THE SOFIA WESTERN NEWS GOES TO CUBA.
By
Patrick Brigham – 1998 and the Pope’s Visit to Cuba
The old two engine Russian Antonov rattled, shook and
then finally took off from Nassau airport New Providence, into the sunny
Caribbean ski. On board were mainly Cubans returning from business trips abroad
and a number of Bahamians most likely off to savor the delights of Cuban night
life, and to no doubt return with copious amounts of cigars, to be sold in the Bahamas
We flew over azure waters so blue that even
the romantic descriptions of Buzz Aldren - as he circled the earth in space -
did little to truly describe the magnificent beauty which I could see through
my grubby window. Over Andros and towards Cuba the sea begins to change colour
slightly and becomes a deeper blue, over saltmarsh and Cays, the tips of marine
mountains, poking through the surface of the sea to create lush natural gardens
with protruding rocks and palm trees. It is no wonder that Pirates like Black
Beard, Ann Bonney and Mary Read chose to spend their short lives amongst these
islands before suffering an ignominious death.
Havana is a large sprawling city, and flying
low over neatly plowed fields, we finally approached the end of the runway, disembarking
with a cheery goodbye from our Cubana Air cabin crew. No problems with
immigration, no stamps in my passport, and just the casual question; was I an
American? My traveling companion had been in Cuba
The Pope had been there for two days, and to
underline the sense of occasion, one only had to see the amazing number of
posters of him, either by himself, or with Fidel Castro, on buildings in cars
and finally when I arrived at my destination, on the glass door of the
apartment in which I was to stay. It was Saturday, the sun was shining and
looking out of my window, I watched the sea lapping the shores of what was
considered locally as a prime location, next to the Cococabana Hotel.
Taxis are quite expensive in Havana, despite
their often decrepit appearance, and I was able to find a private driver who
agreed to be my guide for the next few days. Jojo, as he called himself was an
older man, who not only had a clean Lada, but a sense of humour. That Saturday
afternoon he drove me around Havana Old Town
Being an old traveller, Havana reminded me of
Spain during the 60’s, although my recollection of Franco’s Spain, involved far
greater signs of state security, of men wearing various uniforms, lurking
around on street corners watching one another, and being watched in turn by men
in leather coats. During the Popes visit, Havana had many uniformed policemen
in evidence, but they were passive and unarmed - except for handcuffs, and
batten - and were there, I suspect, mainly to tidy up the many professional
ladies who widely inhabit the streets at all times of the day. These mainly
young and friendly policemen seemed to want to create a good impression, and to
help the large number of tourists - mainly from Europe and Canada - who now go
to Cuba, and those like me who had especially come for this remarkable visit.
In common with many eastern Europeans I have
met in the past; before the changes, Jojo took me to see some hotels in order
that I might realize the strident changes which socialism had made in Castro’s
Cuba. But I managed to steer him away to sights far more worthy of my meager
photographic skills, and despite a fleeting visit to the Hotel Inglaterra - a
beautiful portico’d period building full of charm, and a pianist who aptly sang
‘I did it My Way’ - followed by the pride of Havana; the Hotel National de
Cuba, I somehow managed to look at the real world, and the Havana which I had
come to see.
That night I went with Tchocho my traveling
companion to the famous Earnest Hemingway restaurant called La Bodeguita Del
Medio. The walls of the restaurant are covered with hundreds of well known
signatures, and with two musicians playing traditional Cuban music, it was an
evening to remember. The food was also good. We both started with black bean
soup, followed by huge plates full of roast pork, sweet potatoes, and fried
bananas. Washed down by plenty of the local beer, the bill only came to $30.
Cubans love Earnest Hemingway, but apparently not the Americans!
What made Havana for me was the music, the
architecture - Jojo was great - the food the sun, the people, and of course the
great occasion of the Popes visit. There will be those who would like to reduce
his visit to a political scam, but it was not true. In the great Boulevard of
the Revolution, Sunday morning proved this to be a myth. Over a million people
attended Pope John Paul’s final mass, which took place on a platform over which
had been erected a canopy designed to appear like a white dove of peace, the
backdrop to which was the flank wall of a massive office building, which had
been painted with what must be the largest painting of Christ in the World.
There was undoubtedly a great feeling of spirituality, neatly woven together
with the kind of euphoria one might expect from a people who had been starved of
what they must regard as the Mother
Church
There are Catholic Churches everywhere in
Cuba, and many priests to officiate, but somehow there had been forty years in
a wilderness, created by the sanctions which only politics can impose. Sunday
proved to everyone - particularly to Cubans - that this was no longer the case;
that they were unquestionably a part of a World society of Christian believers,
and that they had a place in this new order, and a right to be there. On an
adjacent wall there was also a large outline of Che Guevara, to remind us all
of the ‘Continuing Revolution.’
