Havana Soundtrack
These shots from the second half of February are some of my favourites from my time in Havana. Lots of walking around, lots of coffee, lots of street art, lots of reminders of old tunes, and so many random observations that only a tiny fraction of them are being saved for posterity below.
Occam's razor
“Occam's razor, or the principle of parsimony, tells us that the simplest, most elegant explanation is usually the one closest to the truth.”
Just sayin'....
Art imitating life
While as evidenced in previous posts, there are indeed some (or even many) buildings being reclaimed by nature in Havana, this is actually an art installation at the Wilfredo Lam Contemporary Art Centre.
The photo was taken back in mid December, so I can't remember the name of the artist or work, but it was part of the (still ongoing) 15th edition of the Havana Biennial. This one seemingly an especially low key affair - although perhaps they're all like that.
Will have to report back in 2027 for confirmation....
Mmmm mmmm
Anyone else get vampire vibes from the little girl staring up at that giant heart? Don't lie.
NB: This is the wall of the parking lot in the courtyard of the aforementioned Wilfredo Lam Contemporary Art Centre.
Paint me like one of your French girls!*
If you're of a certain generation, when you see this photo you'll almost instantaneously hear the one hit of the British one-hit wonder duo Right Said Fred playing in your head.
And if you're from any other generation, you'll just have to appreciate the totally spontaneous come-hither look this lounging canine flashed at me earlier today on its own merits....
*Full disclosure: This comment/caption - which I think is much better than the one I came up with - is from a top fan on Facebook (original post here).
The Doors
Street music in old Havana....
Stairway to (vinyl) heaven
Every time I'm staying in some random place for an extended period (which is more or less always these days), whenever I see old records for sale on the street, it gives me the overwhelming urge to live in said random place permanently, solely so I could then buy the records for the hypothetical record collection in my hypothetical home. This literally happens all the time.
And so it was when I passed this place yesterday. Although in this case, even if I did live in Havana, the stairs would have been a deterrent. You might not be able to see them clearly here, but they go up at what looks to be a 60° angle. Probably the steepest stairs I've ever seen in a building. They should have Sherpa hanging out around the entrance to guide you to the vinyl summit.
A Washington State shaped glitch in the matrix
For someone who grew up in Washington State, coming across a discarded box of Washington State apples on a random street in Havana would be exciting enough. But a box that's been serendipitously torn and folded into the approximate shape of the state of Washington?!?
This was legitimately mind-blowing even before looking up after taking the photo and realising that the embassy of North Korea was directly across the street. And a very nice looking embassy at that!
There have been a lot of reports about inexplicable happenings at and around certain embassies in Havana in recent years, but nothing even close to this level of glitch in the matrix. Well played Kim Jong Un, well played....
Sunset on Plaza Vieja
Sunset on Plaza Vieja (ie Havana's old town square) yesterday evening, looking down Muralla street....
Giving BNE a run for their money*
Things you're surprised to see in Havana: A guerrilla marketing campaign from the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
Kudos to the folks at Wir sind Süden for really thinking out of the box on this one! Not bad. Not bad at all....
*From my own experience, stickers, stencils and tags saying ‘BNE was here’ - ostensibly, but obviously not, from the graffiti artist BNE - are the most ubiquitous street art (if you consider such things street art) around the world. And without exception every time I see one I immediately think of Brisbane airport, even thought I've only been there once.
5 o’clock shadow
What a 5 o’clock* shadow in today's Cuba looks like. Obviously a Gen Z tree. But something about it just doesn't seem right in a country that was run by a famously bearded chap for more than half a century. Times they are a changin’....
*Technically a 5.36pm shadow
Stormy Weather
🎶 Don't know why
🎶 There's no sun up in the sky
🎶 Stormy weather
🎶 Since my man and I ain't together
🎶 Keeps raining all of the time
🎶 Oh, yeah
🎶 Life is bad
🎶 Gloom and misery everywhere
🎶 Stormy weather, stormy weather
🎶 And I just can get my poor self together
🎶 Oh, I'm weary all of the time
🎶 The time, so weary all of the time
That might be a bit exaggerated. But the weather has indeed scuppered plans for finally getting to the beach this weekend. And proven that first world problems can even be found in Cuba, if you look hard enough. At least it's not hurricane season....
