Am just back to the ranch with jet lag and a cold, but what a fascinating four days we spent in Havana, frayed and falling apart as she is. The beautiful coutyard of the Hotel Florida, built in 1885. Their website says it's one of the few places in town where you can sit without hearing the endless strains of ''Guantanamera,'' ''like a musical mosquito.'' Personally I love the song, but they must be sick of it.The people are friendly and warm, and the vibe is energetic and lively. You'll often encounter a gregarious Cuban on the streets who will gladly pose, for a peso of course. Ladies in white are said to be wives of political prisoners, but I didn't get this one's story. That sure is a big cigar. There’s a burgeoning contemporary art scene, and the Buena Vista Social Club plays on. The sign outside the Cafe Taverna, where the BVSC plays every night, and where we had some sweaty salsa lessons. The ornate dining room of the Hotel Nacional, designed by the venerable New York firm, McKim, Mead & White. There was a casino, and lots of celebs stayed here. It was also a serious mob hangout. There is much to inspire here… More to come…
2 comments
Love all of the vibrant colors. What a character—cigar woman in white!
I believe the “lady in white” in the photograph is not the wife of a political prisoner, but rather a “santera.” To wit, the numerous necklaces she is wearing and the cigar, plus I seriously doubt the wife of a political prisoner would pose for a “peso.” The ladies in white you refer to are persecuted, harassed and shunned, but still they soldier on We Cubans are a tenacious lot. Looking forward to the rest of this article.
Love all of the vibrant colors. What a character—cigar woman in white!
I believe the “lady in white” in the photograph is not the wife of a political prisoner, but rather a “santera.” To wit, the numerous necklaces she is wearing and the cigar, plus I seriously doubt the wife of a political prisoner would pose for a “peso.” The ladies in white you refer to are persecuted, harassed and shunned, but still they soldier on We Cubans are a tenacious lot. Looking forward to the rest of this article.