May. 2002
President's
Message
Article - "The Trip of a Lifetime"
The Trip of a Lifetime
- Patsy Costis
As many of our friends know, Gus and I have done our share of traveling ñ not a lot, but more than most people we know. With that in mind, this trip to Cuba, March 4-17, 2002, was without a doubt one of the best trips we have ever taken!
First, I must admit that I (not we, because Gus was "go, go, go" from the very beginning) had some reservations about making this trip. In the back of my mind, Cuba was the last place I had even thought about visiting. After all, it was ìthe enemy southeast of the U.S.î So, when Gus approached me with, "How would you like to attend a photography workshop in Cuba?" I thought, "... has he lost his mind?" However, when I started reading about the workshop (which is part of the renowned Maine Photographic Workshops, in Rockport, and which we have attended), the juices started flowing .... but slowly. We signed up for the course and made all reservations. Then, about a month before our departure, the Cuban government shut down the workshops ... for reasons unknown. However, the Workshops stated that if we wanted to, we could make the trip on our own. And, so we did.
Our flights were exhaustive due to airport security, plane changes, etc., so that when we reached Havana at 8:30 that night, we were ecstatic. On the other hand, my first impression as we took the taxi ride from the airport was ... "Who in their right mind would want to come to this place?" But, then, when we arrived at our hotel, how surprised we were! A very beautiful old 2-story mansion with gardens and courtyards; recently converted into a lovely hotel, the Hostal de Tejadillo. We had a good nightís sleep.
The next morning we were awakened to a sound we'd be hearing for the length of our stay - school children, playing stick ball in the street before school. I watched them from our room; they are such adorable little rascals and natural-born baseball players.
During our first day we stopped in Cathedral Square and Obispo Street. Cathedral Square is pictured in most travel books on Cuba. While we were in the square, a group of street musicians ìstruck up the band, and they were terrific. They played and sang to the gathering crowd, who happily placed money in their open violin case. Then we walked down the main shopping street in Old Havana -Obispo. Not your normal shopping district -- a narrow, cobblestone street with hoards of people. Obispo runs through the middle of Old Havana directly to Park Central which is adjacent to the capital building. We visited the Grand Theater (Gran Teatro), also near the Capitol, where Cubaís national ballet company performs, as well as operas and such. This building was recently refurbished, inside and out - very grand, as its name implies. We got to see rehearsal rooms where singers were singing, and dancers were dancing ñ but ìno photos!î
The following morning we photographed the school kids, and from there, to the harbor where we photographed the lighthouse, boats, people fishing and street entertainers ñ mostly individuals playing guitars hoping to get a few bucks to make do until the next day. I can honestly say we didnít see any faces that looked threatening or mean - simply faces that had experienced life in Cuba -- old, worn out and some almost toothless. Incidentally, the US dollar (not coins) and the Cuban peso are the legal tender.
From Wednesdays through Saturdays, Havana has a book fare in Plaza de Armas and a flea market, nearby. On those mornings vendors are up before dawn wheeling their wares on small flat bed carts (with metal wheels yet) over the cobblestone streets to set up their stalls. So, after we finished our ìharbor tour,î we headed for the flea market. We were amazed at so much artistic talent. There also were stalls of dolls, handbags, hats, shoes, baseball bats, wood sculptures .... just to name a few of the items the vendors had to sell. Gus bought a baseball bat for the kids, and could hardly wait until the next morning to give that bat to them.
Gus was out early the next day with baseball bat in hand. When he gave those boys that bat, youíd have thought he gave them a million bucks. So, they played baseball ëtil the school bell rang; then all clamored to be the "bat caretaker." Fortunately, the school teacher came along, so he took the job. From that day forward, it was "baseball," not "stickball."
Thereís so much to see in and around Havana - unattractive Revolution Square and beautiful Cemeterio de Colon, where we saw, one after the other, 7 or 8 funeral processions - flower-laden hearses, followed by people in taxis and on bicycles and motor scooters. Then there is the famous (former) Buena Vista Social Club, Hemingwayís estate, churches, parades, 1950's cars, the US embassy, and the Malecon with its Havana skyline. We photographed them all, but our best shots were of the people.
We spent a couple of days in the western part of Cuba in the Vinales valley, - there we visited the keys (or Cayas) with their beautiful, pristine beaches, and saw villages, flower gardens, tobacco barns, tobacco growers, tobacco pickers, farmers plowing with oxen, chickens, roosters, kids and old people, tourists and locals, lighthouses, and the "local buses"-- a photographer's paradise. The local buses are really "cool." We kept seeing these big trucks pass us loaded with people hanging out the back and over the sides. We presumed they were people going to work in the tobacco fields. How wrong we were ....... they were passengers. Thatís right, passengers. Out in the country buses are almost non-existent, and these trucks are used for carrying people from one place to another. They are free, whereas the few buses they do have may charge a peso or two. We had several opportunities to photograph these happy folk, and everyone, everywhere was just wonderful ... smiling, waving and posing.
As for our overall impression of Cuba, we can speak only about Old Havana since this is where we spent most of our time. Except for government and historical buildings, the conditions of most structures are old. Many buildings have not seen a coat of paint for the last 40-50 years. However, the architecture of the buildings and homes is such that itís very easy to visualize how beautiful and charming they were in their heyday. The streets and most of the automobiles are in dire need of repair. But, in spite of their plight, the Cubans are so outgoing, so happy, so loving, and so grateful for any gesture of kindness shown them. No matter how small an eating place where one might go for a bite, thereís always a small group of musicians singing and playing. (And they LOVE Americans.) Also, we were not disappointed with our meals. Most menus include pork, chicken, seafood, beans with rice, salads and fruit, Cuban rum drinks, beer, wine and sodas, and, of course, bottled water.
Exhausted, but happy, we arrived
back home at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 19, with 57 rolls of 36-exposure
film. Really and truly, Cuba should be at the top of your vacation list.
You'll love it, and the Cubans will love you!
If you'd like the "expanded" version of this journal, please
call at 302-798-8195 or e-mail me at pfcostis@juno.com
for a copy.