Author Archives: Andrew
This is the Palacio de Valle, a great piece of architecture inside and out with strong Moorish influences. It’s also home to a restaurant, one of Cienfugos’ finest, where we ate after our long drive from Vinales.
That has to be one of the worst experiences of the trip so far. The food was disgusting, so much so that one member of the party had to send his back, and the entertainment wasn’t much better. The beautiful grand piano was probably last tuned before the revolution, and I suspect the elderly Shirley Bassey look-alike playing it was probably last in tune about the same time!
OK, I was warned about the food before I came, and I haven’t visited anywhere in danger of getting a Michelin star. But elsewhere the music has been superb, with every bar and street corner hosting a band pumping out great latin rhythms, and wonderful complex harmonies. I may yet grow to hate “Juan Palamera” (or what ever it’s called), and the one I only know as the “Golden Wonder, they’re jungle fresh” song (showing my age :)), but so far I’m bearing up well. The old biddy at the Palacio was an exception.
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It’s odd what economic anomalies are thrown up by a struggling economy. Before I came to Cuba I was told that I should bring soap as a gift/tip, so I’ve spent months systematically stealing hotel soap. However, the only people Continue reading →
I’ve found the right collective noun for photographers: it has to be a “diffraction”, because they do have a tendency to spread out from a point. Like setting a group of small dogs loose in a wood full of squirrels… Continue reading →
After Vinales internet connectivity became more and more of a challenge. The Hotel Jagua in Cienfuegos was elegant and well-equipped, but very poorly stocked and staffed. One of the things they were out of were the tickets for computer use. Continue reading →
Another shot from yesterday: the view from my hotel balcony at the Hotel Los Jazzmines, a panorama stitched from 5 shots. Scary fact: the TIF file generated by the stitching software was 148MB. That’s the downside of steadily growing image Continue reading →
Friday, November 19, 2010 in
Cuba Travel Blog,
Personal News
The update I wrote at about 7am yesterday turned out to be incorrect – the mist in Vinales Valley suddenly cleared, and we got some very good shots in the early morning light, with wisps of mist still visible. I’ll Continue reading →
This doesn’t need much explanation. Forgive the slight camera shake, but a 1950s Ford Consul does vibrate a bit. Who cares! Continue reading →
I wanted to use the shot of the old guy with the cigar to illustrate my main post, but this was arguably yesterday’s shot of the day. The buggy had just become trapped on the edge of a building while Continue reading →
After a long and slightly boring drive through Western Cuba, we’ve moved to Vinales, a wonderful valley between two ranges of low, rounded mountains known as “Los Organos”, because Spanish sailors thought the eroded limestone looked like church organs. Vinales Continue reading →
Lots of pictures of cars, so it’s difficult to choose a favourite at the moment. Here’s one which worked, showing the Capitolio (a copy of America’s Capitol) reflected in the bonnet of a nearby taxi of ancient vintage. The foyer Continue reading →
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 in
Cuba Travel Blog
Yesterday we went to visit the Necropolis Colon, Cuba’s largest cemetery (and effectively their national cemetery). It’s an interesting place, and I think I may have generated a couple of atmospheric shots, probably best in black and white. While I Continue reading →
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