November 3, 2016 Comments Off on Looking Back at Havana – the Captivating Capital of Cuba Views: 3061 Nostalgia, Postcards

Is Havana Only About Sun, Warmth & Communism?

Of course not, but these would be our first three immediate associations when it comes down to the captivating capital city of Cuba, the beautiful and warm Havana. Our next associations naturally would be rum, cigars and of course Castro. Hence, the feel of some sort of general nostalgia about the world in its old days, as the above mentions associations are as old as a century.

The ideas of Cuba about being the country of sun, warmth, rum, cigars and communism have created the perplexed image of stillness that lingers on in our mind once somebody mentions Havana or Cuba. The few photos below depict this feeling.

An old postcard of Parque Central, Havana

It feels so much appealing to share this old postcard from the 1910’s in Cuba. But it is never so still as things appear to be in Havana. There is something else perplexed with the stereotyped impression of stillness in the city. It is that this city is always bustling, and that is recorded throughout history.

A dozens of nations have tried to annex the city, and not to mention the quite frequent attacks from pirate ships. The Pirates of the Caribbean may now be blockbuster movies, but back in the day that was a reality. It was always something happening in Cuba. The surrender to the Brits in the aftermath of the three great forces: Britain, France and Spain. The Cuban revolution. In 1910 particularly – a huge hurricane.

And on quite a windy day on June 29, 1856, the strangest thing happened at Parque Central. A hot air balloonist wanted to ascend to the sky exactly from Parque Central. It would be his second attempt. The day would be much windy and he would wait until twilight hours to conclude that the weather is better and that he can hop on the balloon. But as he had ascended to the sky, he was never to be seen again. And this is one of the most bizarre events Havana knows about.

An Old Postcard of Colombus Park in Havana

On the other hand, maybe the Brits had influenced Havana upon their annexation of the island country. This is some general statement some people share, and it might be intensified upon discovering that aside the Parque Central and Parque de Colon, the captivating capital of Cuba also has a park named after John Lennon.

A statue of Lennon sits on a bench in the park. Its glasses have been stolen so many times by vandals, that authorities have quit on replacing them. Of course, the John Lennon Park is not at all about the British occupation – you can utterly disregard that. Lennon sits there because Castro liked him of course.

And yet there, in this story, in the perpetual act of the street vandals stealing the glasses of the famous musicians, it is where the impression of stillness is generated.

An old photo of the National Theater in Havana (1920)

The old photo of the National Theater in Havana reveals quite much about the typical colonial architecture that gives the face of Havana. Many more glorious colonial style buildings rise in the captivating capital. Hence how the city has depicted its nickname: Ciudad de las Columnas (the City of Columns).

Boys Playing Stickball in Havana, Cuba (1999)

Back and forth at the end or the beginning of the century many things remain the same in Havana, Cuba, like this portray of kids playing on the street. And in between all that, really warm locals and pulsating music that will set your heart on fire. Everybody deserves to dream of Cuba now and then.

What’s your impression about Havana, Cuba? We would love to hear from you – comment below or submit your story here.

Tags: Cuba, Havana