| Author | Thread |
|
|
05/11/2006 06:10:11 PM · #1 |
Originally asked for some advice before heading to Cuba....
//www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=193572
and have just returned.
You can see my album here:
//www.samchadwickphoto.com/cuba/
including some close-up shots of Fidel Castro, where I almost got in a lot of trouble. Look for the one where his sidekick spots me - a medium tall white guy in a beige shirt with a long telephoto lens, standing in a crowd of black-skinned cubans wearing red t-shirts. Think I stood out a little!
======================================================================
Firstly, thank you for all the comments and I'm very happy you all like the shots. When I first got back I thought they'd all come out badly. But now they are growing on me, and the fact you seem to think they're good has made me feel a lot better. So thanks.
Bear_Music, your recent class here, which I tried to attend closely, helped me massively in correcting the light of some of the landscapes (the Ctrl+Alt~ for taking highlights & lowlights to new layers) - so a very big thank you for this.
Here are some further comments given some of the questions below....
I flew to Havana from New York. It was actually very easy. New York to Nassau (Bahamas) where I stayed for 2 nights and then the flight from Nassau to Cuba. I'm a UK passport holder, but there were lots of Americans doing the same. At Nassau airport you buy a 'visitor card' for $25 and pay your Nassau exit tax of $15 and when checking in to the Air Cubana flight they automatically stamp your visitor card and not your passport. On the return flight, the Cuban airport stamps your visitor card not your passport and you pay another $25 exit tax. Then you're back in Nassau. The only thing that worried me is that I now had two entry stamps for Nassau (two weeks apart) but no exit stamp - so really it's pretty obvious where you've been. So we made up an elaborate story about taking a boat from Nassau to San Salvador and then flying back, but getting mixed up with an incoming tourist flight and ending up getting another entry stamp. But in the end, we didn't even need the story as the US customs official in Nassau just let us through.
Yes, Fidel was looking tired, but to his credit he stood there for 5 hours in the baking sun delivering his speech (which is more than I managed), so he certainly has some stamina still. I think the guy next to Castro WAS actually pointing directly at me, which was a bit intimidating for a split second, and I ended up ducking down amongst the crowd for a few minutes until my pulse slowed back down!
As far as a place to go on holiday, it was certainly not the most relaxing place I've been. Cubans are nice, but tourists are seen, understandably, as walking wallets and the relentless heckling was at times unbearable. Every ten metres you would get 'Where you from?' from someone hoping to engage you in conversation. In Trinidad I actually put my fingers in my ears openly as a gesture for the locals to stop badgering me with offers of places to eat, places to stay and taxis. This is really not like me as I've travelled much of the world and I'm pretty open to cultural differences, but I've never experienced anything to this extent before. Some girls travelling alone that we met were also fed-up with the rude insults and gestures they seemed to be getting without break, and so retreated to a private beach and hotel to get away from it all.
The flip-side is that the people are so poor it hurts. The average fully-qualified doctor's salary is $20 per month, so you can see it from their perspective, given that a room for two tourists costs $20 per night in a 'casa particular'. Also the restrictions placed on Cubans are difficult to truly comprehend coming from countries where we have so much freedom (even if Bush is listening in on our calls!). They are not allowed to stay in hotels. They are not allowed to leave the country - the international airport looks almost like a military base with the amount of fencing around it to stop people entering. I could continue, but the only way to really understand is to go there yourself. Although it is not 100% essential that you speak Spanish, if you have any interest in the culture, then you need to, as otherwise you will not get anywhere near as much out of your stay.
Thanks again for all the comments.
Sam
Message edited by author 2006-05-12 12:28:17.
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 06:12:52 PM · #2 |
Love the people and car shots in Habana!!! COOL!
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 06:14:15 PM · #3 |
Oh my god! I am soooooooo jealous! I've always wanted to go and plan to as soon as its practicle for an american to do without sneeking. Your images are wonderful. You really captured the old/new contrast that is Cuba! Aren't the 50s American cars a hoot? Very well done, hope you had a great stay!
btw.... think I'll let the cuban music play a while, reminds me of Miami and Key West :)
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 06:20:55 PM · #4 |
Great stuff! Fidel's looking a bit tired, but heck, he's getting up in years. Hopefully at some point the US will come to its senses and allow travel. I'd echo Cindi's sentiments, I'd love to go.
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 06:22:05 PM · #5 |
| Very nice pictures. I have been to Cuba, when I was a child in the early 60's with my grandfather, and it looks the same in your pics except for the cars - they are older. Again, great pics! |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 06:35:07 PM · #6 |
Great images. I was stationed in Gautanamo Bay Cuba but it is totally different and have wanted to see the Cuban side of the island ever since. If the country ever opens up I would love to own a hunk of beach property. Guantanamo is supposed to be one of the less beautiful areas of the island but I sure loved it. Would love to know how you managed to get to go there.
Good job.
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 06:40:29 PM · #7 |
Those are really great shots. Very interesting.
Cool web site too ! |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 06:51:22 PM · #8 |
Ditto to what Riggs Said!
Good Work! |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 07:36:22 PM · #9 |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 07:48:06 PM · #10 |
Sam-Those images are simply fantastic. The Buena Vista soundtrack is a great accompaniment for the tour. Thanks for sharing.
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 07:54:17 PM · #11 |
I can't speak for the sound track, LOL, but the images are cool! Thanks for sharing. I'm sorta jealous too...
R.
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 08:03:10 PM · #12 |
awesome images you have there, wow really really nice
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 08:10:25 PM · #13 |
Great shots!...enjoyed them all
|
|
|
|
05/11/2006 08:17:09 PM · #14 |
Wow! #18 in the Havana gallery is my favorite, I think.
Very nice work - thanks for sharing. |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 08:32:27 PM · #15 |
Number 5 in the series in which Castro is speaking must have been an intimidating situation.
That guy next to Fidel Castro was pointing DIRECTLY at you while you took the picture. That would have made me run the other direction immediately and switch memory cards as soon as I was around the corner. |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 08:32:53 PM · #16 |
| beautiful work..and great timing..we are just in the early planning stages for a holiday next winter..we have never been anywhere as a family, but have picked Cuba as the likely destination ( hope I can sneek away for a bit to shoot).. I will be checking in many times..thanks for posting them..great work! |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 10:09:43 PM · #17 |
| Wonderful shots! You did an excellent job capturing the people, the architecture, and the emotions. Definitely a place I'd like to go to. Thanks for sharing! |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 10:34:02 PM · #18 |
Samchad - splendid photos. I looked at every one! You have an excellent raport with your subjects and certainly know how to use light as well.
Yes, like the others, I am envious. I had the chance a couple of years ago to take the trip, but with other obligations, I just couldn't do it.
Oh, how I hope the border opens up soon.
Congratulations on making it into the country and coming out with such fabulous images. |
|
|
|
05/11/2006 10:59:10 PM · #19 |
Amazing shots! Thanks for sharing, if anything, you've made my desire to visit Cuba someday even stronger. The shots of candid life there are my favorite.
|
|
|
|
05/12/2006 12:31:05 PM · #20 |
Thanks for all the comments. I've added more info to the first post in the thread.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/30/2025 12:30:46 PM EDT.
