Cuba / Habana Radio / Radio Rebelde

I recently came back from a fascinating trip to Cuba which was one of the stops on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

We hired a tour guide and driver who dropped us off somewhere in Old Havana where we walked the streets and learned about the history of the city of over 2 million people.  Our bilingual guide was very informative and unhesitatingly answered any questions we had over the 8 hour tour.  The first thing you notice are all the old 1950s-era cars that are somehow still running.  They're everywhere! 

This Plymouth was the second car we took on the tour (the first one broke down on our way to see Ernest Hemingway's home in San Francisco de Paula.)  At first it was weird being driven around in a car so old but you got used to it and after awhile barely noticed all the other vintage vehicles on the road.  There were also a lot of rarely-seen-in-America Peugeots, Renaults, Chinese-built JAC trucks and Russian Ladas.

Paseo del Prado is a beautiful, tree-lined promenade which divides Centro Habana and Old Habana.

Then we were driven to the weird, wonderful world of Fusterlandia.  The artist Jose Fuster moved to a neighborhood in northwest Havana over three decades ago and set about transforming his house and surrounding areas into his personal dreamscape.  Virtually every surface is covered in broken tile to form murals and collages.  The bizarre, dual-gender sculpture pictured above is on the roof of Fuster's house.  Google "Fusterlandia" to see more crazy pictures and learn about this unique artist.

Plaza de la Revolucion is large, paved lot where many political rallies have taken place as well as Masses by two different popes.  The square is surrounded by government buildings including the National Library, Communist Party headquarters and Ministry of Communications.  The giant face of Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara looks down on the plaza.

Behind us is a statue of Jose Marti, Cuba's national hero and acclaimed journalist and poet.

The bar at Hotel Nacional de Cuba.  The hotel and casino were opened in 1930 and operated by American managers.  After the revolution in 1959, the hotel became neglected due to a lack of tourism and was mainly used to accommodate visiting diplomats and foreign government officials.  The collapse of the Soviet Union forced the Cubans to reopen the hotel to tourists.

That night we went to the Tropicana for a two hour show of crazy costumes, balancing acts, opera and lots of singing, dancing and Cuban music.  It was so great!  The whole place seemed to be frozen in time from 60 years ago.  They give you a bottle of rum, some Coke to mix it with and a cigar and it all takes place outdoors under the stars.

Since virtually everything in Cuba is owned and run by the government, there is very little advertising to be seen anywhere.  One exception was this sign for Habana Radio which I saw just after exiting the port building where the cruise ship was docked.  Habana Radio went on the air in January 1999 and broadcasts programming dedicated to showcasing Cuban culture and heritage.

The above sticker is the only one in my collection from Cuba.
Radio Rebelde ("Radio Rebel") was founded by Che Guevara in 1958 to broadcast the aims of the revolutionary organization known as the 26th of July Movement.  This party was led by Fidel Castro and overthrew the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship in 1959.  Early broadcasts included combat reports, statements by rebel leaders and messages to the general population.  Today Radio Rebelde is heard 24 hours a day on four FM frequencies which covers 98% of the country.  They are also heard on shortwave on the 60-meter band.