Flower Sellers in Habana Vieja

These ladies are selling fresh cut flowers on the street. They reminded me of the Flower Sellers who used to sell on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. The old car-Plymouth or Dodge- is the color of a yellow cab. I recall my family having a Plymouth Cranbrook when I was a child. Our car was black. For whatever reason this is a sort of "universal" snapshot that reminds me of lots of things from childhood and youth. I am looking forward to being in Havana later this year.

Havana Made for Walking!

The three main and least costly modes of transportation in Havana are shown here-the Camello bus called such because of its double humps, the bicitaxi, and the most reliable: one's feet. Fortunately Havana is a relatively flat city so hills are not so bad. It does have dogs tho' and one needs to be observant where they step. It is an easy city to negotiate with a fairly simpler lay-out, and it is like most big cities made for walking. Good and comfortable shoes are a must. Don't worry about your new running shoes labeling you as a tourist, everyone will know that right away. Worry more that they will pinch as you break them in on your trip. Style is not much of a concern day to day in Havana, certainly not near so much as is comfort.

Che

Sunset at the Ministerio del Interior. This is one of the many places bedecked with an image of Ché. His image is facing the statue of José Marti across the Plaza de Revolucion. I had the good fortune to meet both Korda and Corrales while they were still active, but aging gracefully--like me, I might add. One of the highlights of my life was having Korda give a personal tour of a group of his photos that were up in a small gallery at the Fotateca during the big exhibition of Burt Glinn's work. Name dropping? You betcha! This is a completely un-retouched digital image and I like the golden warmth of the sunset. I have collected images of Ché while traveling. Clearly he is found mainly on tee shirts-France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico are places I have seen him.

Graffiti in Cuba

I understand that many people object to graffiti. It is by definition something done illicitly. I however like it. I think sometimes it is just vandalism or gang tagging, but other times it is in the spirit of protest or a budding young artist saying "Hey look at me!" This was photographed near Callejon de Hamel where most of the walls are painted with symbols derived from Santeria so perhaps a slight precedent has been set. When the paintings of all the political images, slogans, and portraits of martyrs are considered I realize that paint like everything else is in very short supply!

Mondrian doesn't live here

There are wonderful combinations of wrought iron doors, grills, and window dressings every direction one turns. It is easy to realize the beauty that was once Havana, but now has fallen into disrepair due to neglect. I have been looking at the work of photographers in the US who are photographing the decay and deterioration of abandoned stores, factories, and homes in locations such as Detroit and Cleveland. It is clear from all that failed economic policies, lack of meaningful employment, and no housing market has contributed in both places under totally different types of government. Both communism and capitalism have failed their respective citizens. Maybe greed, zeal for power, and inability to check into reality are harmful regardless of one's core belief system.

"I had to go back to the island"--Thanks, Leon.

This is my friend John Scarlata, photographing one afternoon in Habana Centro. John died about 15 months ago of a terrible cancer. He was brave to the last. Last night I was part of a discussion that was held to honor him and his photos. He accompanied our student workshops twice and did a lot of beautiful work while in Havana. It was part of the retrospective currently being exhibited at the Turchin Center on the campus at Appalachian State University. He would be excited to know that we are going to be back in Havana in December and January this year.