In the capital city of our mystery country, the Malecon seawall and waterfront boulevard is a popular gathering place, especially for young lovers watching the sun drop into the Gulf of Mexico. The Malecon stretches for 5 miles around the heart of the city and is lined with elegant, dilapidated villas.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Some random shots of Cuba for your Friday:
Antonio Maceo Grajales monument, Santiago de Cuba
cover of Celare Navis y Otros Poemas by Cuban writer Antón Arrufat, from the University of Missouri collection http://www.lib.umich.edu/onlineexhibits/exhibits/show/main/ediciones-vigia/ev2
Named for the Plaza de la Vigía (Watchtower Square), which it overlooks from an airy colonial house, Ediciones Vigía is a collective publishing house in the provincial town of Matanzas, Cuba, about a 90 minute drive east of Havana.
Founded by poet, painter and stage designer Rolando Estévez Jordán and poet Alfredo Zaldívar in 1985 as a meeting place for writers and visual artists, Ediciones Vigía later evolved into an outlet for writers who were overlooked by the large publishing houses in Cuba. The mission was twofold – to circulate unknown literary voices in Cuba and to interpret and underscore those voices visually, creating distinctive, textual art-objects and installations in the process. In addition to little-known Cuban writers, Ediciones Vigía publishes illuminated editions of the works of famous writers like Emily Dickenson, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Luis Borges and Cuban poet Nancy Morejón. Continue reading
El Floridita has been serving drinks (especially rum cocktails) and seafood for almost 200 years in the capital city of our mystery country. It’s well known as the birthplace of the daiquiri and as a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, who lived just a few blocks away at the Hotel Ambos Mundos for seven years. Hemingway was just one of a long list of artists, intellectuals and dignitaries who spent time at El Floridita in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, when the city was a hopping playground for the international jet set.
Can you name that country?
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Afrocuba de Matanzas is a folkloric group, whose members are directly descended from West Africans brought to Cuba as slaves. The group formed in 1957 with a mission to preserve their African cultural heritage through performances (including world tours and recording), as well as lectures and workshops. The city of Matanzas, about 2 hours from Havana, is Cuba’s main center of Afro-Cuban traditional culture and Afrocuba is widely acknowledged as among the most authentic traditional Afro-Cuban music groups.
Slaves in Cuba were allowed to gather in tribal and ethnic groups to practice their traditional religions, which involved dancing, drumming, chanting and call and response. Afrocuba performs these rituals in their pure forms as well as music and dance genres which descended from them, in combination with Spanish and Caribbean traditions. Instruments, all percussion, are handmade in the traditional ways using traditional materials.
Meet Afrocuba de Matanzas and watch them perform on a Ya’lla tour to Cuba.
San Pedro de la Roca Castle guards the entrance to Santiago Bay on the eastern shore of our mystery country. It’s about 5 miles from the city of Santiago, the country’s 2nd largest. The castle is also known as Morro Castle, sharing that nickname with another castle in the country’s capital city (morro is an old Spanish term for a castle by the sea).
Built to defend against pirates, which plagued the surrounding sea, San Pedro de la Roca Castle was designated a World Heritage Site as an exceptional example of Spanish colonial military architecture. It took the better part of the 17th century to build, during which time it was seized by pirates and held for several weeks. Visit the castle to soak up some history and enjoy spectacular views of the coastline and the Sierra Maestra Mountains.
Can you name that country?
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Iglesia y Convento Nuestra Senora de Belen (Church and Convent of Our Lady of Bethlehem), Convento de Belen for short, is a renowned social services organization in Havana, Cuba, which focuses on senior care. The center is operated by the Order of the Sisters of Charity, with help from the Office of the City Historian and public health agencies.
Some fifty senior citizens are permanent residents and dozens more come daily for activities, meals and medical care. Convento de Belen also provides services for mentally and physically disabled children and operates a daycare center for young children.
Most Ya’lla trips to Cuba include a stop at Convento de Belen, where visitors leave donated goods brought from home, as well as cash gifts. We’re always lovingly received by residents, often with a song and gifts of handmade cards and handicrafts.
Click to see Cuba tours that include visits to Convento de Belen.
The iconic, sail-shaped Burj Al Arab has been called the only 7-star hotel in the world. Built on an artificial island just off Jumeirah Beach, the only access is by a private bridge (or helipad). Although it’s the world’s 4th tallest hotel, it has only 202 guest suites on 28 double floors. Suites range in size from 1,820 to 8,400 square feet.
Each double floor has its own reception and check-in is done inside the guest suites. Personal butlers attend every guest throughout their stay. For every suite, there are 8 hotel staffers ready to serve.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Arte Corte is a hair salon and museum of hairdressing founded by Gilberto Valladares, known as Papito, the most recognized hair stylist in our mystery country.
Papito’s cultural project brings together barbers, hairdressers, models, artists and historians to preserve the history of hairdressing in Cuba and also to improve conditions for residents of the neighborhood. The group operates a school of hairdressing free for youth of the area and a cooperative to help other businesses get a start, improve the facilities for senior citizens and beautify the neighborhood.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
About 2 hours southeast of Havana, on the Caribbean Sea, the Bay of Pigs (Playa Giron) is the site of an attempted counter-revolutionary coup by Cuban exiles in April of 1961. With backing from the U.S. government, the invading forces included airstrikes, infantry and paratroopers. The offensive began on April 15, when eight B-26 Bombers attacked Cuban airfields. On the night of April 16, the main invasion landed at Playa Giron Beach. After three days of resistance, under the command of then Prime Minister Fidel Castro, the invaders surrendered on April 20.
The failed invasion strengthened the position of Castro’s administration, which proceeded to strengthen ties with the Soviet Union, leading to the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The invasion was a major embarrassment for the U.S. government and internal investigations were ordered by President Kennedy.
Today there is a very good little museum at Playa Giron, where all the pictures in this post were taken.
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