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Cuba

simondemare -
Dusk at Playa Largo from Vinola & Zuleida" hostel right on the beach. It is situated at the head of the famous Bay of Pigs where, in 1961, 1300 CIA trained Cubam exiles invaded Cuba. They were defeated in 3 days, 161 Castro supporters died, as did 114 exiles, 1091 were returned to the USA for $53 million. The road to Playa Largo has memorials to the fallen. In 2016 it was still unspoilt, no big hotels, just funky brightly painted single story guest houses.
The second cliche, the island of Caya Blanco off the coast near Trinidad. A "Pirates of the Caribbean" island, white coral sand, swaying palms and warm azure sea. The only permanent inhabitants are 3 foot green iguanas and land hermit crabs.
The Valley of Vinales on the west part of the island.
Vinales is the tobacco growing centre of Cuba, the home of The Cigar. Above is a typical tobacco farm with the drying shed on the left. The roll their own cigars fo visitors. In the background is a "Morgote" hill, with an underground river. The farm also has cocoa tress and coffee bushes.
A pelican on the beach at Vardero
A Rose Throated Parrot, the Cuban Parrot. Christopher Columbus had one a a pet. In the countryside outside Playa Largo.
An aggressive land crab on the road from Trinidad
A flamingo and flock of Skimmers in the Salinas marshes, part of the Parque Nacional Cienaga de Zapata.
Another Cuban cliche, old American cars, restored and running on engines from the Czech Republic. This pair of taxis are in the Marti Park, centre of the town of Cienfuegos, founded by the French in 1819.
I still am unable to tell them apart
American built taxis, circa 1960's, outside the Theatre in central Havana, now the opera house and theatre.
Old postcard when it was the Centro Gallego, a sort of Spanish social club for people from the Province of Galicia. Cuba was very much a Spanish colony. The card was posted in July 1935 "I miss you very much.Good prospects here for everything, You must come and help me".
Post card of Morro Castle at the entry to Havana harbour. First built by the Spanish in 1560's it was attacked by the Dutch, Admiral Hey in 1624, and the British, Admiral Vernon in 1742.
Same view 2016
Post card of Morro Castle in a storm. Posted in 1917 to Frauline Hauning in Germany, via New York.
And a storm today. Ernest Hemingway in his book "Island in the Stream"; "I wish you could have seen us come into the mouth of the harbour with the sea breaking over the Morro. We came in in a bloody huge breaking sea like a damn surfboard".
Recent painting seen in a local gallery
Cartoon from a local magazine "Palante, Publicacion Humoristica.
Painting seen in a hotel in Cienfurgos.
The cathedral of San Cristobel, in the Plaza de la Catedral, Havana. Built in the mid 18 th. century in the Baroque style. It is claimed that the church housed the relics of Christopher Columbus. Pope John PaulII visited in 1998.
The building opposite the Cathedral, now the Museo de Arte Colonial, features in Graham Green's novel "Our Man In Havana". The hero Mr Wormold used to drink with Captain Segura of the secret police in a club in the building. He was attempting to date Wormold's daughter Millie.
Old Print of the Plaza de la Catedral
Early postcard
Post card of the Monument to the American battleship USS Maine, blown up in Havana Harbour in February 1898.
Same monument today, sans Eagle on the top. The incident encouraged the Spanish American War where America assisted in the independence of Cuba from Spain, 1895-98. The Americans then occupied Cuba 1898-1902. Subsequently Cuba became a "pseudo" Republic until true independence in 1959.
El Floridita Bar on Obispo, Havana, made famous by Ernest Hemingway and the daiquiris cocktail
This "shrine" to Hemingway dominates this tourist ridden bar.
Havana's most famous bar, founded in 1918 by Jose Abel, and refurbished in 2013.
"The long bar that morning was empty except for an elegant stranger at one end and a stout member of the tourist police who ws smoking a cigar at the other. The Englishman was absorbed in the sight of so many bottles, and it was quite a while before he spotted Wormold. Well I never, he said, Mr Wormold isn'it" On Sloppy Joe's in Graham Greene's 'Our Man In Havana" pages 22-23.
