100 Days of Cuba

100 - 1100100

2010-08-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

I devote this last day to all the Cuban artists that speak their beauty through music, crafts, photographs, paintings, poetry, and more but are not allowed off their island to share it with the rest of the world. While Internet is available in Cuba, it's expensive and unreliable.

The images a select group of photographers shared with us in Cuba were lovely and I know one day they will be sharing them with all the world.

99 - Dialogue

2010-08-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

98 - The Dress

2010-08-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

97 - Perspective #5

2010-08-27T20:24:00.001-07:00

96 - I Don't Think it's Stalking

2010-08-27T20:18:00.001-07:00

95 - Wounds of Remembering

2010-08-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

94 - When Billy's in The Car

2010-08-27T20:04:00.001-07:00

93 - Presence

2010-08-27T19:53:00.001-07:00

92 - Reasons for Moving

2010-08-27T19:49:00.001-07:00

91 - Excerpt

2010-08-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

90 - Found Object

2010-08-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

89 - Do You Know What This Is?

2010-08-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hemingway's

88 - Actually, It's Interesting

2010-08-27T19:16:00.001-07:00

87 - Perspective #4

2010-08-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

86 - Evidence

2010-08-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

85 - Conversations

2010-08-27T18:35:00.001-07:00

84 - Tell Me

2010-08-27T18:11:00.001-07:00

83 - Mexican Sleigh-Bell Trilogy

2010-08-27T18:06:00.001-07:00

82 - Pie Again?

2010-08-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hemingway's home

81 - Cultural Divide

2010-08-27T17:27:00.001-07:00

80 - Blind Date

2010-08-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

79 - The Rising Balloon

2010-08-27T16:58:00.001-07:00

78 - White Couch in a White Room

2010-08-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

77 - Overtime

2010-08-25T21:50:00.001-07:00

76 - The Sign

2010-08-25T21:49:00.002-07:00

75 - What About the Horse?

2010-08-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

74 - The Englishman Who Stared at Banjos

2010-08-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

73 - Coventry Sky

2010-08-25T21:46:00.002-07:00

72 - Great Moments in Cinema #30

2010-08-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

71 - Portal

2010-08-25T20:50:00.001-07:00

70 - Scotopic vs Photopic

2010-08-25T20:22:00.001-07:00

69 - Does That Answer Your Question?

2010-08-25T20:21:00.001-07:00

68 - Myopic

2010-08-25T20:20:00.002-07:00

67 - You Are the Food

2010-08-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

66 - Right to Left

2010-08-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

65 - What if Life Were Like Making Movies?

2010-08-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

64 - Dispel

2010-08-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

I found this farm worker on his lunch hour.

63 - The Whole World is Moving

2010-08-25T18:43:00.001-07:00

62 - Leaf

2010-08-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

These leaves lay on a marble tile at a farmstead we stopped at for lunch. It reminds me of the peacefulness of the countryside, after having spent several days exploring the city.

61 - Appearances

2010-08-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

It appears this worker has other things on his mind.

60 - Birthday

2010-08-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

The Cuban birthday includes a lot of dancing and singing with friends, neighbors and co-workers. This one was late at night at our hotel, with the people who worked there. They invited us to share in the champagne and cake.

59 - Entrance

2010-08-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Besides lacking route maps and schedules, city buses can be a bit overcrowded.

58 - They Were so Young

2010-08-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

We all were so young once.

57 - Bridge

2010-08-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

The grave of Amelia Goyri de la Hoz, buried in 1901, is a bridge between people's wishes and miracles. She is buried with her child who also died minutes after the birth. The baby, placed at her feet when buried, was found in her arms when the grave was later excavated. If you knock on her coffin and touch the statue of the baby, say your wish and circle the coffin without turning your back to her, a miracle may occur.

56 - Point the Way

2010-08-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

Our bubble driver Hamlet was a fabulous tour guide.

55 - Someone

2010-08-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Someone thought Lincoln had a place in the city.

54 - Perusals

2010-08-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

One of the many beautiful hand painted images found on the walls of Havana, if you peruse the streets.

53 - Wandering

2010-08-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

Where is this cab driver's mind wandering to?

52 - Great Moments in Cinema #50

2010-08-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

My friend Donna, an Industriales enthusiast, bought this man's hat and shirt off his back.

51 - Something

2010-08-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

This man is refilling lighters with bug spray, air freshener, or maybe even butane. Something....

Day 50 - Hole

2010-08-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

Cuba's infrastructure is badly in need of repair.

Most of my friends know what a miracle it is that I didn't hurt myself on this trip, especially with many opportunities such as pictured here (right by the capital building!)

49 - In Passing

2010-08-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

How the years change us, in passing.

48 - The Act of Changing Location

2010-08-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

Bubble taxis are a fabulous way of getting around the city. It's a windy, crazy-fast ride with the sounds and smells of the city and neighborhoods filling your senses.

