Cuba 1 -- March 2013

We went back to 'our Cuba resort' for a week. Same old, same old to a point but there are always new things to see and do.

A turquoise crayon was my favorite one as a kid. The water in the tropics remind me of the crayon.

Beach vendors add to the scene and mood.

Beach-ware for the ladies, seashells for the guys?

First time I've seen a tractor doing its thing while people are on the beach. Usually it's an after-hours job isn't it?

I watched this woman from the shade of my lounge. She just stood there for 10 minutes, looking out to sea. I didn't see her turn around once. There were no swimmers or boats to watch, she just seemed to be soaking up the beautiful colors and the waves washing ashore.

The girls sold a dress while we were there, but no one bought a shell that we noticed. His stance almost indicates the frustration of no sales... "Where do I try next?"

The resort has a pond with Muscovy ducks and a few turtles. They all liked to sun themselves on the rocks. The younger ones were all gathered around mom here.

Cuba has 1000s of Turkey Vultures. It's common to see dozens flying about.

I've seen lots of Geckos over the years but this one easily takes the beauty prize. He was in a low palm tree in front of our balcony so we got to see him a few times.

 

 

His colors are what I'd expect on a tropical bird, or maybe one of their poisonous tree frogs. Stunning!

This guy was in the same palm. Most geckos I've seen (this time too, including the one that wanted to share our room with us) are shades of green or brown.

Cattle Egrets are common in Cuba too. This one was at the resort but we saw dozens of them on our excursions, sometimes with cattle, sometimes not.

This one was a shocker. Jane saw him on our balcony one day (I was elsewhere) so there was no way I expected to see him.

Then, a couple days later, I was sitting on the balcony reading a book and lo and behold he appeared again. My camera was in the room of course. He walked around the edge of the balcony (to the next balcony as it turned out), so I quietly went to get my camera, doubting I'd see him again.

But he kindly stuck around for a bit and I was able to get a bunch of shots. What a gorgeous bird! The buff feathers indicate he's in the breeding season... otherwise he'd be pure white.

Something definitely caught his eye on the next balcony.

He worked his way down the balconies, checking the flower containers. Then, after a brief pause, he flew to another string of balconies on an adjacent building.

This isn't unique to Cuba by any means. You see towel designs in many countries, including Canada at times. The maids present you with something different every day. They must send the maids to towel-sculpture classes. They have a remarkable variety. The flowers are picked on the grounds... Hibiscus this time.

 

As a tourist in Cuba you are almost in a cocoon, shielded from the everyday life of the average Cuban. Signs like this on the highways & byways remind you that you're in a communist dictatorship. Cubans live in a very controlled society, as different as day and night from how we 'live' there as a tourist.

(Matanzas - Working people, revolution and worship.)

 
Despite the state control, Cubans are as friendly & warm-hearted a people as you'll find anywhere. Much warmer and friendlier alas, than we in North America and elsewhere are.

I like trees. In different countries I only shoot ones that look very different from ours. I'm sure someone in another country called these Diva-Diva trees. In Cuba they just call them Pinos (pine).

Typical Cuban street & architecture... 'boxy' homes and buildings.

Many of my shots are through bus windows, not particularly clean windows at that. You could do the 'Photoshop thing' but it just ain't worth it. :-)

Most Cuban goats are brown. Another sign of a poor country of course is lots of sheep and/or goats. In Cuba, it's goats.

There are many run down buildings & homes but not all are.

The Cuban national tree is the Royal Palm, common in cities and throughout the countryside. Their trunks stand out in the relentless Cuban sun -- 330 days of sunshine a year on average. Way too much for me.

A brightly painted house or building indicates 'wealth'. Water tanks are on the roof, since water mains are unheard of in most areas.

Another unusual tree. 

It's the dry season.

Sights like the following catch our eye as photographers/tourists. But it's yet another indication of a poor country. About 80% of Cubans work for the state, and are paid about $25-$30 US per month, no matter what the work is.

That's why some doctors & teachers work at resorts (as a second job) where they have access to tourist tips. Taxi drivers and anyone else that has contact with tourists can make 'big money' by Cuban standards.

Enough for now. Cuba 2 in a while.

- fini -