Restored doors with lion door knockers
The architectural styles, history and condition of Cuba’s buildings and objects, particularly in Havana, inspired architect Rocío. She loved the facades, iron work, cornices, balconies, tiles, door knockers, stairs and, especially, the doors. Continue reading
Havana’s historical richness and post-revolution politics and economics have combined to provide an unprecedented amount and variety of buildings in original condition, including their wall and floor ceramics.
Following are some of many examples we saw of Havana’s old tiles:
Dragon tiles originating from Spain
Tourist couple in classic convertible hire car driving past El Capitolio
It maybe stereotypical but it’s true, Havana is full of classic United States cars from the 1950s and earlier. Historic economic and political anomalies led to Havana (and Cuba as a whole) being the best place in the world for such vehicles. Cubans can’t import auto-mobiles privately so they do everything they can to keep their old cars running.
Blue 1950s Chevrolet in front of yellow building
The front of the Fundación de la Naturaleza y el Hombre museum and library
Two blocks from the constructivist Russian Embassy in Havana’s Miramar district, an unimposing building houses the Fundación de la Naturaleza y el Hombre (Foundation for Nature and Humanity) museum and library. Continue reading
The Church of Our Lady of Bethlehem (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Belén) forms part of an 18th century Old Havana (Habana Vieja) religious complex dominated by a convent of the same name.
View from our guest-house room including the church tower and courtyard bordering Luz and Compostela streets on the right
An old image of Teatro Campoamor’s exterior in its glory days before the theatre was destroyed by fire
On the corner of Industria and San José streets in central Havana lies the ruins of a once grand theatre, Teatro Compoamor. Destroyed by fire decades ago, the theatre appears off limits. However, payment of a fee facilitates access.
Teatro Campoamor’s contemporary exterior with trees growing out of it
Cuba is known for its classic American cars from the 1950s. The country’s streets also carry Soviet vehicles from the 1960s to the 1980s along with modern Chinese auto-mobiles. However, old Japanese cars are a rarity.
The Havana man driving his old right-hand drive Toyota
On Rocío and my second full day in Havana we saw this ancient Toyota sedan. The sighting piqued Rocío’s interest as a previous long-term resident of Japan.
Rocío with the old Toyota in Havana’s street
The car’s proud owner told us he got his Toyota while visiting Japan with the Cuban military in 1985.
The Toyota owner proudly standing next to his car; note his right arm tattoo sleeve
In typical Cuban fashion, the car is still running decades after manufacture. It is also right-hand-drive, another point of difference to other Cuban vehicles. The owner wore a tattoo sleeve on his right arm, probably for sun protection as opposed to fashion.
160 kilometres west of Havana is the intriguing city of Pinar del Río. Not a major tourist destination itself, south-west of Pinar del Río is the famous Robaina cigar tobacco farm Finca El Pinar and to the north, Viñales’ wonderful landscapes.
After the new year in Havana Rocío and I were ready to go west. From Parque de la Fraternidad we caught the local P-12 bus to near the National Bus Terminal (Terminal de Ómnibus Nacionales). On 19 de Mayo Avenue we took an old Chevrolet van colectivo to Pinar del Río. Part way there the vehicle experienced a flat tyre.
Our classic Chevrolet van parked under a tree on the roadside between Havana and Pinar del Río
While changing the tyre, the driver used a rock to support the axle. The van’s lights contained images of Che Guevara.
Driver changing tyre on way to Pinar del Río; note the rock and the Che Guevara image