recapitulating cuba: havana, day 1

one can take an enormous number of images when traveling with a digital camera --- i'm slowly culling through the over 2,000 that i took --- eventually i will post albums but, below the miami skyline here, are some of my favorites for the first day and evening in havana

a lot has happened in the twelve years since my first trip to cuba in 2002 --- some restoration had begun in habana vieja, but there was so terribly much to do that i wondered if it were even possible --- this time, the optimism was palpable --- much of the infrastructure remains in awful condition, but the streets in the old city were dug up for new water and sewer lines --- every doorway seemed to show the ruins of great architecture, but el capitolia was covered in scaffolding and buildings in el centro were being restored --- there seemed to be fewer old cars, but those godawful pink buses pulled by big rigs were gone from the streets --- it's a grimy but not trashy city, and the country remains desperately poor, but the people seem generally well-fed, clothed, and educated (with a higher literacy rate than the u.s. of a.!)

most marvelous of all to this urban pedestrian, one can walk the streets virtually anywhere at virtually any time of the day or night and not do so in fear of one's life from armed robbery --- although one might remain vigilant against breaking a leg or twisting an ankle from stepping off into a hole left uncovered in the middle of the sidewalk ---

kitty kitty kitty

we stayed at the hotel florida, on obispo street, built in 1835, adapted as the hotel marques de prado ameno in 1885 --- ceilings were as high as sixteen feet --- decent rooms, if you don't mind the occasional  leaking water pipe --- fortunately, i am not especially mold-sensitive

look closely at the yellow areas on this building --- they're little "witnesses" left intentionally to show earlier decoration that was either mostly lost, ruined, or they simply couldn't afford to replicate it --- it's one of the characteristics of cuba's approach to historic preservation that i love, and one that i wish we did more of in this country

dogs are ok

and with the tropical heat and humidity, all the cities come to life after dark --- a magnificent street life, not over-run with cars, which is good since there are clearly no catalytic converters and choking exhaust can occasionally diminish the pleasures of the paseo

the lobby of hotel florida