I’ve been to Cuba three times now, but a trip to Havana has eluded me until the third visit there.
In addition to fantastic white beaches, Cuba has a long history, full of rich culture and many influences. You can see that everywhere on the island, but it’s particularly evident in Havana. As the capital city of Cuba, it’s also the largest and most fascinating. Here you find centuries old and beautiful buildings erected when Spanish Conquistadors ruled with iron fists and gold was king.
As beautiful as those buildings once were, many are now in ruin due to decades of neglect and disrepair. Homes, once stately and ornate, are now decrepit and often on a verge of obscurity. If you look past the crumbling portions, boarded-up windows or hollow shells and faded colours, you can almost imagine the wealthy Spanish settlers and rich Americans that lived there in another time.
Among the very old and once glamorous, are the structures of another time. These Soviet-era atrocities rise above the horizon like the concrete monsters they are, built with little imagination and zero creativity. Those who made this city proud and glorious in previous centuries must surely be weeping in despair, their desire to awe with wealth and power, long abandoned and forgotten.
There is something hauntingly beautiful about Havana, with the glory that once was and maybe once again could be. The Cuban government has done a great job of rebuilding the Old Havana, meticulously restoring whole blocks, bringing out the beauty once again. It’s a process that won’t be completed overnight, but it’s a great start. Many of the refurbished buildings are turned into galleries, hotels and cafes. Tourist have always come here, but I hope this will bring even more. Here you can feel like you’ve traveled through time thanks to the restoration projects. It’s easy to imagine what can be and what once was.