11 Photos of Cuba

fortune teller havana
A fortune teller and her assistant. Old Havana. “If you want a picture, that will be one peso.” Gladly.

This is a rather quick post. There will be others from both of us with more detailed impressions of Cuba. However, internet here is extremely rare and slow. So, while I have some in our hotel, I'm just going to let you have a first look, though ten photos I've processed so far.

BTW, we're here on a “People to People” tour with Cuba Unbound. Our impression of the Cuban people is that they are among the friendliest we've ever met. We love Cuba and are looking forward to our next five days in Havana. And to returning soon.

fidel speech police day havana
January 5 is the annual “Police Day” celebration in Cuba. Naturally, even though he's gone, Fidel still makes a speech.
tobacco farm pinar del rio
A newly planted tobacco field, Piñar del Rio.
garden paradiso restaurant vinales
We hiked through a national park at Piñar del Rio for a couple hours this day and ended up at a remote organic restaurant that grows much of its own produce.
men on street trinidad
A couple of guys in Trinidad. Smoking and hanging out.
casa de valle cienfuegos
Originally a wealthy sugar plantation owner's home, Cuban dictator Batista wanted to turn the Casa de Valle in Cienfuegos into a seaside casino. Now it's a restaurant and a curiosity.
blue car trinidad
It's true. The American cars from the 50s are everywhere in Cuba. Most are taxis for the tourists.
people on balcony trinidad
The center of Trinidad is pretty much the same as it was a few hundred years ago–except for the ubiquitous capricious decoration and souvenir stands. That's why it's a Unesco World Heritage site.
man bass fiddle trinidad
The other thing about Cuba: there's music everywhere. This guy was lugging his bass to a gig in the town plaza in Trinidad.
girls umbrellas playa larga cuba
The sun is strong here, even in January. If you are out for a walk, take an umbrella.
waterfall vegas grande
Don't forget your swim suit at the Vegas Grande National Park waterfall.

This post is part of a series that won the Bronze Award for General Excellence in photography from the North American Travel Journalists Association for 2018. See the other posts in the series posts here:

10 More Photos of Havana, Cuba
Havana at Night, A Dozen Photos

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24 thoughts on “11 Photos of Cuba”

  1. As usual, your photos are the bomb, dope, sick—or whatever the current slang for “great” is. The first one of the fortune teller is tremendous. Do you think the fact that you speak Spanish very well enhanced your interactions with the locals? Like everyone else here, I’m wanting to visit Cuba before it changes overly and before DT reslams the door.

    Reply
    • Thanks, Suzanne. Speaking Spanish definitely helps, especially when they start with you in English and you switch to Spanish. It makes them so happy and willing to really open up. I wish I spoke more languages. Like Chinese. Gonna have to work on that. As for visiting before Cuba changes, I don’t think you have to worry much about that. First, it’s a country; not a museum of 1950s culture. Second, as far as I can tell, any change there is going to come very, very slowly.

      Reply
  2. It will be interesting to see how things change with the new powers that be ( I can’t even type the initials) You’ve captured some truly amazing shots and such a feel for the country. Are you there with a group? We saw such amazing art and dance during our trip. I was blown away with how artists used so little to make beautifully, creative work!

    Reply
    • As usual, we bought a piece of art in Cuba. We do it almost everywhere we visit. Ironically, we got it in a government-owned gallery in Havana, which was pretty much the only place we found that had visual arts that weren’t primarily focused on 1950s American cars or Che Guevara.

      Reply
  3. Looks like such a vibrant, lively place. I hope that I’ll get a chance to go. Gosh, these pictures, though! What kind of super elite camera are you using? I need it (and your knack for framing and capturing amazing moments).

    Reply
    • Thanks, Angelica. These were taken with all three of my cameras. I use a Nikon D800E, which I guess you could call the professional level machine. Also a couple of these were with my Sony RX100-3, which is small but an amazing camera that I’m using more and more these days–mostly because it is small. And finally, my iPhone 7+. I leave it up to you to figure our which is which. But, if I had only the budget for one camera these days, I’d probably go with the Sony. It’s a great camera, and, maybe most important, it has a Zeiss lens. And Zeiss is the best.

      Reply

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