Mixing cocktails at Sloppy Joe's
"The Bar at the Folies Bergere" by Edouard Manet,[painted 1882], now in the Courtauld Gallery in London.
Margaret ordering a Mojito at the famous, and very small, La Bodeguita del Medio bar.
Currently the Sevilla Hotel but previously the Seville-Biltmore Hotel. Built in 1935 by 1957 it was run by the Mafioso Amleto Battisti. Graham Greene had Wormold meet Hawthorn in room 501 of the hotel.
A photo of Castro in the main lobby of the hotel
Two other famous guests, Al Capone; here on a meeting of the mafia top brass in 1947. See; "The mafia in Havana, A Caribbean Mob Story" by Enrique Cirules
And Graham Greene
Apologies, will try to rectify. The Capri Hotel on the corner of N and 21 st. street was, in pre-revolutionary days owned by the mafioso Meyer Lansky and managed by the actor George Raft. It is claimed that Errol Flynn stayed there whilst "fighting" against Castro.
A Casino chip from the Capri Hotel Casino, bought in a flea market in Havana
An iced coffee at Cafe O'Rielly with its unchanging 1930's feel
Lunch at the Restaurant Europa on Obispo, Havana. The splendid Salsa dancers perform every lunch. Straight out of a Burra painting of dancers in Harlem.
In the Museo de la Revolucion, situated in the old Presidential Palace where Fulgencio Batista was over thrown, bullet holes are proudly signed. As there are on this Land Rover owned by Castro .
The text board
The only newspaper available in Cuba, International papers are banned [2017]. It is named afer the famous boat that Fidel castro and his small team "invaded" or rather landed in Cuba in 1956 from Mexico
The "Hero" and the boat on a storage tank in Vinales.
Real cannon recycled as bollards in Havana
Old cannon.
Trinidad on the south coast of Cuba. Palace Brunet on left, echoes of Giorgio de Chirico
Di Chirico
The Inglesia Parroquial de la Santisima Trinidad and the Plaza Mayor
Painting purchased in Trinidad.
The Museo de Arquitectura Colonial on Plaza Mayor in Trinidad
Simon & Margaret in Vinales
Margaret at a tobacco farm
Christian and Elizabeth in the Salinas Marshes in the Parque Nacional Cienaga de Zapata
Simon, Margaret, Christian and Elizabeth overlooking the Bahia Cienfuegos
Midday on the Calzada de Zapata with the Memorial Jose Marti, Cuba's national Hero. Note total lack of traffic, and no advertising hoardings. Advertising is banned in Cuba because it "increases the superficiality of people"
A major traffic junction in Cienfuegos. The City has no traffic lights or parking meters, it has so little traffic.
On Avenda Belgica this building was a childrens hospital, then a brothel and now a school. Note the architectural influence from;
The Mosque at Cordoba in Spain, La Mezquita dating from 784 AD which became a Catholic Church in 1236 AD.
buildings on the Paseo de Marti, the Prado. They could be the famous Wonder Bar in Greene's "Our Man In Havana" where Wormold drank with Dr. Hasselbacher.
The Edificio Bacardi, built in 1930 in the Art deco style. Rum was profitable.
Villa in the 1950's style in Cienfuegos
Air plants suspended over a small river in the Parque Guangayara in the Alturas de Trinidad
The Rosary pea
Street scene in Old Havana, La Habana Vieja, north end of Aguiar
Classic street sign unchanged for over fifty years.
A Carnet de Voyage, collage of ephemera.
A carte de voyage, collage of ephemera from the trip.
Matisse "The Dancers" in tiles in a wall in Cienfuegos
Cuba has very well developed Art Schools, similar to its Medical Schools. Unfortunately whilst there is a demand for doctors the demand for art is limited. In Cuba there is a plethora of art galleries with good art at very reasonable prices.
A Homage to Che Guevara, still immensely popular in Cuba.
Night in Havana
Timeless
Collage of the visit
Leaf of Coccoloba unifera, Seagrape
Cuba map
Postage stamp

Time Line for Cuba

from

‘Cuba, A New History’ by Richard Gott

1492 &1494 Columbus visits Cuba, “discovers” indigenous tobacco plant.