(With all due respect to Etta James, I much prefer the Billie Holiday version of this tune)
Riviera Redux
You might recognise this cinema from a post a couple weeks ago, when a few people enquired about whether or not newer Hollywood films are shown in Havana.
Well, the marquee now says ‘Gladiator’, so conclusively answers that question. It came out 25 years ago, which by Cuban standards is indeed a brand new Hollywood production - futuristic even.
Alternatively, if we assume that this is actually Gladiator II - perhaps they ran out of uppercase Is and lowercase Ls, and the theatre manager couldn't be bothered to stand in the ration line or scour the black market for more letters - then the obvious joke would be something like:
”Gladiator II? Haven't the good people of Cuba already suffered enough? What did they do to deserve having to watch such cringey pablum projected onto their gorgeous vintage screens?!? Talk about adding insult to injury!”
Thank you, I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitresses....
A sign from on high
When the universe wants to remind you about something and isn't in the mood to be subtle about it. Or how to kill two debilitating psychological birds with one support group stone....
NB: Neurotics Anonymous is officially abbreviated N/A in order to make sure it's not confused with Narcotics Anonymous. Fair enough. Although this is amusingly ironic, since the abbreviation N/A is already universally understood to mean ‘not applicable’ or ‘not available’ in English. Something you really would've expected a group of neurotics to be aware of.
From the Wayback Machine: 19 April 2022 (in Riohacha, Colombia)
6-pack of store-brand beer at the discount supermarket: $8,940
Bottle of bottom shelf* (Peruvian made) rum at the discount supermarket: $29,950
Bottle of bottom shelf (Scottish made!) whiskey at the discount supermarket: $34,950
Finding out the discount supermarket you'd been buying booze at for two months (because it was more dimly lit and the clerks seemed less judgmental than other outlets) is directly across the street from the local Alcoholics Anonymous: Priceless
NB: The prices are in Colombian pesos, with a current exchange rate of €1 = $4000 or US$1 = $3750
*FYI, if you're ever at D1 in Colombia (ie the discount supermarket in question), they actually stock there figurative bottom shelf booze on the literal top shelf. Presumably because Colombia straddles the equator.....
Autumn in Latin America
Parque de las Siestas de Gato
Saturday afternoon vibes at Havana's Parque de las Siestas de Gato....
Why the long face?
A lot of long faces in this gallery. With the gate locked, it kinda gives the impression that it's a prison for portraits....
Habana, Cuba
I love that this bus includes ‘Cuba’ on the destination sign, just to make sure there's no confusion for riders....
NB: There are apparently 13 Habanas in the world (an appropriately lucky number!), and the other 12 are all in the US. Although, they're presumably spelled the anglicized way, ie Havana, whereas in Spanish it's technically La Habana, with the definite article and a B.
In case anyone was curious:
“The best Christians of all time”
Sunday morning in Vedado....
Paz said: “We can give Christians more social consciousness, which is not their forte. They can give us the principal contribution that Christianity has given to the world, which is love. And we can understand one another. You believe that Jesus of Nazareth is God, magnificent! Allow us to believe that Lenin is a marvelous person.”
They ask me: “Can you be a communist and a Christian?” I answer: “The first Christians were communists, and they were the best Christians of all time.”
- Ernesto Cardenal, In Cuba (1972)
Quimbombó
Sunday lunch: Okra, grilled chicken, salad, (and not pictured, the ubiquitous) rice and beans. Also not pictured: Papaya and dulce de coco for dessert.
Que rico (super tasty!) on its own accord, but made even more enjoyable by getting to repeatedly say and hear the word ‘quimbombó’, which is what Cubans call okra. An 11/10 meal for sure....
