Havana Vieja

The old colonial center of Havana is Havana Vieja, but in reality all of Havana is old. Much of the city is a tapestry of crumbled or soon to be crumbled structures. In other world capitals these neighborhoods would be candidates for urban renewal. Here, the problem is so vast and the government has such limited resources that the city crumbles one grain at a time, and the people can only endure. I am walking through a neighborhood that I would avoid if it were in New York or Los Angeles, but here there I no way to avoid and I find that I am very glad to get out of the small tourist center of the city and walk these incredible streets. Our guides are four Cuban photographers who know the city and help us find interesting locations for photography. I have a tendency to like building that show some "character" and search them out when I travel, but here I am overwhelmed by possibilities. I soon change my mindset and realize that this is also a trip to pay attention to people. 

 

Amid the decay and torn up streets (there is money to replace water pipes and electrical cables), people are going about their lives. Someone asks where I am from, and I mumble something about Estados Unidos - I get a big hug. Fruit vendors try to sell us something off their carts, a few men ask if I want to buy genuine (read: fake) Cohiba cigars; a barber works on a customer in a doorway facing the street; and old woman sells coffee from her window; cabinetmakers work on a project in a shell of a building that looks like it will fall on their heads any minute; a man on the street makes a living by refilling disposable butane lighters. Everywhere, there are the famous old American cars, in every color of the rainbow, except maybe black, white or gray. Some are for hire in front of the higher end hotels, but many are shared taxis that shuttle people to work and back. Lines of passengers wait at pickup points and coordinate who is going where. That, and the public transportation system, seems to handle most of the morning commute. No solo drivers here.