The island of the crimson dawn

You can not help falling in love with it - the island of freedom, happiness and love, the miniature of Paradise on the earth.

The Link of times

Once you have found yourself in Cuba you say good-bye to the philistine inside you - the one used to the principals of the boasted civilization with its overwhelming technical progress, fussy striving for comfort and wealth, anxiety for harmony, impersonal diversity and soulless spirituality -

and you are unlikely to resist the exhilarating spirit of real life saturated with refreshing sips of mohito, effervescent rhythms of salsa and cha-cha-cha,

communist slogans and the pictures of immortal Fidel on the colonial buildings with queered colonnades and elaborated ornaments on the facades,

unbelievable old Plymouths, Cadillacs and Zhigulis of incredible colours rushing along the picturesque streets of the old fascinating Havana and found side by side with such a Cuban phenomenon as "camels",

soulful and pathetic melodies of "Comandante Che Guevara" and "Guantanamera" to the accompaniment of the guitars and maracas, affectionate smiles of swarthy Cubans, headiness of their cigars, contemplative swaying of their rocking-chairs,

tranquility and satisfaction of their hearts and minds (a rare and therefore even more invaluable characteristic in our hyper-civilized society), their unforgettable "manana" - the philosophy of the whole nation, the motto of its careless and meaningful existence in this blessed place favored by nature -

caressed by the waves of the Atlantic chasing each other and rolling over Malecon, warmed by the sunshine, generously embroidered with "concrete" royal palms, marvellous multicoloured flowers and plants sheltering delicate and fabulous hummingbirds or such monstrous but charming creatures like iguanas and lizards.

The "camel" - a Cuban counterpart of the Moscow metro

Having fallen in love with Cuba, you will not stop loving this pearl of the Caribbean isles, "a Movable Feast"*, feast that will stay for ever in the memory of your heart as well as in mine.

(note: "A Movable Feast" - the title of Ernest Hemingway's memoir about Paris)

Comments on the pictures: 1. The picture of me and my husband against the Capitol in Havana was taken with an age-old camera by an age-old Cuban photographer during our honeymoon in Cuba in April 2006.

2. When it was decided to build a metro in Havana a number of metro cars were produced. Unfortunately the metro was never built and to solve the public transport problem the metro cars were fixed to trucks. The created transport hybrid became known as the "camel" because of its double-humped camel-like shape. It never fails to amaze tourists in the streets of Havana.
Olesya Pevzner,
Moscow, Russia