Santiago de Cuba was founded as a village by Diego Velazquez de Cuellar in July of 1515. After it was destroyed by fire in 1516 it was rebuilt right away. Its first Cathedral was constructed in 1528. From 1522 to 1589 Santiago de Cuba was the capital of the Spanish colony of Cuba. In the 18th and 19th centuries there was a large immigration of both British and French, many of which came from Haiti as a result of the Haitian slave revolt of 1791. This greatly affected the city's cultural mix that had been predominately Spanish and African. Santiago de Cuba was where Spain suffered it's worst defeat at San Juan Hill on July 1, 1898 during the Spanish American War. One of Cuba's national hero's Jose Marti is buried in Santiago de Cuba in Santa Ifigenia cemetery, as are the ashes of Fidel Castro. Castro announced the victory of his Revolution from a balcony of city hall which is located right across from Cespedes plaza. Bacardi's first rum distillery was located there and is now a museum that contains his large art collection. The city is well known for its cultural life. Many of Cuba's famous musicians were born either in Santiago de Cuba or in one of the villages surrounding it. Santiago de Cuba is also known for its traditional dances, especially Son which uses both Spanish and African elements. It is said that the Salsa comes from Son. Our excursion took us first to visit the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca. It is a large fortress that is located on the coast that overlooks a bay leading inland. Its location and elevation provided an excellent view of any approaching ships. It was built to provide protection from pirates and took more than 60 years to complete the construction. In 1997 UNESCO declared the fortress a world heritage site as the best preserved and most complete example of Spanish-American military architecture. Various images of and views from the castle We said adios to the Castle and were on our way to see San Juan Hill. Actually San Juan Hill is a series of hills located east of the city that runs north to south. The battle of San Juan Hill which is also known as the battle of San Juan Height took place of July 1, 1898. It was the decisive battle of the Spanish American War. It was also where the Rough Riders achieved their greatest victory of the war. They were led by the future President Theodore Roosevelt. Images of San Juan Hill From San Juan Hill we went to a dance school for a short performance from students that were of African-Caribbean heritage. Cuba's most predominate religion is Roman Catholic. The African's brought to Cuba as slaves hundreds of years ago were baptized by the Spanish. Their own religion which was from traditional religious and spiritual practices of the Yoruba people was not allowed. Over time they came to blend both religions into what is called Santeria which is a Spanish word that translates to Worship of Saints. The demonstration we saw was a traditional Santeria dance. Images from the traditional Santeria dance demonstration Our final stop on our excursion was at Plaza Cespedes. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes was a plantation owner and revolutionary hero. In 1868 his declaration of Independence for Cuba began the 10 year war that led to Cuba's Independence from Spain. It is considered to be one of the most important sites in the city for political, religious and social functions. The City hall is on the northern side and Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Assumption is opposite on the southern side of the plaza. The central balcony on the city hall building is where Castro announced victory of the revolution on January 1, 1959. The Museo de Ambiente Histórico Colonial Cubano (Museum of Colonial Cuban Atmophere) is on the west side of the plaza. The building is probably the oldest still standing in Cuba. It was built in 1515 for the first Governor of Cuba and was known as Casa de Diego Velasquez. On the plaza's eastern side is the Municipal Culture House and the Esteban Salas Concert Hall. The architecture of the building is considered to be Santiago de Cuba's most eclectic. Adjacent to the Municipal Culture House is the Casa Grande Hotel which is one of the cities more remarkable buildings. The roof garden on the 5th floor provides magnificent views of the city. The Casa Grande Hotel The statue of Cespedes in the plaza While we were waiting for our bus to return a woman in our group was putting on some lipstick when a local woman went up to her and asked her if she could have the lipstick. When she gave it to the woman several more local's went up to her and asked for a lipstick too. She had a few more in her purse and gave them to the Cuban women. Something as simple as a lipstick, that we take for granted was a seldom seen luxury to the local women in Santiago de Cuba. It was a sobering reminder of just how fortunate we are. When we arrived back at the port we had a bit of a wait for a tender boat. The port has docking facilities but they were few and small and were being used by cargo ships. It was like watching a movie from the 50's or 60's about a loading dock. The ships were using small loading arms with pulley's to move their cargo. It was very old school, nothing like the way cargo is moved on and off ships today. Cargo ships working their cargo the old fashioned way We listened to this local group of industrious musicians while we waited for our tender. On the way back to our ship I was thinking about our day in Santiago de Cuba. The biggest impression I left with was that the people of Santiago in general were much poorer than what we saw in Cienfuegos and especially in Havana. We saw areas that were run down in each city but by far the most was in Santiago.
Overall I enjoyed seeing Cuba, it was a true learning experience but it was nothing like going to almost any other Caribbean Island. The Cuban people we met were all very friendly and seemed to really appreciate what tourism could do for Cuba. I wanted to visit Cuba before it changed and became over commercialized and touristy. Only a few years ago that seemed to be the direction Cuba was heading especially since the U.S. government was intent on re-establishing diplomatic relations with them. Today that seems like a pipe dream.
1 Comment
|
AuthorWe love to travel, eat good food, drink good wine and experience new cultures ArchivesCategories |