Does Fidel Castro have an Email Address?

If you want to learn about the modern world, go to Havana. But go there quickly, before it arrives. I just read an article in the NYT discussing the fact that Castro has been “encouraging” the population to replace and recycle their older existing American-made refrigerators with new Chinese-made compact models (300,000 of them). This reminded me of the unusual predicament that Cuba finds itself in in the new world, but also of a trip I took to Havana not long ago that I have documented with some photographs.

There are logical places to visit to appreciate and understand the modern world.  At the top of the list might be a city like New York where you can see just about every example of contemporary culture by simply walking the streets or visiting museums like the MOMA, which is the preeminent place to see international modern art and design under one roof.  Other logical destinations would be Milan, Italy, the bedrock of modern fashion, or Copenhagen for timeless modern austerity, Los Angeles for modern residential architecture, or Tokyo for an Eastern perspective.  Or maybe new urban frontiers like Shanghai or Dubai are the best destinations to see where the modern world has delivered to us freshly in the last decades. There are countless destinations, almost all of which have been subjected to the forces of modern commerce and globalization.

But a radial alternative to these centers of modern culture would be Cuba, and in particular Havana. The modern world never arrived in Cuba, as the coup in 1959 created a roadblock to the industrial and commercial developments on the post–WWII era.  By not seeing what you see in most other Western cities you gain a richer understanding of the effects of the modern industrial world, both good and bad.  That’s what makes it educational and fascinating, and why this photo taken in Havana is appropriate. These canons were re purposed to create a barrier to traffic, and we are left with a composition of materials and industrial objects that are somewhat surreal in their contrast of old and new. I guess some public official needed to create a quick roadblock and improvised with what was available, whether consciously or unconsciously making a political statement about the use of canons in Cuba’s past.  Canons are typically seen as symbols of power, but in Cuba they represent repression and the containment of the largely slave population that allowed Cuba’s economy to prosper prior to Castro’s overthrow of the government. When you wander the streets of Havana you find many curious and absurd compositions, largely because it is an urban landscape that is not visually dominated by the elements of modern industry, many of which we ourselves take for granted. We usually notice only the red, yellow, or green traffic lights when we walk in most cities, but in Havana you see the striped poles that stand out like decorative peppermint candy canes on the street corners. In our own locales we rarely take notice of fire hydrants and the urban planning behind them.  Not so in Cuba, where you might find a hydrant stuck knee-deep in the middle of the sidewalk. Colorful fabrics in the form of exposed laundry make nice contrasts to the weathered backdrops of the buildings. Scrolling wrought iron is paired against heavy cement brick. Your eye wanders from one composition to another. Click here to view more colorful compositions.

And wandering is what you do in Havana, as you have to walk to take care of the most common of daily transactions. For example, credit cards do not function there, so you wander off to find the one hotel that will exchange US currency.  The Internet is not accessible, so you find things by foot—not by search engine. Your cell phone does not work, and your hotel is unlikely to have a concierge, so you forage for food by foot. The ubiquitous chain stores that render most of our cities anonymous are nonexistent, and this is refreshing. But equally there are no corner delis, newsstands, or other delightful conveniences and signs of human ingenuity that we take for granted. Wayfinding signage is largely nonexistent. Whereas most modern cities are plastered with commercial billboards, banners, marquees, and signs, these are largely absent in Havana. There are no signs for Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Verizon, iPods. (Castro seems to have banished advertising people along with artists and the gay community.) Even bookstands and music stores seem to come under government regulation, so unless you need to expand your collection of Che Guevara literature, there is not much to shop for. We take adequate street lighting for granted.  Not so in Havana which is dimly lit at night and would be spooky if it were not such a safe city.  The trade-off is worth it for those of us who crave an authentic experience in travel. You are forced to look at the world through another lens, and you have the place pretty much to yourselves and other low-key Euro travelers.

The lack of cars may be the most obvious example of what is not seen on the streets in Havana. So you actually notice those present few, many of which are like historic residue, painted in pastels and other unconventional colors, looking more like childhood toys than automobiles. They remind us that there was a time when not all cars were painted in safe grays, whites, and blacks as they are today.  Also, you see both effective and comical examples of transportation, like the bicycle-powered rickshaws that provide a handy canopied alternative to walking in the heat. Locals use these as much as tourists, which is lucky for the rickshaws owners, as there aren’t too many tourists.  I saw a truck tractor that was dragging a magenta trailer, which served as an impromptu public bus. Another bus was chopped into an open-air flatbed for the purpose of hauling around stuff that would not fit into the passenger compartment. The point is not to celebrate ingenuity in transportation solutions in Havana but to recognize that the automobile and its street accommodations typically take up much of the visual space in cities, making it hard to see other things. The tonal monotony of most of our cities is a function of grey asphalt, grey concrete sidewalks, and now grey cars. So we look to some form of signage and marketing ploys to get our attention. Click here to view more transportation in Cuba.

In Cuba, there are museums and historic points of interest, but nothing that compares with the visual compositions on the streets. The Colonial architecture is the most dominant element, though much of it is dilapidated, resulting in sumptuous decay, like parts of Venice. Decorative details contrast chunky forms and arches, soft pastels against formidable columns. Covered walkways, arches reminiscent of Bologna or Granada, and a textural richness that flies in the face of minimalism. Neither Corbusian concrete forms nor Miesian steel and glass structures ever arrived in Cuba. You will see the paltriest examples of the modern chair and improvised seating solutions that are desperately comical.  Doors and windows provide a rich medley of compositions. Click here to view doors and buildings. The past does not rest so comfortably with the present here, and you are left not just with stunning visuals, but with apprehension about the future. 

Revitalizing aspects of Havana’s infrastructure could be one of the best design projects of the Western world. It would take the best minds in design to make this happen, but I doubt that Castro knows of the talents and social conscience of our community.  How do you effect urban planning in a country where it has not existed for 50 years? Apparently UNESCO is taking on Old Havana. The irony is that it will probably take a dictator with as stubborn a personality as Castro to prevent it from becoming a trite version of its past or from becoming overrun with the less inspired and banal trappings of our modern world. I’d like to help out, but I don’t know how to reach Mr. Castro. Does Fidel have an email address?

On a serious note, I would like to hear from anyone who has traveled extensively in Cuba.  My few days there were but a partial glimpse of a place that really asks us to think carefully about the modern world, and I’d like to return, before the developers get there.

Best,