The Pope blessed the people and the
politicians and firmly told both the Cubans and the Americans to be more
reasonable. Afterwards, the camera crews packed up their gadgets, loaded their
vehicles and returned to their hotels, where they occupied whole floors for
their studios, and editing rooms. In the Capri Hotel - reputed to have belonged
to Al Capone - CBS reporters sat back gazing at TV screens wearing Bermuda
shorts, tee shirts, and baseball caps; turned the wrong way round, with great
identity tags swinging from their necks. To them it was, after all, just
another World event amongst so many. But it had not only been a media event, it
was far more than that!
Cuban National TV had transmitted the whole
event live, and watching parts of the broadcast during the early afternoon, one
could see in detail what had been missing from view in the crowded arena, so
full of optimistic and occasionally rowdy people. It seems that the Pope
attracts his own variety of football songs, which means that he also attracts
the young. People of all ages went to see him - not as stated in the media by presidential
decree - but by choice, and to support an aging President who had the guts to
allow the occasion to unfurl with its own momentum.
Fidel Castro was as much moved as were all his
people, and the so called ‘tyrant’ had the same look of supplication as many of
those who took mass, and most of the attendant onlookers from the diplomatic
missions who were very evidently supporting this historical moment. I will
never forget the look of submission on the face of the President when he bid
the Pope farewell; neither will I forget the look of firm resolve on the face
of the Pontiff, as he left his huge and sublimely moved congregation, to return
once more to Rome
Sunday evening proved to be a musical occasion
to remember. Having met some friends and visited a few more hotels. One in
particular had a theme restaurant called The Havana Café which had two
splendidly renovated old American cars, a suspended biplane, two old Harley
Davidson motor bikes, lots of old sepia photographs of famous Cuban singers and
film actors, old gramophones, and unbelievably a huge ships propeller. Then we
went off for an early dinner to a so called Polynesian Restaurant.
It
could have been any old state run restaurant in any east European country, and
the Polynesian aspect was about a few old carvings, and the food? Well it was
sort of Chinese, was a sort of expensive chicken with salad, and a bit of sweet
and sour source. But my guests were delighted.
That evening we visited a great
underground jazz club called La Zorra y el Cveovo, and listened to the El Grego
Sextet, which played the most exciting Cuban Jazz I have heard, complete with
drums, bongo percussion, two pianos, and a front line including Jose El Grego’s
brilliant flugle horn. You’ve got to go for that alone.
The Cuban Peso is currently pegged to the USD
at 23 Peso/ $1 although four years ago it was 150 Peso/ $1, and an average
income in Cuba is around $20/30 USD. But people are not short of food, because
there is presently a rationing system, concerning the basic staple dietary
requirements such as rice, oil, meat, sugar, and flour. All these items are
sold at highly discounted prices where a good average comparison would be sugar
at 30 cents per Pound (lb) - ration price - and $4 for the black market price.
So people tend to live within their dietary perimeters, and with extended
families can survive with ease, if not on simple fare. People claim that their
life in Cuba is better than it used to be, mainly - as stated in the last issue
of the SWN - because the Government has resolved some of its difficulties
brought about by the final bust up with Russia and the ex Soviet Union. They
have now managed to find some new markets, but, what about Helms-Burton?
Started in 1996, there is now a Spanish
Businessman’s Association in Cuba, headed by a Mr. Rafael Garcia Aznar who also
runs a firm called Bas y Pujol International S.A. He states that. ‘In spite of
the attempt to establish and enforce laws such as the Helms-Burton in third
countries, aside from political considerations, which are not part of our
sphere, we believe it is unacceptable because of its extraterritorial
character. What could happen, and indeed has happened is that - for lack of
information - certain businessmen who have the intention of starting business
relations with Cuba became discouraged. However to say that these investors
withdrew because they feared this law is another matter. Our association came
into being at precisely the same time as Helms-Burton was launched and in spite
of all the importance given to the possible consequences of its application,
we’re moving ahead; not as a challenge, but rather because our Association
offers us greater guarantees of security and action.’
Back at the Jose Marti airport, there is a lot
of action. It is Tuesday and the little Antonov has been replaced by a Topolev
154, to accommodate all the errant multimedia as it drifts back to various
parts of the world via Nassau. Well known TV personalities punctuate the
otherwise drab passengers, who hug heavy looking hand luggage jointly and
severally containing thousands of USD’s worth of Havana cigars, there eyes
glazed over by the memory of sultry nights spent with sultry Cuban beauties,
albeit at a commercial rate!
I look at a week old copy of Granma
International, one of the few but state owned newspapers in Cuba. On the font
page it states ‘Colossal Victory. 98.35% voter turnout. The preliminary results
of the January 11th elections for Deputies to the National Assembly
of People’s Power….. President Fidal Castro and General of the Army Raul Castro
were elected with more than 99% of the votes in their electoral districts…..
The people say “Yes” at the polls.’
Later the Vatican reported as follows. ‘The
secretary of state - Cardinal Angelo Sodano - has been informed that the Cuban
government has freed a certain number of detainees, as an act of clemency and
goodwill to mark the visit of Pope John Paul to Cuba… The Vatican is delighted
with this notable step which represents a concrete prospect of hope for the
future of this noble nation.’ In the end it is the old stories which prevail. www.patrickbrigham.co.uk
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