A Walk in Havana

So today I attended the meeting (see my work blog), reviewed a journal article and then hit the streets. I haven’t done much walking since I got here, and I thought it reasonable to get some exercise, so I figured that I would walk down the Malecon, to Havana Neuvo and the on to Havana Viejo. The Malecon is the seawall that borders the Florida Straight. It is very windy, and usually has waves washing up from the North, splashing over the Malecon and onto the highway. It is a popular spot to stroll, an excellent spot to sit with your girlfriend or wife (but not at the same time) and an interesting place to walk, since, if you are not careful, large waves can get you wet as you walk along. First, I headed west, to inspect by daylight the US Interest Section in Cuba (or which we spoke last night). It is impressive- both the building and the amount of time an energy that the the Cuban governement has but into “suppressing” its message. The “Jose Marti with Child” image is also powerful.
Then I turned East, and headed toward the City. My wife and I had walked this way 12 years ago, and it has changed some. The buildings along the Malecon are being restored, slowly and by hand. Lots of them lot nice, some of the “ruins” have been cleverly remodeled into trendy bars. There was not much traffic during the day, although it got quite dense at rush hour. There is a spot on the Malecon where there is seaweed on the highway, because of the way in which the waves have run up over the seawall. And there are an infinite number of cool views of life on the Malecon. I’ll share one or two of them here.
Eventually, I decided to move over one street, to see how things looked one block off of the high rent district. There, is was the Havana I remembered. Old, overcrowded building in ill repair, with makeshift fixes holding them together. People carrying bags of rice home on their backs. Neighborhoods that needed work. Even in those places, however, there were spots of renovation and hope- a building under reparations, a new paint job. Something that gave you hope.
Eventually, I made it onto a broad avenue, and headed South. Here there were shops, and people selling things. The buildings got nicer, the closer I got to the Capitol building. Things looked pretty prosperous, near the National Theatre and the Capitol (pretty buiding). I turned East, toward Old Havana. A few images:
1) A guy asking me if I wanted to be fixed up with a girl, and, when I said no, he offered me a boy.
2) A bar on the corner with a 6 piece Cuban band. Actually, several of them I stopped to listen for a bit.
3) Schoolchildren in uniform, getting out of school and being walked home by a parent (small) or forming into packs of middle schoolers to figure out what to do next.
4) A kids walking into an afterschool program in a church.
5) The old square of old Havana, beautifully renovated and attracting tourists.
6) Art galleries with some really cool Carribean art.
7) The Plaza de la Revolucion, with the Granma encased in glass.
8) Sunset, casting colors on the buildings even more spectalular.

Not many bicycles, horrible smelling exhaust (suddenly occurs to me that they might still use lead in their gasoline, and a gorgeous city. I must have put in 7 or 8 miles today, but it was worth it.

DInner tonight was in a private home in Miramar- excellent food and great company.

I head home in 10 hours. I hope to be back in the future. It is a truly beautiful and sad and glorious place.