“The most beautiful that humankind have ever seen”

1511 Spanish invasion and conquest by Diago Velazquez versus local Taino chief Hatuet. Ponce de Leon “discovers” La Florida.

1513 Jean Ponce de Leon, Spanish Governor of Puerto Rico discovers the Fountain Of Youth in Florida, see painting by Lucas Cranach

1535 Lima, Peru, founded by Pizarro. Became independent from Spain in 1824.

1560 Castello de la Real Fuerza Fort in Havana built to protect Catholic Spain’s possessions against Northern Protestant Lutheran Corsairs.

Jean Nicot se Villemain brought first seed of tobacco plant, nicotiana, to France

1556-1598 Philip II of Spain, Spain’s Golden Age. Married Queen Mary Tudor of England; ‘Bloody Mary” 1554-1558. Fervent catholic, Spanish Armada 1588, failed English Armada 1589.

1581 Crowns of Spain & Portugal linked

1585-1604 England at war with Spain, Sir Francis Drake commissioned by Queen Elizabeth in 1588 to attack Spanish possessions in Caribbean.

A Privateer, a licensed pirate or Buccaneer, the Tiano word for bacon is Baucaniere. Drake never attacked Havana but in 1586 sacks St. Augustine in Florida.

1624 Dutch attack Cuba under Admiral Piet Hey

1655 English under Cromwell attack Cuba but conquer Jamaica, and formally cede the country in 1670 under Treaty of Madrid

1688 Famous Welsh Privateer, buccaneer and admiral of the Royal Navy Sir Henry Morgan dies. Notorious in the Spanish Main. Attacked Puerto Principe in 1667, followed by Porto Bello in Panama.

1670 Peace with England and France, 1697; end of Piracy.

1740 Renewed activity; Captain Robert Jenkins; War of Jenkins Ear. Admiral Vernon attempts invasion in 1742

Royal Navy introduces “Grog”, a mix of rum, lime juice and  small beer or water.

1754-1763 Seven Years War, World’s “First World War”

1762 George Kennet,Duke of Albermarle, takes Cuba. In Treaty of Paris Cuba for Florida. 1763 Spain cedes Florida to England in exchange for Cuba. In 1783 England cedes it back again. US acquired Florida from Spain 1821, achieves statehood in 1845.

1776 American Revolution.

1759-17889 Charles III of Spain, renewed interest in Cuba

1791 Slave Rebellion in French Saint- Domingue, Napoleon attempts to re- impose white French rule, 1803.  Haiti independent in 1804. French migrate to Cuba, as do Spanish after Louisiana Purchase.

1806 23 August, battle off the coast by Havana during the Napoleonic War. The Spanish frigate Pomona was cap[tured by frigates HMS Anson and HMS Arethusa. Anglo-Spanish War 1796-1808.

1807 British withdraw from slave trade , followed by USA in 1808, and Spain 1817. But Cuba continues. Cuba imported 780,000 slaves between1790 and 1867. America finally abolished slavery in 1863, and Spain in 1867.

1820’s Increasing fear of slave and free slave revolt by white minority and calls for Independence from Spain by whites. Cubanacan.

Annexation or Acqisition by United States, Monroe Doctrine of 1823,  qv  Puerto Rico, independence from Spain in 1898, America takes over, and is still there.

Influence of Simon Bolivar [1783-1830] instrumental in independence movement in Hispanic America, inc. Venezuala [1819] Colombia [1819, Ecuador [1820] Peru and Bolivia [1825] Mexican War of Independence under Pancho Villa in 1824.

 

Both African Slaves and Spanish settlers encouraged to form “cabildos”, fraternal societies based on place of origin.

