A gentleman with the key to an underground crypt was
available for us this morning. We were
allowed to roam around the high stacked boxes of remains, some with long dead
flowers attached to them, others with lids ajar which allowed us a look
in. Bones and skulls were visible inside. It was fascinating if a little creepy.
After we left the cemetery we went to the capital where
we were free to roam the streets looking for shots. The capital is under restoration so it is
covered in scaffolding. This building is
modeled after the US capital, although it is slightly larger, and was built
post WWI by the US backed Dictator Gerardo Machado. It was built during the sugar boom of the
1920’s. It now houses the Cuban Academy
of Sciences and the National Library of Science and Technology. The buildings opposite it are in total
disrepair with many empty facades with trees growing in them. It is really one of the biggest examples of
rich and poor I’ve seen.
Small streets radiated out from the square and we broke
into small groups to explore. We ended
up at the famous Sloppy Joes Bar for a bite of lunch. This bar reopened in 2013 after being closed
for 40 years. It served as the haunts
for such famous people as Hemingway and Frank Sinatra. We tried the sloppy joes and beer. After lunch, we hired a convertible to take
four of us back to our lodging.
Our group split up this evening to take shots of the
sunset and the rise of the Super Moon.
Four of us took our gear down to the Malecon to take pictures of the
moon rising over Fort Moro. Clouds
started moving in which obstructed part of the moon but we still got some good
shots. Doug and Barbara had been invited
to a photography school to speak to their students so they missed out.
After a pleasant dinner at Waoo (Wow!) on the corner, we
went back to our rooms to pack up for our departure tomorrow.
Tomorrow: We say
goodbye to the group
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