¡Cuba, Otra Vez!
The Journeys of Escorpión Marlin del Norte
Consistent with carvings from the Marlin series, this piece is guided by a comparative reading of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican and Andean interpretations regarding the intricate relationship between the arc of the horizon and the movement of light as well as a consideration of the actual physical engineering applications and possibilities behind Eurasian notions of a "cosmic egg". When we nudge the carving gently on either side it will gently spin in perfect balance while the application of too much force will produce an unhappy result. The name of the piece is derived from the School of One Carver's memory of an encounter with a brazen scorpion on a dusty Cuban road in the late 1980s while on a Field School to the island nation with Simon Fraser University. The carving was presented to JMc, a dedicated student of History, just before JMc embarked on an inspirational University of Alberta study abroad adventure to Cuba during the Winter Term, 2015. The rock for this piece was quarried in and around the environs of the North Saskatchewan River Valley in Edmonton, somewhere beneath the perch of the University of Alberta. Meanwhile, JMc presented the Escorpión Marlin del Norte to a new Cuban friend from Santiago who, in turn, reciprocated with this portrait of the carving at venue in Holguín, one which apparently celebrates the achievements of Benny More. As see in the following vignettes, JMc's formal introduction to Cuba and Cuban History was buttressed by Public History venues, interaction with local citizens, and a healthy dose of Cuban popular culture and music.
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For some further insight into the study abroad program for Cuba available to students at the University of Alberta, please see Augustana: Cuba
Santiago, San Juan
1 January, 2015. Windy, 21°C
This is an alternative view of a plaque in front of La Loma de San Juan, the place where the Battle of San Juan occurred in 1898. This was the first major battle for Independence of Cuba, which ended with the Anglo-American intervention in 1901. This place was also where we first went with our “Cuban Counterparts”, the fourth-year English students. It marks the first time we were able to sit and meet them without our professors. Just as this place recalls the beginning of a long battle for freedom, it was the beginning of our, hopefully, long friendship. I returned many, many times to the hill during my stay, and took this photo on that first day. On March 20, we had a guest lecturer from the University of Santiago, the former head of the Department in History. He told us the story of the Battle, and of how Cuban independence came about. Thus, this hill is remembered as a symbol of history, war, freedom, and love for the patria..
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Plaza de la Dignidad (Ant-Imperialist Plaza)
February 15, 2015 Windy and Cold, 26°C
Here we are after a walk along the Malecón, pointed towards the coast of the United States. This Plaza has the prominent display of the words, ¡Patria o Muerte, Venceremos! This is one of the most conspicuous mottos of Cuba, and it is found everywhere, including on the national currency. The Plaza is supposed to represent a direct revolutionary challenge to the imperialism that characterized Cuba’s past, and also serve as a reminder for the future. This was one of the first places in Havana we visited. There were four of us who decided to take the train, rather than the bus, across the country. What was supposed to be a thirteen-hour trip became nearly thirty. The train was an adventure in itself and set the stage for our travels in the capital. I had never been on a train before and the trip by rail was an experience I wish I could have recorded in some pictures. When we arrived in Havana it was a day later than we should have, and we missed a planned rendezvous with the other Canadians. Thus, we decided to wander the city and we eventually ended up on the Malecón. This was the second picture of Havana I took, and one of my favourites. The place confirms the Cuban commitment to self-determination, as the Cuban met there told us, and was designed as a message to the United States.
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Consistent with the vast changes underway with Cuba-U.S. relations, in 2016 the Ango-American journalist David Latt gave his reasons for visiting Havana and an alternative "tourist" perspective in: "12 Reasons"
Antonio Maceo y la Revolución
February 15, 2015. Windy and Cold, 26°C
Every city in has parks and plazas sporting monuments of nineteenth-century heroes of Revolución. This is one version in Havana. Like one I encountered in Santiago, it sports a statue of Antonio Maceo, one of the first leaders of the Nineteenth-Century Revolution for Cuban Independence from Spain. He died in the battle in 1898, but is still celebrated throughout Cuba as a national hero. He was the first historical figure we covered in class, and the last one I saw silhouetted against the horizon as we left Cuba. This plaza is enormous, complete with its park for small children, swing sets on the south and west sides, and a huge fountain behind the statue of Maceo. It is located on the Malecón, near the Plaza of Anti-Imperialism. This was also located really close to the Hotel Nacional, which was where we were told all about the U.S. Mafia’s ties to Cuba and how they wanted to rule the island. We also learned how the Hotel, and the Mafia, had a large part in starting the Revolution in the late 1940s.
