Creative Documentary & Travel Photography
These three weeks in Cuba have been intense. Although very safe compared to other latin american countries, I hope the memories of scammers, hidden costs and being treated like a cash machine will soon leave more room for the nice Cuba I experienced. The people, the embargo, the regime, the politics, the history, the music, the colours… there is so much to talk about this island and what makes it such a unique place.
I’m off to Quito, Ecuador, in the morning. Asta lluego! traduci >>
Surprised to see a skate park in Havana? I was. traduci >>
This is a modern town compared to colonial Trinidad also know as “la perla do sur” (the pearl of the south). At about one and a half hours drive there is El Nicho, a series of natural waterfalls and pools in the middle of the wilderness. Stunning! I got there on a shared taxi with Monica, a chica from Mexico I met in Trinidad who is also traveling on her own. We left as it was starting to rain. On the way back we drove past a santeria house party and we decide to go and check. We found a very welcoming atmosphere but we didn’t stay long. Unfortunately we are now too paranoid and disillusioned by past experience with scammers to trust friendly approaches from anyone, even if genuine. traduci >>
My favourite for the look but the worst for jineteros (hustlers) in my experience. Music is always with you at every corner of the city though. Bands are playing in clubs or restaurants and people are rehearsing at home with windows and doors fully open. The town is also dotted with many art galleries.
The day Cuba lost the baseball final to the US I saw lots of kids playing on the street. Life goes on here in Cuba… traduci >>
Remedios is a little town of about 50000 people often used as a base to visit the deserted beaches of the nearby archipelagos which are connected to the main land by the Pedraplen, a 50km long road that was built right over the sea which is also deserted. I thought it was a good opportunity to practice some self portraits on the beach while thinking of my friends working in some cold office. traduci >>
Not much to see in Santa Clara but still a nice little town. What really struck me was the university, right in the bushes, surrounded by palm trees and also the street lights in the main square that are fitted with speakers. Very nice. traduci >>
1: Taxi
2: Coco Taxis – 50cc Vespa engines
3: Barber’s
4: House swap
5: Enjoying the Art Fair
6: Mamacita
7: Felipe – 18 Montecristos a day
8: Fiore
9: Chica
10: Mugfaker – the camera is also a darkroom!
11: … and this is what you get for 2 pesos (2 US$) unless you bargain down – cigarette not included. Amazingly he can also comp in the top of the City Capitol! traduci >>
I got to the Plaza de la Revolucion 4 hours in advance and the main entrance was already packed. I tried with my expired British press pass and after an hour wandering at 5 different side entrances I finally found a soldier who let me in. When I got to the main square I jumped on an empty TV platform. People kept coming but it was another 3 hours before the beginning of the concert and I was already running out of water. I lasted another hour an a half and then got kicked out – the press pass didn’t work again. I ended up behind the stage – well behind it actually – and I had no chance to squeeze back through a queue of 1 million people (they say so but for me there were 10 millions). I watched the rest of the concert in a bar. I know, sad but chilled… traduci >>
From necessity to virtue traduci >>
The Malecón is the 8Km seawall of La Havana which has been declared Unesco Heritage site and it’s currently being restored along the frontside buildings. When I asked a Coco Taxi driver when they reckon the works will be over he laughed at me and asked if I was “loco”. traduci >>
