Cuba, Pearl of the Antilles

This blog should be read TOP to BOTTOM, keeping in mind the necessity of selecting "OLDER POSTS" at the bottom of a page to reach the earlier material. Any errors are the author's, of course.

Where is Cuba, the Invisible Country?

This aerial view from Google reminds us of the very large size of Cuba, the largest Pearl of the Antilles, a land mass always coveted by the United States. This trip began with a flight from Miami to Santiago de Cuba, located southwest of Guantanamo, in the eastern tip of the island.

Arriving in Cuba

Arriving at Santiago de Cuba airport, eastern end of Cuba, April 13, 2012, after a flight from Miami. 

The airport was named for Antonio Maceo Grajales, a General in the Cuban War of Independence, 1895 - 1898, the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain. The final three months of the conflict escalated to become the Spanish-American War, during which Colonel Roosevelt served in Cuba with the Rough Riders and charged up San Juan Hill.

Customs officials directed this dog to sniff suitcases and large wrapped parcels arriving on our flight.

Tour Guide and Bus Driver

Cuban friends and relations of arriving passengers have to wait outside the airport. 

Authority to travel to Cuba granted by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and the U.S. Treasury Dept., Office of Foreign Assets Control, for the purpose of delivering Humanitarian Aid and Goods.

Basilica del Cobre

The Basilica de Cobre references the fact that this region outside Santiago is the location of copper mining. To this area we distributed humanitarian supplies, which were actually picked up by Sister Nora at our hotel later in the same day. See picture at bottom of "Sor" Nora.

Father Valentin Zubizarreta y Unamunsaga [?] Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. In remembrance and gratitude for his great apostolic work for the Catholic people of Cuba.

John Paul II 

Pope John Paul II made an historic visit to Cuba January 21-25, 1998. It is the first time a pope has visited the island nation ever and the first time he was welcome since Fidel Castro rose to power in the Communist Revolution of 1959. The pope met with Castro, visited the University of Havana, visited a leprosy center and met with religious leaders. He celebrated Mass in cities including Santiago de Cuba.
[Source: adapted from americancatholic.org]

Flight to Egypt 

Sor Nora and her assistant arrive to pick up many bags of humanitarian donations, such as hygienic supplies and medicines.

Cars, truck, bus, motorbikes. COST of GAS.

This unusual chariot was parked outside the hotel, waiting for tourists to take the opportunity of riding in it.  What model car is this, and what year?

Once back in the U.S., a neighbor researched and discovered this photo of a shiny 1934 Packard parked in a showroom.

This converted truck provides bus transportation for many of the Cuban people.

Taxi

Taxi

Ordinary transportation versus Tourist transportation.

There were plenty of non-U.S. autos in Cuba, but very few were photographed.

How much does gas cost in Cuba?  Gas costs $1.00 CUC per liter.  You would need 3.785 liters to equal 1 gallon.  Or, $3.785 CUCs per gallon. At first glance, comparable to U.S.  But, paying with our converted money, each U.S. dollar would be worth $.873 CUCs, because of the surcharge.  In the end, $3.785 divided by $.873 = $4.335 U.S. per gallon.  Is that right?

See the name of the gas?  Oro Negro.  Black Gold.

Taxis.

Visit to Taller [atelier] Aguilera

Sr. Aguilera

José Julián Aguilera Vicente (Santiago de Cuba, 1933) is a painter, a sculptor and a graphic artist. He has worked as a professional artist and educator at various institutions, including the University of Oriente, teaching drawing, engraving and other subjects. He is affiliated with both local and national arts and cultural institutions. Vicente has won 33 provincial and national awards, participating in 30 international group shows, 11 one-man shows abroad and more than 100 exhibits in Cuba. The largest collection of his works can be found in the Emilio Bacardí Museum in Santiago de Cuba. 
Source:  http://www.meridian.org/ARTS/Cuba/artists.html

In the back room at the studio.

This series is by another artist at Taller Aguilera, possibly Aguilera's son? His "signature" motif is the white polar bear.

ART

LIFE

Art Card:  Padre Pico No. 1, Cromoxilografia, 1965.

[Source: lifted from Wikipedia, with some editing.] In the chromoxylography process, the printer engraved the image on the woodblock, carving away areas not to be printed (or inked). A separate wood block was used for each of the three primary colours, with the ink coating the uncut areas. The printer engraved the image to the finer end grain of the woodblock. For more complicated work the carver worked on the end grain of the wood, and, with the use of fine hatchings to the wood that were inked separately, achieved the look of blended colours.

Variations in tone were achieved with skillful carving to create the appearance of stipple. To create a blend of colours, blocks were hatched horizontally and diagonally to allow applications of multiple colours that resulted in browns, greens and greys. "A blockmaker would know whether to engrave thin white lines (for an almost solid tone), medium white lines (a mid-tone) or crosshatchings (leaving larger or smaller lozenges of colour to achieve sometimes little more than a faint tint when seen at a normal viewing distance)." Overlapping diagonal lines were carved to create dot-like shapes on the surface that took less ink and resulted in paler tones. 

The artists Botalin, father and sons

Sr. Botalin and sons in their home/studio.


Miguel Angel Botalín (Santiago de Cuba, 1932) received degrees in painting and sculpture from the José Joaquín Tejada Provincial Arts School in Santiago, as well as a law degree from the University of Havana. Since the 1950s, he has had a leadership role in promoting Cuban art and culture both locally and internationally. He has held several key positions with cultural and governmental institutions in Oriente province and with UNESCO. Botalín’s works have been exhibited in Cuba, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the United States and have received critical recognition and awards. They can be found in collections worldwide. He currently lives in Santiago de Cuba and works independently as a visual artist.

Source: http://www.meridian.org/ARTS/Cuba/artists.html

This photo below was taken of a painting hanging in a gallery at the Melia Santiago Hotel. It turns out to be the same subject as the next painting hanging on the wall, at the Botalin residence/studio.

Four street scenes hanging on the wall at the Botalin studio.

Exterior of the Botalin residence/studio in Santiago de Cuba. The Botalins live upstairs behind the ironwork facade.