Tonight I am writing to you from the Fifties-style lobby lounge of my hotel in Havana, Cuba! I am here on a cultural exchange trip this week, traveling with a friend who is going to help us place the donated quilts for earthquake victims of Nepal.
This city and this country are frozen in time – from when the embargo was placed on Cuba in 1960. One of the things unique to this country is that they have had limited access to imported cars since then, so they just keep refurbishing and fixing up their beloved US cars from the 40s and 50s. All over the city you see these beautifully restored cars, many being used as multi-passenger taxis. They are painted in all different colors, and contrast nicely with the many brightly colored buildings. There is a particular shade of bright Mint-Aqua that I see in the houses and the cars, which reflects the color of the waters between the Florida Keys and Cuba.
Today we had an Ernest Hemingway day. We visited one of his favorite watering holes in Old Havana, then we visited his estate about a half hour out of town. The house is up on a hill, and is filled with books, music, and art. It looks as if he is still living there, and his presence (and that of his friends) seem to fill the rooms like ghosts…the hushed voices of the tourists fill the house and seem to echo the voices of Papa and his guests.
Down below the house is a pool and cabana right out of a Hollywood set. The guide whispered breathlessly that Ava Gardner once swam there sans suit. The pool is empty now, and just beyond the pool housed in a large open shed is Hemingway’s fishing boat ‘Pilar’, looking like a giant fish out of water. Between the pool and the boat are the small grave-sites of his 4 favorite dogs.
I must confess I have been woefully ignorant about this isolated island nation, especially about its history. I did not realize that Columbus ‘discovered’ Cuba in 1492! In 1510, the first Spanish colonists arrived from Hispaniola and began the conquest of Cuba. The Spanish subsequently wiped out the native inhabitants, then brought slaves from Africa to build the city and then work the sugar plantations.
Many of the centuries-old colonial buildings have been restored since UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, designated Havana a world heritage site in 1982. The central and oldest part of Havana was built in the 16th century, much of it crumbling now, and many streets have the look of a city that has endured a long war. Neo-Baroque and Art Deco treasures are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Every few days, a couple partial or total building collapses occur in Central Havana alone. A combination of age, decay, neglect and weather are threatening 19th century neoclassical villas and Spanish colonial mansions.
The Spanish and African population now have mixed together in a melting pot of cultures, reflected in the cuisine, music and art of this unique society. Cuban jazz, mojitos, and revolutionary art are just some of the cultural gifts we’ve received from this island nation.
I have posted photos from my first two days of this weeklong trip. I’ll be posting more photos…..Enjoy!
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