1836 Texas Independence, Sam Houston versus Santa Anna, leading to Republic of Texas, statehood in 1846.

1839                           Pope Gregory XVI issues a Bull against Slavery, yet 200,000 slaves arrived in Cuba 1840-1860. Whereas In 1834 the British had freed all their slaves in Jamaica.

1843-44 Black Rebellion, whites look to annexation by America, qv souther states slave owners. America offered to buy Cuba from Spain for $100 m. in 1848

In 1860 the white population was in the majority, 719k v. 643k

1868-78 Wars in Independence, Cuba a milch cow for Spanish empire

1895 Jose Marti died, hero of Independence Movement

1895-1898 Cuban Spanish War leading to Independence from Spain achieved, final collapse of 400 year Spanish Empire. Gomez & Maso and Gacia for Cuba

Spanish American War; America declares war on spanish Empire including Cuba and Philipines, invaded Cuba at San Juan Hill, 1 July 1898 by First US Volunteer Cavalry under Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, “liberating” Cuba. Heavily promoted by newspaper tycoon Randolph Hearst. Sinking of battleship USS Maine.

[ War agains Apache leader Geronimo in New Mexico, 1886, Sioux chief Sitting Bull 1890]

1898-1902 US Occupation

1902 Cuban ‘Pseudo” Republic ; Independence with a constitution including the Platt Amendment, US to “control” inc. use of Guantanamo Bay. Extensive American investment and Spanish immigration, inc.Angel Castro, father of Fidel.

1917 Russia; 8 March Bourgeois Revolution, October Bolshevik Revolution

1920’s Corrupt leadership, presidents i.e. Menocal, continued power of sugar barons. Followed by dictatorship of Machado, ‘tropical mussolini’ in 1924-33

1933 Revolution, three phases; first a fascist group, second a radical leftist, third counter revolutionary group under mulatto sergeant Batista and young officers, who killed older Machado officers.

Mayer Lansky establishes Mafia run Casinos and Hotels, start of Mafia Empire in Cuba.

1944 During WW2 Ernst Hemingway hunted for German U-Boats aboard his boat Pilar. His boat was outfitted by communications equipment provided by the US Embassy in Havana. This experience formed the background to his novel “Islands in the Stream” [1951].

“The Hemingway Patrols; The Old Man and the U-Boats” by Terry Mort.  One event details the pursuit of survivors of a U-Boat along the Jardines del Rey on the north coast of Cuba and their death around Cayo Guillermo.

1946 Lucky Luciano holds meeting of Mafia capos at Nacional Hotel attended by Vito Genovese, Albert Anastasia, Barnetta Family etc. at Christmas. Frank Sinatra sings and Ava Gardener and Lana Turner “meet”. Lucky stays in room 924. The film “Godfather Part II” features a meeting between the Mafioso and Batista when the big American company ITT presents Batista with a gold plated telephone.

1952 Republic under Fulgencio Batista. ‘the most polarised,corrupt,violent and undemocratic in Cuba’s republican history’ supported by USA and Roosevelt. Cuba controlled by triumvirate of US Banks [laundering] Mafia and American intelligence.

Egyptian Revolution under Gamal Abdel Nasser

1953 On 26 July Fidel Castro, aged 26, failed attack on Moncada fortress. arrested imprisoned, amnesty by Batista after 2 years. flew to Mexico, met Che Guevara. in 1956 returns to Cuba onboard Granma, chaotic landing, hid in Sierra Maestra.

1955 Allan Dulles of CIA sets up Bureau for Repression of Communist Activities with Batista. 

1956 Voyage of the “Granma” from Mexico with Castro

1958 Graham Green publishes “Our Man In Havana”. Based on a true story of a Spanish double agent in Lisbon called “Garbo” in 1941. Greene worked for MI6 and knew Philby. Greene had “a personality profoundly antagonistic to ordinary domestic life”. Greene was a secret courier taking warm clothes to Castro in the mountains and later met Castro who gave him one of his paintings.

Fidel Castro met Gamal Abdel Nasser and Che Guevera met members of the Egyptian left wing.

