeria rites. One sees people there with live chickens and it is assumed that they are headed for sacrifice. Inside the majority of people are happy and are having a good time. I think this girl has a great smile. Prices are ridiculously low until you realize that you as an Anglo are being charged in dollars and the Cubans are paying in pesos, this is a convenient conversion method, but it is hardly correct. I don't complain though, it is not a lot, the fruit is fresh and tasty, and the money helps the people to survive a few more days. One can spend an afternoon there without problem and if you like to make photos of people, then you can spend several days.

Sitting on La Rampa

Calle 23 is a busy street, it is main street in Vedado. It stretches up from the Malecon past the Habana Libre Hotel heading up in the general direction of the University. It has shops, markets, a couple of dance clubs and a great jazz club along the way. All of the airlines have their offices there and there are several travel agents. My friend Roberto goes by the cell phone office to buy some more time on his phone each time he has spare money. There is always a crowd of people. Many just hang out. Hanging out is a very popular pastime in Havana. In most cities I see people walking from one place to another. Those who are sitting on benches or just standing around are usually identifiable as tourists or retirees. It is different in Havana. Young men will stop you and ask you where you are from. A typical American might question this intrusion or fear they were being hustled. Sometimes you are, especially when the next question is "You want cigars?" At other times you discover the person is just interested, wants to make conversation, ask you something about the US, or tell you about their father who lives in Hialeah or Fort Lauderdale. You realize just how sheltered or out of touch many Cubans are when a bright seeming young man asks you " Where is the weather best, Miami or Detroit?"

America in Cuba

All about one sees the remnants of the American presence in Cuba. Most of the Cuban people express their strong fondness for Americans. In spite of the official differences between the governments at a street level the people can get along just fine. I think most people would like to see both countries live up to the ideals of the Fourth of July and its representation of freedom. More and more those freedoms are being lost and this trend must stop. Those who treasure freedom must stand up not only against intruders or terrorists, but against over reaching by insulated, out of touch governments. This premise is applicable to both the USA and Cuba.

Plaza in Cienfuegoes

Another picture of Cienfuegoes. The plaza is full of school kids most afternoons. This man is on his way to work as a musician. All of the buildings surrounding the plaza are fairly well kept and painted mainly soft pastel, tropical colors. It was a bit difficult to find much in the way of good food in Cienfuegoes. There are a few places frequented by the tour buses, but the smaller restaurants and cafes left a lot to be desired.