I’ve just returned from a photographic tour of Cuba and feel privileged to have visited there before the floodgates open and tourism inevitably changes the place.
Blogging from Cuba is nearly impossible because there is literally no private internet access except at the most elite hotels. It was a great lesson in patience and acceptance for me…and by the end of my time there, I was loving not feeling addicted to my IPhone – and walking streets without seeing every person either texting, emailing or talking into a cell phone.
There are so many dogs in Cuba, they are as ubiquitous as the 1950’s cars everyone talks about. My next blog will show some amazing vintage automobiles, but today I want to celebrate the four-legged creatures who somehow manage to survive in this country of poverty and neglect.
Most Cubans live in hardship, without basics like soap and pens or pencils, yet they are gentle, fun-loving and gracious. While wandering around Havana, Trinidad and Cienfeugos, I kept seeing families where children were treated with warmth and humor. These kids seemed genuinely happy, despite their lack of anything material. So I wasn’t surprised that even the scrawniest stray dogs I met weren’t either extremely shy or terribly mean spirited. They walked the streets and alleys with what I can only describe as optimism.
Some dogs are lucky enough to find caring owners like this one:
Some aren’t.
One of the highlights of my trip to Cuba was being invited to the home of renowned photographer Ernesto Rodriguez, and meeting his dog Max. It’s hard to see in this photo but Max has one blue eye and one brown eye – very exciting to a dog photographer like me!
