Cuba, Mar-Apr 2007

Brenda and I had a chance to visit Cuba on an Eco-humanitarian trip. We spent some time birding and were rewarded with fabulous sightings such as the Cuban Tody, Zapata Wren, and Cuban Trogon.

Cuba is definitely a living paradox. On the one hand, there are plenty of vestiges of the Communist government. As you can see there are still plenty of billboards commemorating significant events (such as the Bay of Pigs) from the revolution dotted along the roadways.

Can you guess the purpose of the object shown in this picture? They are found evenly spaced along the main highway.... (answer at the bottom of the page)

The Communist infrastructure is not in the best of conditions...but they are working on restoring many of the originally opulent buildings. This is all being done with an eye towards enhancing the tourist industry and bringing in needed cash to the country.

Before After

Sometimes the structures don't even get finished! These bridge overpasses have an interesting story. They were built in anticipation of cities being developed along the highway. But the cities were never built, so the bridges were never completed since there was no need for the roads. So know they serve only as platforms for revolutionary slogans and as a shady spot for hitchhikers. Hitchhiking is actually a government sanctioned method for transportation. All state vehicles must stop to pick up any hitchhikers going to the same destination. The "yellowmen" at the overpasses (who actually wear yellow vests) are government workers who make sure all vehicles stop and check in to pick up any riders!

And not all parts of society have really caught up with modern times. The horse and cart was part of the scant traffic on the National Highway...

We had a very friendly and garrulous guide, Alexis (seen with Brenda) who was happy to chat with us about just about anything. The Cubans we met were friendly and certainly didn't hold any grudges against Americans, although as you might expect, our government seems to be a different issue.

The architecture in Cuba runs the gamut from a dull concrete Russian-inspired hospital to El Capitola, a recreation of the US Capitol, which once house the Cuban government, to the wonderfully restored Art Deco Bacardi Building (once owned by the rum-making Bacardi family) to the ecologically friendly hotel that houses an ancient tree right in the middle of it!

And, unusual for a Communist country, the arts seem to be flourishing in Cuba. We stopped by the studio of the artist Fuster, who has created some very neat mosaic pieces in his house and neighborhood. He's a nice guy despite being a Yankees fan...

Habana is home to a top-notch Art Museum showcasing Cuban artists (top two pictures) and art is displayed on the streets throughout the city.

Trivia question answer: That iron thing by the highway is a relic from the post-Bay of Pigs invasion. The National Highway is a nice straight wide stretch of asphalt which is seemingly perfect for landing airplanes (and troops). So Castro ordered these barriers to be placed by the highway every 500m to be rolled onto the highway in case of an aerial invasion to block the landing aircraft!!

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