Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Cuba


Meeting our family half the way between Portugal and New Zealand seems to be the way to go, it´s less expensive, we fly less hours and we can see something new so, why not Cuba. The plan was to meet Liliana´s parents there.  Hopefully get a plane before the cyclone Cook arrived to Auckland and get back before the tornado season there. A direct flight from Los Angeles took us to see the biggest island in the Caribe.




 Habana is a remarkable place to sketch, layers of history and layers of bright paint with unexpected and creative ways of using the old buildings can be seen all around the city. Every place would give a good drawing so the frustration of not sketching enough was almost guaranteed.






The transports in Habana are very diversified and follow the Cuban creativity. Starting with the bicitaxi, a tricycle mostly used by cubans, the cocotaxi a motorized tricycle which Eva loved and the horse with carriage for tourists. In terms cars there are a mix of old russian and american cars, none of each remains original, the old russian Volga car that took us until Trinidade had a Kia engine and several other parts from different cars. The music pumping loud from the speakers is a must. There is always something being repaired on the road side and it feels like those cars can last another 50 years.
 
Eva forgot her sketch book but wanted to sketch people and was constantly asking Liliana for pages of her book, we decided to find her a sketchbook or school book with blank pages, we went to the main art shop in Habana but there were only books with lines. According with the guy working there, last time he had a book with blank pages for sale was 5 years ago... "But we have free health care and good weather" he added with an amazing sense of humor. The Cubans are happy persons. 









3 comments:

  1. Niiiiice stuff..... you three. Very jealous.

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  2. Excellent.
    'Free health care and good weather" LOL

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  3. I really like the drawing of the two buildings, one with the 'tres amigos' awning, lovely colours and shadows.

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