NB: The Cuban word for papaya is frutabomba, which is also awesome, but now sounds pretty normal after eating so much of it over the past couple months.
Blue skies and wheat fields
Spotted these just a few steps from my front door on my first full day in Havana back in mid December, and thought ‘Hmmm, that's a bit unexpected’.
Unexpected and also an exception, as I haven't seen any since. Although to be fair, Cuba has (more than) enough of its own problems to worry about these days and also a fairly complicated relationship with the former USSR....
NB: This was originally posted on 24 February 2025, the third anniversary of the Russia's ‘Special Military Operation’ in the Donbas, or Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (depending on where you get your news).
Here comes the rain again
🎶 Here comes the rain again
🎶 Falling on my head like a memory
🎶 Falling on my head like a new emotion
🎶 I want to walk in the open wind
🎶 I want to talk like lovers do
🎶 Want to dive into your ocean
🎶 Is it raining with you?
NB: I have no idea why Havana is so conducive to posting lyrics and other references to '80s hits. It just is, sorry....
Rainy day still life with eggs
For those who remember the Cuban egg post from a few weeks ago, the street price for a carton of 30 eggs has dropped some 20%, and now goes for around 2500 pesos, or $7.35 at black market exchange rates.
Relatively inexpensive compared with some other countries in the region - especially those all the way on the other side of the Gulf of America - but still quite pricey for locals, when salaries only average $10-20 per month.
Sunflowers in Cerro
A little golden hour urban gardening on the backstreets of Havana. This was a couple days ago, so presumably yesterday's torrential rains perked things up a bit....
Bottoms up
Probably the best $0.15 espresso you'll ever see, especially considering the stylish limited edition, heat-resistant plastic to-go shot cup it comes in....
NB: This immediately followed arguably the best $0.35 churros you'll ever see, but unfortunately only limited photographic evidence of those exists.
21st century film noir, in colour
Originally opened in 1875, Hotel Inglaterra (ie England) is the oldest hotel in Cuba, and has got an expectedly storied history. It also apparently played a key role in Elmore Leonard's novel ‘Cuba Libre’.
Nowadays, anecdotal evidence suggests that it's most known for live music, giant very reasonably priced lobster, and creepy old dudes ogling prostitutes. Two outta three ain't bad, right?
SpongeBob Sighting
When you've got a friend who's a SpongeBob super fan, so you're always on the lookout for new sightings in exotic locales - even if they've (repeatedly) assured you that it's really not necessary....
Wait a second…
Apparently understanding just isn't cutting it anymore. At least not in Havana....
The Big Apple
Unlike yesterday's Inglaterra (ie the oldest hotel in Cuba), the Kempinski operated Big Apple here doesn't have any superlative claims to fame, although once upon a time the building it's housed in may or may not have been* the first European style shopping arcade on the island.
It sure looks pretty at night though!
*Its Wikipedia page sounds like one long AI hallucination, with various dates all contradicting each other, so it's impossible to tell what's true or not - probably something we should start getting used to....
CurmudgeonMobile
If you asked AI to generate an image of the platonic ideal of a CurmudgeonMobile, it might look something like this. Only this was in real life, and it's also for sale! Stay tuned for a totally unrelated GoFundMe....
Tragedy on the Malecón
Came across this minor tragedy on the Malecón early this morning, ironically (?) just beneath the iconic Cuba sign in front of the famed Hotel Nacional....
There is no…
NB: This was originally posted on 28 February 2025, which was the so-called Economic Blackout Day in the US.
There are churros
I thought about not buying anything yesterday out of solidarity, but these churros turned out to be an extremely essential late morning snack....
NB: As previously mentioned, they're 120 pesos, or around $0.35. However, you can find them for as little as 70 pesos, or as high as 300 (or perhaps more) in the touristy areas of Havana.
Night time in old Havana
🎶 Nightclubbing, we're nightclubbing
🎶 We're what's happening
🎶 Nightclubbing, we're nightclubbing
🎶 We're an ice machine
🎶 We see people, brand-new people
🎶 They're something to see