47 - Wish Tree

2010-08-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

The Cuban tip could be seen as a Wish Tree of sorts since it allows servers to live a significantly better life than they would otherwise on just a salary.

46 - Posing

2010-08-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was amazed at the openness and willingness of the Cuban people to be photographed. I experienced the opposite in Spain.

45 - Flow

2010-08-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

Seems the artist of this painting had flow in mind. It hangs at the Havana seasides seafood restaurant, El Templete.

44 - 4th of July

2010-08-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

This past July 4th, a Sunday, the Ladies in White - wives and mothers of political prisoners, staged their weekly march through Havana calling for the release of all political prisoners.

They formed two weeks after Black Spring of 2003, when the Cuban government arrested, tried, and sentenced 75 human rights defenders, independent journalists, and independent librarians to jail terms of up to 28 years.

Less than 10 days after this past July 4th march, the Cuban government agreed to free 52 of the prisoners in the coming months. This was with the intercession of Spain and the Catholic church.

Some information quoted from the BBC and Wikipedia
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10617820
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies_in_White

43 - Concentrate

2010-08-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

These children are clearly focused on their card game.

42 - Path

2010-08-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

According to our guide, a Cuban wedding day custom includes the bride and groom walking through town after the wedding. Unfortunately, I can't back this up with written facts. The rain did not stop for this couple on their day.

41 - Water

2010-08-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

At the end of the harbor stands Cuba's best known lighthouse now called Castillo del Morro (not the correct name, Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro - The Castle of the Three Kings on the Bluff.) In 1845 the Spanish built this 85 foot tower. 400 hundred years earlier, the fortress surrounding it was built to guard the entrance of Havana Harbor.

Day 40 - The Smile

2010-08-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Day 39 - Wonder

2010-08-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Catholic Church claims 60% of Cubans. 5% are Protestants. As much as 80% of Cubans consult with practitioners of syncretic religions, mostly brought from African slaves. This involves a combining of beliefs and practices, reconciling differences and creating an underlying unity.

Day 38 - Interpretation

2010-08-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

Only the Cuban people could know in their hearts to truth of this tattered old poster.

Day 37 - Drop

2010-08-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

Fidel Castro has recently come out of his four years of seclusion since his emergency surgery, appealing to President Obama to put off a global nuclear war with Iran. He has chosen to discuss this with the parliament, rather than the dire domestic issues of the Cuban citizens. This has left people wondering what this means to his brother Raul's leadership.

What I saw throughout Havana was a celebration of Che Guevara, rather than Fidel Castro.

36 - I Can Hear You

2010-08-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Despite Hemingway's long absence from his Finca Vigia country house, his possessions still spoke, reflecting the life of an adventurous, potent soul.

Day 35 - Dualities

2010-08-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

I had to wonder how this box of Old Virginia Apples, with an American flag posted, could sit on the side of a Cuban street with a US embargo against trade still in tact.

Day 34 - Hands

2010-08-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

Some restaurants in Havana feature Flamenco. This dance involves much rhythmic stomping, expressive arm and hand movements, a proud carriage, and great emotion. The dancer to the left is using her hands to represent a flower opening and closing.

Day 33 - Space

2010-08-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

This couple spoke to us from the front space of their home. Besides its physicality, their home is built around the hearts of their neighbors; all of whom look out for each other.

Day 32 - Hemmingway's Out of Reach

2010-06-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

We visited Papa's home, Finca Vigía, in San Francisco de Paula, Cuba.

He lived there from 1939 to 1960. Hemingway wrote much of For Whom the Bell Tolls and all of The Old Man and the Sea on these grounds.

After his suicide, Mary Hemingway deeded the home and its furnishings to the Cuban government. Later, the U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation deemed it near collapse. In 2007, after extensive restoration by the Cuban government, it was reopened in 2007 for tourists.

The only way to see it is through its open windows and doors.

Day 31 - Counting

2010-06-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Mercado de Cuatro Caminos is the island's largest farmers market. This old hall takes up an entire square block. Live and dead animals, fruit, vegetables, and beans. Still, no computers.

Day 30 - Father's Day

2010-06-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Fathers come in all forms.

Day 29 - Cinema is Life

2010-06-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

The true meaning of film maker Jen-Luc Godard's statement, “cinema is life” will remain an open ended mystery. Who can disagree that life is much more vibrant and interesting in person?

Day 28 - Browse

2010-06-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

The open air market on Plaza de Armas is a nice place to browse antiquarian books and talk with the local sellers. It's one of the oldest and most important plazas in Havana Vieja, originally built in 1516. The stalls are open Wednesday - Saturday.

Day 27 - Portrait of an Eater

2010-06-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

OK, this isn't really a self-portrait, but if I was to do one, food might be involved.

