Friday, January 27, 2012

Power bars are lifesavers.......












Dawn patrol. We walked to El Capitolio (National Capitol Building). It was the seat of government in Cuba until after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Its design and name recall the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. After breakfast, we strolled the Colon neighborhood and saw lots of interesting street scenes. Making portraits of people along the way enhanced our cultural exchange. Late in the morning we went to a flamenco dance rehearsal. The students practiced very hard and showed much intensity. Little time for lunch. Thank goodness for power bars.

This afternoon’s focus was on Cubans at home. Our small group was invited into one family’s house to document their home life. Hector, the man of the house, lived there with four other people. The conditions were very poor. It was speculated that water dripped into a bucket and was used to flush the toilet, which was filthy. The mattress on the bed was disintegrating. The decay was unbelievable. The people in the house had a sadness about them.

We walked back to the hotel along the Prado, which was alive with people. It was Friday evening. Kids were skating boarding, music was playing, and people were dancing and just hanging out. It was so nice to see such vibrancy. It’s amazing that in a country with so much poverty people seem to be enjoying themselves.

After dinner we took a pedicab to Fototeca located in Plaza Vieja. Fototeca put on an outdoor slideshow in honor of Jose Marti Day. Inside Fototeca there was a photography exhibit of naked men with pigs. Very bizarre. The pedicab ride was a real hoot. You can only imagine how many bumps and potholes we went over.

1 comment:

  1. What a great experience! Beautifully written and photographed.

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