Cuba Reflections
The World’s Longest Cigar
Currently the longest cigar in the world measuring 81.80 m (268 ft 4 in) was made by Jose Castelar Cueto (busy in photo) at the La Triada shop at Parque Morro-Cabaña in Havanna, Cuba, on 3 May 2011. Needless to say it is unsmokeable!
1950’s American Cars – Some were for show, but most are in everyday use.
Homes & Shops – What are ordinary homes like in a poor communist country?
There is a colourful tradition of 15 year old girls coming out on their birthdays and parading round in wedding dresses. We saw this girl by the Castillo de la Real Fuerza in Havanna.
Obligatory Propaganda Revolutionary posters and signs were so common that I almost forgot to photograph any. This one was on a wall in a local fruit market in Havana.
Cuba has one of the best education and health services in the region. Many schools, such as this one (left) in Trinidad, are in the front rooms of large houses.
In Havana, we saw this school group practicing marching up & down the middle of the road.
Cocotaxi These quaint scooter-based taxis were common in Havana. This one was plying for business in the Necropolis Cristobal Colon (remember it is a massive cemetery!)
Thumbing a lift .The colour of number plates on Cuban vehicles indicate their status. Blue are on official/government owned vehicles, yellow on private ones, green on army/police ones, orange on foreigners working in Cuba, white for politicians, etc.
On all main roads there are designated pick-up points for those wanting to thumb a lift. Someone in a yellow jump suit (in the middle of the photo) stops all vehicles & if there is space, the driver has to accept passengers. If you dare to go by without stopping you get fined. This leads to enterprising people in a hurry standing 50 yards in front of the pick up point (there are 3 to the extreme right in this photo) waving notes in the air. Obviously drivers will stop for them first, pocketing the notes.
It is common to decorate public buildings with these types of line-art images of popular revolutionaries.
However I noticed this particularly ugly building on the right. I was told it is the Russian Embassy with high windows (to keep a check on the populace?).
Our friendly group comprised (sitting L to R), Mariah, Pauline, Ann, Margaret, Linda, Elizabeth & Carol. Standing is me, Brian, Martin, David & Ian.
Farewell Cuba! Cheers to a fascinating & changing country.
