Category Caribbean
Monday Morning Blues – Dancer With Attitude in Santiago de Cuba
Happy January 2017 memories for me for this week’s Monday Morning Blues. We visited the Carnival Museum in Cuba’s second city and were treated to a fabulous music & dance jamboree. This lady was a fabulous dancer whose expressions told a thousand stories. Why not join in the Monday morning fun over on Twitter? See […]
Friday Photo – Che Guevara Monument, Santa Clara, Cuba
I visited Che’s monument in 2017. Santa Clara was where Che masterminded a defining victory in the Cuban Revolution against the corrupt leadership. He and a small band of comrades managed to blow up a train carry munitions down south to Santiago where the revolutionaries were based. If the train had arrived, the government forces […]
Sweet on Cuba – Sugar and Rum Production
A Brief History of Cuba’s Sugar Industry You may not know it but Cuba used to be one of the most prosperous nations on earth. The prosperity of the nation was transformed in the 1790s when sugar traders fled the slave rebellion in Hispaniola (modern day Haiti and Dominican Republic) for their much bigger neighbours. […]
Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, from Asthmatic Doctor to World Icon
Before I visited Cuba I had of course heard of Che Guevara. Now I feel I know him. Che was born in Rosario in 1928, Argentinian but part Irish through his paternal grandparents. All his life he struggled with asthma, but this did not stop him loving and playing rugby and qualifying as a doctor. Ernesto […]
The Varieties of Road Transportation of Cuba
Classic American Cars Think of Cuba and Havana or Trinidad in particular and you will probably think of classic American cars. The types of gas guzzlers that you saw in the movies transporting Peggy Sue to the drive-in or turning evil and crushing its victims (Stephen King’s Christine). Cadillacs, Chevrolets, Fords, Plymouths, Mercurys and Lincolns […]
Friday Photo – Santiago de Cuba Cathedral
Santiago is Cuba’s second city and was the centre of attention following the Revolution, as it was here that Fidel Castro announced that they had won the power struggle, in front of enthusiastic crowds. The cathedral dominates the main square where Castro made his proclamation and is a fine example of colonial Spanish architecture.
Thursday Bird #15 – Pelican, Havana, Cuba
The iconic Havana waterfront stretch of Caribbean known as the Malecon is home to a multitude of pelicans. As the waves crash against the seawall, the eagle-eyed fishers look out for a meal, before diving into the turbulent waters and pulling out their prey. The pictures below shows different stages of an unsuccessful hunt – […]
My Top Ten Big Cities Outside Europe #2 – Havana
Havana – Population 2.2 Million Havana is like all the best Spanish cities moulded into one – the edgy old town of Cadiz, the oceanside promenade and Art Deco of Barcelona, the majestic buildings of Madrid, the music & dance of Seville, the cuisine of Valencia, the bars of Bilbao, the fortifications of Malaga, the […]
My Top Ten Big Cities Outside Europe #2 – Havana
Havana – Population 2.2 Million Havana is like all the best Spanish cities moulded into one – the edgy old town of Cadiz, the oceanside promenade and Art Deco of Barcelona, the majestic buildings of Madrid, the music & dance of Seville, the cuisine of Valencia, the bars of Bilbao, the fortifications of Malaga, the […]
Old Havana, Cuba
Old Havana is sandwiched between the iconic Caribbean waterfront promenade known as the Malecon and the district of Vedado, the hip area containing boutique hotels & trendy restaurants. The Malecon Old Havana is the true grit of the city. This is where several families cram into crumbling old mansions that once housed the the rich […]
