Havana, Cuba, Lost in Time
My first night in Havana, the sky was navy blue almost black, laced with a thousand stars and I thought of you. The scene was the fifth floor terrace of the Santa Isabel Hotel as the “Christ” lay luminous and watching atop the hill across the Bay. A Spanish ballad played in the night, sweetly stringing my heart as the wind from the water gently blew my hair. Lights danced across the Bay as Old Havana and the Plaza de Armas stood in wait.
|
|
It is the Spanish music here that stirs my soul. It is like going to a concert every night with a mojito to quench your thirst. The singers and musicians are so talented...it is the song of their heart, their passion and their misery.
This place is not as imagined. The Spanisharchitecture and influence is haunting as it lays in ruin. The glamour of the 30’s only a memory like that of the forgotten movie star. Yet the people, they smile, they dance. They may be poor yet they truly live. They are happy.
The Hotel Nacional is a legend and I like to sit in their courtyard and watch the palm trees, the interesting guests and the sea. I read, write my poetry and understand why Hemingway found his inspiration here. When I am brave enough I venture into the heart of Havana – and the brutal beauty of a city lost in time and rubble.
It is an island of contradictions yet so innocent compared to us. 
|