I had 3 great meals in Cuba. Though there are some fabulous restaurants in Havana, most of them overcook the seafood, pork or chicken. That is, if what is stated on the menu is even available. We only ran into this once, on the Malecón. None of the fish on the menu were available, due to a shortage but they had replacements. I think one of them was called a dog fish, also known as a cat shark or a nurse shark. I had the marlin, thinking of Hemmingway's Old Man and the Sea. At this point in time, I do not believe Cuba is known for it's great food.

Here at La Torre, an overpriced restaurant with so-so food, one can enjoy a panoramic view of Havana from its 36th floor, in air conditioning (note Donna's coat and our sleeping companion!)

Day 26 - Perspective

2010-06-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Havana stood once as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It's colonial architectural influenced by the Spanish, Moorish, Roman, Itallian and Greek culture. Christopher Columbus called Cuba the "Loveliest land ever beheld by human eyes."

This, once a stunning mansion, now crumbles in ruins yet remains someone's home.

Day 25 - Satellites of Love Surround Us

2010-06-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

Havana's broad esplanade, roadway, and seawall stretching almost 5 miles in length is called the Malecón. It is a popular place for lovers.

24 - The Search for Meaning

2010-06-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Every travel adventure includes an exploration of life's meaning. Each observation and experience of a new culture adds another piece to the answer.

Cuba reminded me that caring and supportive relationships with others, and good health, were top on my list. Next, lightness and serendipity. I found this and other peacocks and peahens walking the grounds of the Fototeca, Cuba's central institution for photography. Fototeca As for serendipity, we were there at the same time as a couple of curators from the Getty Museum, looking at the work of Cuban photographers.

Day 23 - No Apologies

2010-06-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

I saw what looked like a peaceful, sweet dog laying in a grassy medium near the waterfront in Havana. My first impulse was walk over and pet it, but my mind advised caution. I snapped this frame on the third segment of my approach, previously greeted by less powerful snarls. Clearly, this was my last warning.

Cuba has many homeless dogs and cats. The Association for the Protection of Animals - Cuba (APAC - Varadero) is dedicated to providing health care and homes for wandering animals. They also spay and neuter the pets of Cubans.

If you are visiting the country and want to adopt a pet to bring home, you can only do it through the APAC organization in Varadero. Their site is APAC - Cuba

Day 22 - Phone Call

2010-06-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

What would we do without telephones?

President Raul Castro lifted the ban on cell phones late March 2008. Previously, foreigners had to sign contracts in their name, for Cuban citizens. I was told that all the cell phones owned by Cubans are used ones brought in by tourists. The service, naturally, is very expensive for the average citizen.

Day 21 - Sullen Ride

2010-06-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

After leaving the Necroplis Cristabol Colon graveyard we soon realized we were too far out of the city for an available taxi. A driver noticed our delemma and offered a ride.

He told us that when the Pope came to visit Cuba, he was "hired" to paint a religious fresco in a public building. He became somewhat famous for it, since it was so beautiful. Unfortunately, right after the Pope left, Castro had it painted over. Our driver was hoping it would remain, after he had put so much work and love in his creation.

Day 20 - Forever

2010-06-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

What lasts forever in the material realm of this world?

Necropolis Cristobal Colon cemetery, outside of Havana city, is home to around two million graves, including many famous Cuba political figures. But even a grave is not a forever thing here. Due to the limitation of space for grave sites, many of the dead are exhumed and returned to their families to make way for new residents.

Day 19 - Jungle Gratitude

2010-06-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

Between the eastern part of the Guaniguanico mountain range and Pinar del Rio, and the provinces of Havana, lies the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve. The rainforest had been cleared in this area but parts of it are being replanted while others are used for agriculture. This area was the site of the first major coffee plantation in the New World. Some small farms still exist, many of them producing shade grown coffee.

18 - Sonrisa Bonita

2010-06-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

This woman, like other costumed models in Old Town Havana, poses for pesos. But like everyone I met in Cuba, hers isn't just a smile for the camera, it's a smile from her soul.

Day 17 - Southwest of Havana

2010-06-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

Pinar del Rio is a province and city southwest of Havana. The province encompasses three mountain ranges, a barrier reef with 30 premier diving sites, hot springs, a national park, Biosphere Reserve, and fertile farm land. Many accomplished artists and athletes hail from Pinar del Rio, including major league baseball players like Alexei Fernando Ramírez. He plays second base and shortstop for the Chicago White Sox.

Day 16 - La Escalera

2010-06-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

In this ramshackle cement building, elderly and children are among those who use this staircase day and night. Then they walk one of two planks, that barely cover the flooring frame, to their apartments. Walking up a spiral staircase with no rail was not as nerve wracking for me as carefully moving across the second story to an apartment while looking at the the floor below me and, to my side, no barrier to the courtyard below.

