Habana, Cuba in 10 pictures.

raytoei@gmail.com

raytoei@gmail.com

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I chose 10 pictures and added description to the pictures.
Pictures captured on the Leica M6 TTL film camera and also
on the Yahica T4 Point and Shoot. Film is Kodak Tri-X 400
(Arista Premium 400)

habana10-001.jpg

The Capitol building was modeled after the one in Washington DC,
built in 1920s it was the seat of govt until the revolution in 1959,
where it now a academy of science, next to it is the national theater.

habana10-002.jpg



habana10-003.jpg

Cuba is in a strategic location. Historically colonized by
Spain, annexe by the US and fought briefly by the British.
As such, revolution and freedom has been a key part of Cuba.
The statue is of Jose Marti, dubbed the Apostle of Cuban
Independence.

habana10-004.jpg

Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Born in Argentina, died in Bolivia,
but central to the Cuban Revolution. Now the famous photo
by Alberto Korda adorns t-shirts, cups worldwide.
Here is one of the ministry building, I forget ministy of Comms
or Interior, with a huge "Che" picture.

habana10-005.jpg

Raul Castro has instituted many reforms
(including the recent private property land reform)
in Cuba since he took office from his brother Fidel in 2008.

(to be continued)
 
habana10-006.jpg

Literacy rate in Cuba is the highest in Latin America.
Among emerging countries, the medical services is
considered one of the best in the world.

habana10-007.jpg

Postal office in Cuba. Everything is very run-down
due to lack of foreign direct investment (FDI), this is
due to the US embargo on Cuba. Salaries here
average $1 a day. Each houseful receive food
coupons for basic dairy products.

habana10-008.jpg

School kids on a Tuesday doing exercises. Notice the
whole range of looks, from blacks, to European features,
and even Asian. (The Chinese started arriving from
China back in the '60s)

habana10-009.jpg

Public Safety. Police was patrolling the area near my hotel,
the Parque Central. Cuba has a 3 year compulsory military
service for all males and females (with certain exemption)
who reach 18 years of age.

habana10-010.jpg

Cuba has some of the best looking retro American cars
from the 1950's. After the revolution the maintenance
of the cars were done without spare parts from the
US because of the embargo.

FIN. Thanks for viewing.

raytoei
 
raytoei@gmail.com said:
......................
Everything is very run-down
due to lack of foreign direct investment (FDI), this is
due to the US embargo on Cuba. Salaries here
average $1 a day. Each houseful receive food
coupons for basic dairy products.
.........................
Click to expand...

Raytoei: Good photos, thanks.

The reason for lack of foreign direct investment is not the US embargo. It is because the government owns all the businesses in a communist system so there is basically nothing available for investment. Small private business have been permitted for about 18 months by new government decree. These are like paladars or private restaurants. Those that have financing have been provided by remittances from family abroad (typically in the US)

There are foreign financed hotels by non US companies. These are all joint ventures with the Cuban government with the foreign company providing the financing in return for owning 49% while the Cuban government owns 51%.

The libreta, or monthly ration book, provides very little in the way of dairy. Only powered milk for children under 7 years. While the monthly ration varies based on availability, it normally includes 1 kilo flour, 1 kilo dried beans, 2 kilos sugar, around 18 eggs, 1 liter cooking oil, 2 bars of soap, 1 tube toothpaste, and sometimes 1/4 chicken or piece of fish.

The US sells Cuba almost 20% of the food they consume, mostly grains and chicken. Cuba is able to produce only 25% of their food due to an inefficient agriculture system. Few people realize how limited the US embargo is and how much the US sells to Cuba.
 
Bob, thanks for the explanation, as always the answer is a bit more complicated than a simple embargo.

Paul: thanks for the kind words, i was debating that photo or the one below.

thanks again.

habana10-011.jpg
 
Just Fab....LOVED it !!

I want to go there soooo Bad...
sad to hear of so much hardship
I think I read recently that Castro has worth close to 1 Billion $ ...
Mind You as he and his Brother let their Country Suffer & Starve
 
Bob Michaels said:
Raytoei: Good photos, thanks.

The reason for lack of foreign direct investment is not the US embargo. It is because the government owns all the businesses in a communist system so there is basically nothing available for investment. Small private business have been permitted for about 18 months by new government decree. These are like paladars or private restaurants. Those that have financing have been provided by remittances from family abroad (typically in the US)

There are foreign financed hotels by non US companies. These are all joint ventures with the Cuban government with the foreign company providing the financing in return for owning 49% while the Cuban government owns 51%.

The libreta, or monthly ration book, provides very little in the way of dairy. Only powered milk for children under 7 years. While the monthly ration varies based on availability, it normally includes 1 kilo flour, 1 kilo dried beans, 2 kilos sugar, around 18 eggs, 1 liter cooking oil, 2 bars of soap, 1 tube toothpaste, and sometimes 1/4 chicken or piece of fish.

The US sells Cuba almost 20% of the food they consume, mostly grains and chicken. Cuba is able to produce only 25% of their food due to an inefficient agriculture system. Few people realize how limited the US embargo is and how much the US sells to Cuba.
Click to expand...

Bob: It was because of your photos and your website that I traveled to Cuba last year. Not only are you a great photographer, but you possess a wealth of information on that troubled island, just 90 miles from the US. Thank you.
 
helenhill said:
.................. I think I read recently that Castro has worth close to 1 Billion $ ...
Mind You as he and his Brother let their Country Suffer & Starve
Click to expand...

I certainly am no defender of Fidel Castro. But he has no personal wealth nor access to what limited resources Cuba has. He does live much better than the average Cuban. I would say he lives on the same scale as an average American as he does have access to a new car, house with A/C, and good food supply.

One cannot say that Fidel and Raul let Cubans suffer and starve because they enriched themselves. However one can say that Fidel's decisions to adhere rigidly to the communist party economic model for 50 years and Raul's limited implementation of reforms for the last several years has resulted in very low agricultural and industrial productivity. This is the reason for Cuba's economic struggles.

Cuba is incredibly complex. Having spent 2 weeks there on 10 different trips living with Cuban families and much research only tells me how complex it is. You think you are beginning to understand after your first trip. By the end of your second trip, you realize how little you really understand.
 
These are terrific pictures.

The only time I visited Cuba...was Guantanamo Bay. They had giant lizards walking around that looked like small dinosaurs.
 
Pay-phones at the Havana airport.
Long queues and longer good byes
before boarding the plane.


goodbye.jpg


M6TTL with 50 Summicron.
Arista Premium (Tri-x 400) and developed in D-76.
 
Raytoei and Bob, really enjoy veiwing your photos thanks for helping
us understand some of the things that Cubans have to deal with.
You guys have no idea how much I enjoy hearing about Cuba and its
history.
Nelson
 
Raytoei: I am departing Miami for Havana tomorrow morning. I am taking my normal 35 rolls of Tri-X so I make sure I will not run out. I will probably bring about 15 back.

When in Havana, I always stay with a family just a few blocks north of your hotel. So I be back where you were.

Be back in a couple of weeks.
 
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