Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]brian, I spent a glorious month in havana nov/dec, catching three int'l festivals: art bienale, latin-american film festival and the amazing annual jazz festival.Tom has given you an excellent overview all of which I can echo in support. I had planned to travel the island but was overtaken with the casualness of havana and their people. I rented an apartment and made some close friends which ended up helping a lot since I don't speak spanish (but I had many introductions from art folks back in the US). You can shoot a tons of film if you are disciplined but I found myself too intrigued with the people and daily life to go too crazy shooting. (I shot 25 rolls, mostly slides and high speed B&W). I agree with Tom that if you are short on time, old havana is wonderful. Generally, though, I try to stay away from tourist areas so I enjoyed renting a bike as well as a car to see the whole city. Lonely Planet has a pretty good guide. Try to eat in the Paladors (private homes); don't miss the full coppellia (sit down ice cream extravaganza) experience; see the old castle on the malecon. I have a friend at the Ludwig Foundation Museum who is curator of Photography (Ileana Cepero) who is fluent in english and writes about conceptual photography(she is just leaving fototeca, another museum so I don't have her new number).Good jazz and salsa clubs (zorro y pueblo--jazz; casa de la music--salsa). See the lobby of the riviera hotel, perfectly intact and beatiful via the mafia 50's; bring home as much 7 year old cuban rum as you can--it's really the best ($8.10 everywhere); if you love cigars, as i do, check into that with your friends--that's a whole artform in and of itself. If you need ANYTHING like medical remedies or just something not available in the city, go down the road to the Commodoro Hotel where dollars can get you whatever you need (like a small resort/city in itself). If you have a chance, take a taxi to see the amazing art school EISA, designed by an Italian in the 60's; visit the photo studios and see the work of emerging cuban photographers....the encampment is like nothing else architecturally...BTW, I hitchhiked everywhere, which is sort of like flagging a cab, but they are gypsy cabs, and really had fun with it. Of course tourist cabs are everywhere and dollar is king so you'll never be stranded. You can wander the streets at 5 am alone and never run into trouble; it's a very friendly place, notwithstanding the precautions taken in any country.... I took an M6TTL, new 35, 50 and 90 (APO); really didn't need more than the 35; used the 90 in jazz clubs and the 50 is versatile if you only want to drag one lens around, but honestly I could easily have left it at home. Take vitamins, ballpoint pens, any over the counter medical supplies (like aspirin) and donate them to families you stay with or to a local school or the synagogue (best pharmacy on the island).....enjoy! (I hope to return soon)... jeff leifer jleifer@leifercap.com