Richard And Jo Demeester's photos

Diving From The Malecón

Diving From The Malecón

23 Jul 2009 188
From the the sea wall of La Habana.
Three Peso Note

Three Peso Note

21 Jul 2009 1 371
Che graces the Cuban 3 peso note. This is the “Moneda Naciónal”, the local currency, as opposed to Convertible Pesos for foreigners.
The Forts

The Forts

23 Jul 2009 462
On the other side of the bay from downtown La Habana, the twin forts of Morro and Cabaña.
Beer O'Clock

Beer O'Clock

21 Jul 2009 265
On the roof of our casa, with our Cuban regular beer, “Bucanero”.
Very Cute And Very Tolerant

Very Cute And Very Tolerant

21 Jul 2009 201
Lizard on a fence post.
Approach To Viñales

Approach To Viñales

20 Jul 2009 226
Limestone formations create a backdrop to Viñales.
“Always Towards Victory”

“Always Towards Victory”

19 Jul 2009 250
Che looks over the Plaza de la Revolución in La Habana.
A Cuban Supermarket

A Cuban Supermarket

15 Jul 2009 179
These shelves looked well stocked. In reality, they are all stocked with tinned milk. There are a few other products available, but 3 or 4 kinds of tinned milk are stacked on about 16 shelves. In total, excluding the alcohol, there were no more than 10 or 12 products available in this supermarket. And this is an upmarket one, hard currency only, and no ration books needed.
Mangoes For Breakfast

Mangoes For Breakfast

15 Jul 2009 193
On the rooftop of our Casa Particular, with the cathedral of Santiago poking out in the background.
A Revolutionary Ride

A Revolutionary Ride

13 Jul 2009 242
Complete with Cuban revolutionary star.
Our New Cuban Friends

Our New Cuban Friends

11 Jul 2009 179
Okay, so they had been hitting the rum pretty hard. Then they wanted us to have a shot or two. When I started to take a photo of the motorbike, two jumped up. They were certain they would enhance the photo.
Fidel As A Toddler

Fidel As A Toddler

14 Jul 2009 287
Fidel Castro. Age: 1 year and 10 months. Cute ringlets, Fidel.
A Day Trip With New Friends

A Day Trip With New Friends

14 Jul 2009 173
Sorry to anyone who cares, but I forget exactly which brand of Russian car the body is. Our driver for the day was quick to point out that the motor was, however, a Lada. We did a trip to the property where Fidel Castro was born and spent his youth. We did it with some new Dutch friends, Anne and Sepkje.
Fidel's Place

Fidel's Place

12 Jul 2009 197
The Commander's hut, largely as it was. This was where Fidel lived when the Cuban revolutionaries created a base in the mountains. The refrigerator is the one he had there (and I believe it still works). We don't know the story about how it got a bullet hole in it. This location remained undetected by the army, and Fidel lived and commanded from here until the revolution succeeded.
Bullet In A Tree

Bullet In A Tree

12 Jul 2009 247
During the late 50's, when Fidel Castro and his men were based in the Sierra Maestra, fighting, they established a base. Comandancia La Plata. It is said that Fidel personally tested every weapon before letting it be used by his men. A tree near his hut, still alive, was his usual target. It is riddled with bullets.
The Steepest Road In Cuba

The Steepest Road In Cuba

12 Jul 2009 396
This is not an angled photo. That really is how steep the road is. It is known as the steepest road in Cuba, and certainly one of the steepest in the world. It has a slope of over 40 degrees. This is in Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra, climbing to Alto del Naranjo.
A Typical Cuban

A Typical Cuban

10 Jul 2009 180
Difficult to understand, hospitable, and always with a cigar in his mouth. Maybe that's part of what makes Cubans difficult to understand!
Kissing Couple

Kissing Couple

10 Jul 2009 191
A bronze man kisses his bronze lover in the streets of Camagüey, Cuba.
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