Last year, we put up some street scene shots from Remedios, Cuba. About eight months later, we were back in Cuba, this time further east in the Caribbean island country. Holguin is a much larger city than Remedios but the scenes are quite similar. In truth, the scenes in Cuba never, ever seem to change.
These are not up close and personal photos. They were taken from the bus on the way from Frank Pais Airport to the resort we stayed at, Memories Holguin Beach Resort, near Guardalavaca. But, they do tell a tale and that tale is of a country that is a lot closer to 1959 than it is to 2018.
The image beside us, to the right, shows a pretty typical street scene in Cuba with the basic modular apartment building in the background and a 1950’s classic American car in the foreground. See below for descriptions of the six photos in the gallery. As always, click on the individual pictures to get a full-size, high resolution version for better viewing.
Holguin, Cuba Street Scene Image Gallery
What The Camera Saw
Going from left to right, top to bottom, here’s a little info on the pictures in the image gallery.
The first is the standard shot of a Cuban apartment building. It looks as if they stacked a bunch of equal sized intermodal shipping containers, threw in a window and a couple of doors then splattered it with whatever paint was available. Sure, the size is small but still probably equal to some big city apartments you’d find in places like Toronto or New York City. The thing that horrifies my imagination is the thought that there most likely is no air conditioning. I’m not a complete pussy but I shudder at the thought of staying in one of these places in the Cuban heat and humidity.
Next up is the standard propaganda board. ‘Los que mueren por la vida, no pueden llamarse muertos.’ Translated, that comes to ‘Those who die for life, can not be called dead.’ Of course, the face of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara is included. You gotta love the determination and refusal to not back down. But, there comes a time to move on and there comes a time for some fresh heroes.
At the top right, we look at public transportation in Cuba. You think I’m talking about that blue and white bus in the background, right? Take a closer look at the yellow truck in the foreground. That bit of rolling nostalgia is not carrying livestock to market. That truck is carrying human beings. When the Soviet Union fell apart and left Cuba to defend for themselves back in the 1990’s, things got really rough. People got used to, really fast, the fact that luxury was for anyone but them.
At the bottom left, we have a gas station. Except, the tractors have to roll in and use the gas station, just like everyone else. Can you imagine a line of farm tractors at a busy Shell station in Mississauga on a workday morning? Can you imagine them driving down a busy city road to get to that gas station?
The bottom centre and right shots are just typical, all-encompassing street scenes. What always strikes me is the utter lack of traffic. I’ve been through several cities in Cuba, including Havana, and down their major highway. Never, and I mean, never have I been in a traffic jam. Public transportation, horse and buggy and bicycles rule the roadways in Cuba.
Still, you gotta love it. There is such a feeling of nostalgia when you go to this country and such a sense of relaxation. It won’t stay like that forever. Things are changing in Cuba and I see it being more like the Riviera Maya, Montego Bay or Punta Cana within a decade. I personally don’t see that as a good thing because if all were equal, I probably would pick one of the other three over Cuba. However, Donald Trump has ensured that the country doesn’t advance very far, at least for the next few years. Get there. Enjoy it before it’s gone.
