Feria des Artesanas

Early in the morning one can hear the grinding sound of steel or wooden wheels rolling on the cobblestones. This is the artisans and the craftspeople rolling out their wares to get them to the Feria des Artesanas for the opening of that spectacle. It is held 4-5 days a week, the number of days was decreased as it became a more successful economic enterprise. Here one can purchase surprisingly good local arts and crafts at ridiculously low prices. As with all things involving Cubans and tourists, one can also get totally ripped off. The fair is interesting, colorful, and full of energy. Even if you don't find a deal it is fun. I spoke to one young man who was making small paintings and then selling them for $5 a piece. I asked him if that wasn't a very low price. He spoke perfect English, told me that he was an architect. He was required to work some number of years in return for his education, but then he quite architecture to take up painting. He typically sold 3-4 paintings a day. He was affluent from his art, considering his salary as an architect had been $15/month. This is the failure of the revolution and the system--the totally unrealistic economic situation imposed on the people. I have another friend who sells her photos for $200 a piece. One sale and she is  more than six months ahead when compared to her old teachers' salary. These things must change. The people can't be kept in the dark forever. Everybody likes to get some new shoes once in awhile. 

Folkloric Dancers

One of my friends, Maria, is a dancer and a dance instructor. She teaches children and teenagers folk dancing. Most of the dance is African in origin and pertains to her faith, Santeria. She had organized a recital in a house that was being used as a community center in one of the many poor suburbs of Havana. My students and I   were invited and we hired a van and went there late one afternoon. It started inside the house, on the second floor, but the crowd grew too large for the room and the dance was moved out into the street. Maria's son Ellington and her jazz loving husband Roberto provided the music by playing a set of bongo drums and thumping on a wooden box-the latter was a great instrument one sat on it and then just beat the side with both hands. The children were enthusiastic and some of them were quite talented. I thought about some of the times I had been to dance recitals with my children in the US. I realized that even under the thumb of an oppressive government people will find a way to not only have fun, but to help their children enjoy a bit of life. 

Musicians at Plaza Armas

One morning I walked up to Plaza Armas. There was some form of ceremony where it seemed police cadets were being recognized. There was a band playing martial music and the cadets were spiffy in their uniforms. I took a few photos and then wandered about the plaza. At the far end of the Plaza, away from the ceremony, sat these two musicians.  I struck up a conversation with them and asked if I might take their photograph. They said sure. Everyone was in a good mood, the weather was nice, it was a fine morning, and there were a moderate number of people walking and talking. I took a couple of shots, this is one of them. Then from nowhere that I could see came a small police car. Out leapt two uniformed officers who immediately approached the musicians and accused them of disturbing the ceremony. They were told to stand and handcuffs were produced, I protested and told the cops that I was the culprit. Since I was a gringo tourist, I was not likely to get arrested. The guitar player told me it was OK and to be quiet. The two musicians were then herded into the back seat of the police car and driven away. I don't think I have ever felt as bad and disgusted with myself as I did then. I felt awful. I had innocently caused these men to play their instruments, and the soft music that could not have possibly been heard up near the ceremony was enough to get them arrested. I was later told that they would be let go, but would be "written up." An example of the nearness of the law in all of its unreasonable and very intimidating power of the man on the street in Cuba. I have seen young men who were advertising their mother's kitchen as a place to eat arrested when they approached tourists. I barely escaped arrest for riding in a bici-taxi once. unbeknownst to me, the bicis had been relegated to being cheap transport for Cuban citizens and were not for the tourists. I spent an hour or more being harangued and having my "papers checked." The poor driver was trembling. I had no idea what a terrible position I had put him in--he could give me a ride or be rude to a tourist-he truly had a no win situation. All of this just hassle and intimidate. Enhance the power of the cops and the fear of the common man.

There are several photographers who operate in front of the Capitolio. They take your picture and then process it inside the big box of their camera. This is a traditional business that dates back to way before the Revolution. As such it is a tourist dependent business. Tourism is the island's major source of income these days. Most of the tourists come from Europe or S. America. The tourism was described for me once as "ideal for the budget-minded tourist." One of the unfortunate aspects of the local economy no doubt related to its paternalistic basis is very poor service. In some restaurants the wait staff will simply stand about, chatting and ignoring their customers. In  one totally tourist directed Italian restaurant I ordered fettucini alfredo. Forty five minute later I was told, "The fettucini, it is over. Now, we have spaghetti alfredo." The photographers provide much better service. 

Bahia de Cochinas

This is the famous Bay of Pigs. It was the site of the ill fated invasion of Cuba in April, 1961. There is controversy about the exact politics of both how and why, but either way it was a mess. Ca. 1100 of the "troops" in the invading force were captured and subsequently ransomed free to the cost of $53 million in material and cash. Today the bahia is quite beautiful and peaceful. I found an interesting discussion of the incident on a talk page from Wikipedia. This event, like so much in Cuba's recent history, provokes much discussion and many different opinions. One of the most insightful comments in the discussion I read is that "it may be another fifty years before the history of the incident is truly understood." So much of Cuba's history of the past 100 years is misunderstood, controversial, and conflicted. People are so caught up in the travails of the Castro government that they have forgotten the awful treatment of the Cuban people under Machado and Batista. Unfortunately there is a long trail of abuse, exploitation, and murder over the past century.

Voting

This is what voting in Havana was like the last time I visited there. Perhaps with the transition in government that has occurred over the past 6 months, real voting will start. In the past the results were always nearly unanimous and certainly maintained the status quo. Now, with a change, even a small shift, there is the chance of real reform. Since it is abundantly clear that the "embargo" has not been successful, perhaps a change in the US official posture might hasten the advent of real freedom. If our goal was freedom for the Cuban people rather than satisfying the understandable anger of a powerful political group, the embargo would be long gone. Encouraging reform by giving tangible support is likely to be more successful than continuing the harshness of a failed policy. Our leaders have persisted in this failed policy for 45 or so years. There is a window of opportunity at present, the US should seize it. There was perhaps a window of opportunity just after the revolution in 1959-1961. It was certainly lost in the fears and anxieties of the Communist threat of the Cold War years. Let's not pass up another chance to help a neighbor.

Gone fishing

People fish in the Bahia all the time. From sun up until late at night they can be seen casting their lines. They do indeed catch fish, sometimes some rather large ones. It is a pretty sight in the early morning when young men and old alike are trying their luck. I for one would probably not fish there nor would I eat anything that came out of the water of the Bahia de Habana. It is considered one of the ten dirtiest harbors in the world. This is another obvious marker of the inability or unwillingness of the government to enforce any regulations regarding what is dumped into the water. It is also an example of how the infrastructure of the city has deteriorated. It will take years and billions of dollars to make the city right. All those who plan to go back to Cuba and reclaim their property perhaps should give this some serious thought. If our government steps into help them, then I hope they are prepared to take similar steps to help those Native Americans who were similarly dispossessed of their land and property.