BACARDI BUILDING

BACARDI RUM WAS ONE OF THE WORLD'S BEST RUMS PRODUCED IN CUBA PRIOR TO THE REVOLUTION. THE ART DECO BUILDING IS BEGINNING TO DETERIORATE. I EXPLORED THE LOBBY AND MET THE HISTORIAN/BAR TENDER. I TOOK THE ELEVATOR TO TO 7TH FLOOR AND THEN WALKED THE LAST 3 FLOORS FOR A PANORAMIC VIEW OF HAVANA. THE HIGHER I CLIMBED, THE MORE DETERIORATION I SAW. 

BACARDI BUILDING HAVANA CUBA

STAIRWAY BACARDI BUILDING

INTERIOR OF STAIRWELL

LOBBY OF BACARDI BUILDING

DREAMING I'M IN THE FIFTIES HAVANA

LOBBY OF THE BACARDI BUILDING

                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                               

THE MALACON

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WRITE ABOUT HAVANA WITHOUT INCLUDING ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ROMANTIC BOULEVARDS, THE MALACON. IT BEGINS WRAPPING HAVANA HARBOR WHERE THE PRADO ENDS AND WHERE THE OLD FORTRESS EL MORROW CAN BE SEEN ACROSS THE WATER. IT WAS STILL DARK WHEN I WALKED DOWN THE PRADO HOPING TO CATCH FIRST LIGHT. THE MALACON WAS CLOSED TO TRAFFIC, OR MOST TRAFFIC, DUE TO HEAVY RAIN WHICH STILL HAD SEWERS CLOGGED. IT WAS QUIET BUT I MET A FEW PEOPLE ON MY WALK AS I WATCHED DAWN BREAK OVER HAVANA HARBOR.

LOOKING AT MORRO FORTRESS FROM END OF PRADO

90 MILES TO MIAMI

A WALK WITH ABUELA ALONG THE MALACON

EL MORRO

NATIONAL HOTEL IN THE DISTANCE

NATIONAL HOTEL

VERANDA OF THE NATIONAL

CHECKING OUT THE SEWERS

LOBBY OF THE NATIONAL

CLEANING OUT THE SEWERS

 

Havana, my camera and me, continuing with streets and buildings

STREET SCENES AND COLONIAL BUILDINGS

RENOVATION IN PRGRESS

SUPPOSED TO BE HEMINGWAY'S OLD HANGOUT

SCHOOL CHILDREN ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL

BEAUTIFUL COLONIAL ERA BUILDING

STREET SCENE

HOPING FOR RENOVATION BEFORE COLLAPSE

END OF PRADO WHERE IT MEETS THE MALACON

APARTMENT BUILDING

MUSEUM OF ART (BEAUTIFUL EXHIBITS)

 

Havana, my camera and me.

AS YOU CAN TELL BY NOW I AM COMPLETELY CHARMED BY CUBA. IT IS A LIVING PARADOX; POLITICALLY CONFLICTED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SAVE THEIR HERITAGE FROM CRUMBLING TO THE GROUND. THESE PHOTOS FROM HAVANA WILL SHOW THE DETERIORATION WHILE, I HOPE, WHAT STANDS TO BE LOST  IF IT ISN'T SAVED. IN 2008 HURRICANES BROUGHT DOWN SOME OF THE VULNERABLE OLD BUILDINGS, SOME DATING BACK TO THE 1500S BUT MOST OF THE COLONIAL BUILDINGS ARE FROM THE SPANISH ERA DURING THE 1800S. FORTUNATELY HAVANA IS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE WHICH HELPS SAVE SOME OF THE OLD BUILDINGS.

THERE WILL BE SEVERAL COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOS OF HAVANA BEGINNING WITH  PICTURES FROM ABOVE THE CITY. 

VERY LITTLE VEHICLE TRAFFIC

SOME OF THESE MAGNIFICENT BUILDINGS ARE STILL STANDING