Mafia set up Monte Carlo de la Habana Resort Development with connections with Las Vegas and Hollywood, Frank Sinatra and Donald O’Connor 

1959 January Second; Castro gave his first speech at the dawn of the revolution in Santiago de Cuba. He did not preach class war. He appointed a President and a Prime Minister whilst he was the Military Commander in Chief. Growing communist tendency alienates old anti Batista elite. Castro a progressive white liberal at heart. End of white only clubs. Within 6 months US  settled on an overthrow, for economic reasons arising from land reforms. Mikoyan visits Cuba, trade deal 1960. Alexander Korda’s famous photo of Che Guevara when Belgian cargo boat , Le Coubre, exploded in havana harbour 4 March 1960. Russia and China buy Cuba’s sugar after US doesn’t. Castro nationalises US business, US imposes trade embargo in 1960, including cigars. Castro nationalises tobacco industry

Che Guavara ‘Freedom or death”

French Revolution “Liberty or death”

“Aut vincere aut mori”; either to conquer or to die

“Victoria aut mors”; Victory or death.

Mayer Lansky fled to the Bahamas 8 January 1959 as Castro entered the city and nationalised all his businesses. He lost $7 million. His grandson is claiming it.

1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, following successful CIA backed invasion of Guatemala in 1954. Castro seek military assistance. See also Operation Mongoose, CIA against Castro

Anti casto contra’s operate in hills behind Trinidad

President Eisenhower severed diplomatic and trade relations.

1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, 16-28 October, an absolute guarantee against US invasion. Castro concerned at extent of armaments and implications of servility to Russia preferring a simple military pact. Krushchev uses Turkey argument. US plans option of an invasion but blockaded instead, Russia agreed to withdraw if US agreed not to invade. All done without Castro involved, humiliated.

US continued policy of of overthrow from within via covert actions. See Oliver Stone’s film “Untold History of the United States” chapter 6 “To The Brink”

[French withdrew from Algeria]

1964 OPLAN 380-63 Kennedy proposed s second invasion of Cuba, but his assassination resulted in a shelving of the plans, see Operation Mongoose.

1968 The Year; from Viet Nam to Paris, student uprisings full of Che images [He was killed in Bolivia in 1967] Prague Spring

Castro crushed the “counter-revolutionary exploiters” remnants of Cuba’s private sector, small businesses.’Life in Cuba became duller and more onerous”. It took 30 years to recover some bourgeois vivacity. Castro tied to Russian yoke, there is no alternative, no other alternative socialist model. all earlier promise lost.

1972-82 Cuba firmly in Soviet camp, member of Comecom, the Brezhnev years, stable and unexciting . Castro role as revolutionary leader of the Third World

1985 The Special Period. Gorbachev change in soviet policy, Castro out of step still promoting greater central control. Cuba involved in Angola with 50k troops, defeated south African army in 1988, thanked by Mandala.

1989 Fall of Berlin Wall.

1991 Collapse of Soviet Union. Cuba looses Russian financial support, economic disaster due to over dependence on sugar and Russian economic assistance. re-introduction of small private sector 1992. increased self sufficiency in food, end of dependence on sugar. Increased Chinese involvement.

1996 Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act. [embargo]  US and cuban diaspora increases pressure on Cuba to depose Castro and introduce democracy. but Cubans unwilling to abandon the Revolution. Pope John Paul visits in 1998. christmas was re-introduced in 1996, having been banned in 1969. Castro continued campaign against western capitalism and consumerism. [supporters of Santeria, a syncretic religion mixing Youruba with catholicism]. Policy of employing young people in government, to stop them working against the government

2008 Fidel Castro resigns, replaced by his younger brother Raul Castro

2016 President Barack Obama visits Cuba on 21 March, the first acting US president to visit Cuba since President Calvin Coolidge in 1928.

One of the forgotten charms of communist governments is their ability of stopping the clock.

Geography

Cuba GB

Area 40,000 sq.miles 80,000 sq. miles

Length 780 miles 601 miles

Height Sierra Madre; 1974m. Ben Nevis; 1344 m.

Population 11 million 60 million

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