Day 15 - Message

2010-06-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I've traveled somewhere and saw there wasn't a clock for time in the U. S. The reason here is obvious. This is a troubling message, from a neighbor approximately 90 miles away.

Day 14 - Great Moments

2010-06-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Again, the music in Havana has a viral quality and movement is one of the main symptoms experienced by the listener, as you can see in this short clip I took: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NZeZs0ajJg

Day 13 - Difficulty Concentrating on One Subject

2010-06-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

I traveled to Pinar del Rio Province, known for it's tobacco fields. Seeing a small settlement, we stopped the bus and walked up the road. As in the city, all one has to do is be open and receptive and Cubans will share a conversation and maybe even invite you into their home. At one point, I just sat on the roadside and shot what passed by.

Day 12 - 2X2

2010-06-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

The people of Havana love their dogs. I saw a few different breeds, like these two young men are carrying but it appears the most beloved is the Dachshund.

According to the blog: Daily Dachshund and Dog News, they work hard for their living. http://www.dailydachshundanddognews.com/2008/02/cuban-dachshunds-ponder-castros.html

Day 11 - Perspective

2010-06-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

If all lines of perspective converge at one point, how powerful can the convergence of artistic outflow be when some artists are kept imprisoned behind a political cloak?

Day 10 - Clouds

2010-06-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

I found the clouds in Cuba to display especially beautiful through the clean air and against the turquoise blue sky. They offer a very welcome respite from the strong Caribbean sun.

The weather doesn't fluctuate much season to season, ranging from 68 in the evening to 77 during the day. Rains falls much in the summer and dries out in the winter. You can count on a hurricane between June and November with winds up to 155 miles per hour!

Day 9 - Baseball on The Mind

2010-05-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

We all live within our mind. On March 15th, the mindset of many in Havana was a baseball playoffs game between the Industriales and La Habana. Everywhere we went, televisions were tuned on to the game. People crowded inside and outside of bars to watch. Even the guitar player from the Buena Vista Social Club was watching the game on the wall TV while playing with a band in Old Town. My friend Donna Scholl, a huge baseball fan, engaged a bar owner in a talk about the games. He had an art wall of fame with signatures from many Cuban players he proudly displayed.

The Industriales went on to win the championship, defeating Villa Clara in the finals.

Day 8 - Dreamin'

2010-05-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Dreamers live and work in Old Town Havana. Presently, it's a tourist-driven economy. City structures have been in decline for many decades and most of its people live in abject poverty within the ruins of once lovely Spanish and neoclassical structures. People within and outside of Cuba are working to document and restore these treasures, retained only through time and political turmoil.

Day 7 - Life Is Good

2010-05-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Twice, I saw someone playing the horn on the seawall of El Malecon, which stretches almost five miles along the coast in Havana. Twice I was on a tourist bus, whizzing by. When lovers, musicians, and fishermen look out from the seawall, they are looking 200 miles to Miami.

Day 6 - Musical Spirit

2010-05-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

The spirit searches for what it needs: passion, lift and release. It can be found in so many places in Cuba and one of those is the music. Electricity, joy, flirtation and rhythm emanate from the musicians and singers, intoxicating and inviting all around to join in the dance of life.

Day 5 - The Dancer

2010-05-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

This Flamenco dancer was waiting, mid morning for his club to open. His smoking challenged part of my perspective of what I envisioned a dancer to be. But other than that, he was vital, appeared healthy, young, strong, and possessed a bright, kind smile.

Day 4 - 51 Years

2010-05-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

51 years is a long time for someone to run a country. Not much appears to have changed, regarding the country's physical infrastructure, since the Castro regime took over Cuba in 1959. Yet, despite that lack of change, nature has accomplished it's greatest transformation.

Day 3 - The Street Sweeper

2010-05-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

This lovely lady was sweeping at Plaza Viejo in Old Town Havana. She kept her composure even with a cadre of photographers descending upon her.

Day 2 - The Barber

2010-05-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

People were getting serviced at the barber shop across from my hotel when I walked out for breakfast. As people went about their lives, most were very open and congenial to being photographed.

I brought a small printer on my trip and several days after taking this and other pictures, I brought prints to everyone working at the shop. They were thrilled! The owner, who wasn't there the day I photographed the others, asked me to take one of him. I snapped a couple while he worked, ran up to my room, and returned five minutes later with his prints. This is the joy of digital photography. He smiled and kissed my hand.

100 Day Project

2010-05-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

I'm starting my 100 Day project 3 days late. One Hundred Days is a summer collaborative project put into motion by artist volunteers. For more information, go to http://onehundreddays.net/?p=19

My intent is to put a collection of images together from my Cuba trip.

This is for Day 1 and it's a view from my window in Old Town Havana. Around 7am it sounded like Grand Central Station outside my window. People yelling, talking, singing... . My first day in this old world.