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Cine Yara
2:00PM May 6, 2015 20°C
Here we find the oldest theatre in Cuba still in operation, located on the famous Calle 23. The street and the theatre, are some of the most beautiful places of the Vedado district in Havana. And one of the wealthiest. Taxis were not cheap from Vedado, where we stayed, to the city centre and the old districts. We walked this long, long stretch of road two or more times a day. There was a lot of graffiti that drew the eye when the architecture did not seem too inspired. We actually first learned about the theatre in Santiago, and we were taught that this is where cinema really began in Cuba. Across from the Yara is the very popular (for us and many tourists) jazz club called El Cuervo.
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Love Cannon, Santiago de Cuba
3:20PM May 9, 2015. HOT 33°C
After a lecture by a great historian, we wandered around the large park atop the hill. There were signs of the original Battle still, like the tower. Inside, the directions and names of the different factions of the Battle of San Juan Hill are carved. To get to the upper level you must climb a very old, rusted staircase in order to see the memorial plaques at the top. The view spanned all of Santiago Bay, much of the older, central part of the city, and the newest parts of the Petrocasas. Remnants of the Battle included cannons littered all around the statues and scenery. One of them was called the “Love Cannon”. The Love Cannon of San Juan Hill, is a beautiful graffiti-covered artefact found at the entrance to the large park. Unlike the majority of the other cannons, this one faces away from the hill, down the long stretch of road you would need to climb in order to get to the top. The cannon has a legend of lovers carving their names to protect their love against outside forces and influences. This legend is so deep-seated, we were told, that many couples fight over whether or not to carve their name into it.
José Martí, Cienfuegos
April 28, 2015. Humid, 36°C
The main plaza, or Parque Martí, holds a beautiful statue of Jose Martí and a gazebo. This area is famous for its historical significance and especially the Teatro Tomás Terry, and has become a beautiful tourist location. In fact, the only postcards we found had either the gazebo or the theatre. This was a trip my friends and I did to celebrate our time in Cuba. We looked around the theatre and learned a lot about the city. Cienfuegos is basically Quebec to Cubans. It’s the French speaking part, though Spanish is still most popular, and there are signs in both languages. There is also a lot of musical influence there, including Benny Moré, who had several hundred shops, clubs and streets named after him in that city.
Mapas y Planos, Cienfuegos
12:36AM May 23, 2015 19°C
At the centre of the main plaza of Cienfuegos, is a large map of Cuba. There are dozens of dates written and carved into the map, including when Bartolomé de Las Casas came to the island. There were also the dates of the city’s foundation, and its different historical battles. The city is across the bay from the Castle of Jagua. The very edge of the map states the date in which Cienfuegos joined with the new Cuban constitution in 1955. This was the first time that our Canadian contingent had heard of Castillo de Jagua, and the first time our Cuban friend had had the chance to see it in person. We decided, based on this map alone as none of us knew what to expect, that we would go see the Castle.
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Castillo de Jagua
April 21, 2015. Hot and Humid, and Windy
We were on our way to see Castillo de Jagua just outside of Cienfuegos, the castle that Bartolomé de Las Casas was said to have stayed in. The castle itself was small and not a major tourist destination, largely because it is a kilometre-long hike after a ferry ride. Castillo de Jagua had many different features. My favourite was a small room carved from the hillside and set with stone. The room had a very old bar and tapestries covered the walls. One told the story of Bartolomé de Las Casas, and another the story of a ship which docked at the castle. No one was seen aboard and no one got off the ship. After it had been in port for a few days there was the visage of a woman falling from the cliff one night. In the morning the ship was gone. I took this photo just outside the castle since it was too dark inside..
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Castillo de Jagua
April 21, 2015. Still Hot, Humid, and Windy
It was getting late, when I found a cannon directed out over the bay at Castillo de Jagua. I spoke to a guard nearby who told me it was one of the cannons that helped keep Cienfuegos free by blocking the bay. I didn’t understand much of our conversation, but the national sentiment of the guards was apparent. I took this picture hoping the rock wouldn’t topple down and fall into the very large ditch below. This was the last picture I took before the day was over, knowing that we were leaving to start our way back across the country to Holguín in order to fly home.