Come with me to look at Havana, first from The Christ (El Cristo), which watches peacefully and immensely from the village of Casablanca, on the other side of the Bay. And then, from the cliffs of the Morro Castle, with the company of a beautiful lady, the night.
Every time I walk or cycle along the Harbour Avenue (Avenida del Puerto) my eyes always fall on this beautiful sculpture.
Look at its details!
So seeing it up close makes the experience even more intense.
I tried to capture each image in its true colours of that day. The sun was setting while we cycled uphill to the viewpoint where Jilma Madera's great work is located.
This is not the grand, dreamy view that tourist magazines usually show, but it is the real thing, a piece of hill where the undergrowth is part of the beautiful, natural attire, where you can also see the hustle and bustle of the maritime workers or at least the structures they leave behind after going home to rest on a Sunday.
I know there are better days to photograph, but I was there on that, the most common and ungraceful Sunday of the calendar; excited about a sunset that was totally hidden from me... it happens. I have many illusions and I also suffer from many disappointments.
Oh, but this view is beautiful. What do we see there? Let's start from left to right: the San Francisco de Asis Convent and its square, the one with the pigeons, the Lonja del Comercio building with its Mercury in the dome, which succumbed in a unequal battle against the implacable Eolo in 1999, when a hurricane called Irene was having fun here. Since that day, the light and graceful God of Commerce has been slowly turning like a weather vane, thanks to the solution that renowned engineers devised so that it would not suffer such a fate again.
That elongated blue construction is the restaurant Los Marinos, next to the Bay, I think there are also shops there... I haven't really been inside for a long time, but you can see that it has a terrace at the back from where someone probably used to watch El Cristo.
😃
Now we look from the middle of the image to the right and we can see 4 large buildings in the distance and the Malecón. These are: the Hermanos Amejeiras Hospital, the K23 hotel, the Habana Libre hotel, and the Focsa, an apartment building that also has a restaurant on its highest floor with incredible views, bars, shopping gallery... and is considered one of the 7 wonders of Cuban civil engineering. We are looking in the direction of the Vedado neighbourhood.
What you see now is the old San José warehouses, which now houses a place for handicraft vendors, and other offices, I guess I have to take you there one day to admire these works. You are looking to the left, in the direction of Old Havana... excuse me, I've got you looking like the head of a fan. 🤣
Here it is 10:18 pm, I'm on my terrace sharing the 4G connection from my mobile to my laptop and writing this post. I haven't had an ADSL connection for three days and it seems that nobody cares about my situation even though I've complained several times, because nobody comes to see what's going on. Right now a train is passing by.... what a long train it is, my God! I know because I can hear it. I love the sound of trains! The train is still whistling in the distance.
...
Would you like to come with me now to the Morro Castle, where the lighthouse is? I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of the lighthouse. 😄
These days the place is more crowded because the Havana International Book Fair is being held in the Cabaña. This is a fortress complex called Morro-Cabaña.
The village of Casablanca is very easily connected to them and as we were cycling, everything is close by.
Here, of course, I also had my moment. And also a little bit of vertigo.
See? No railings.
Have you ever felt ignored by someone you adore? It's like vertigo in my case... you take a step back; but the idea that you are falling without end hurts, and your mind is busy talking to you and tormenting you, telling you that you may never recover from it again.
I didn't see the sunset because the clouds simply blocked it all...
Behind us, there were similar colours but from a fire and I knew it because sirens could be heard immediately.
That's all you'll see of the lighthouse, behind the cannon stationed high up there. We had to go back home, because the night was getting too intense, and believe me it was a long way.
It really was a pleasant Sunday, as I said... and it also made me reflect: illusions are born out of attachment to a concrete result, the one you draw in your mind, the one you would like to achieve. However, we can avoid disappointments, I suppose, by living in the moment, letting it be, as it wants to be. It's not a good thing to burn things, by the way. I hope there was nothing to regret so that I now have a unique photo in my archives.
And back to the subject of illusions, attachments and disappointments... theory is always easier than practice... but with will, anything is possible.
Related post, in case you missed it and would like to take a look.Destination unknown 😜🚴♀
Original content by @nanixxx. All rights reserved ©, 2025.
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STOPThanks a lot @hivebuzz!
😉
Wow, the view is very beautiful👍
Yes, and to witness these views from this place is very comforting, especially if you get to cycle up there after many kilometres. 😉 Thank you.
The photographs showing that part of Havana from above are beautiful. I won't say anything about the sculpture, it says it all without the need to add more words.
Those images of the sunlight between clouds... A unique moment.
@nanixxx, you never disappoint. Ah! Good morning ☀️
Good morning! This is a place I would like to visit often. I couldn't upload the video because of my connection.... It will be possible one of these days.
Thanks @enraizar. I hope that party was memorable.
🌞
That meeting between friends went very well and ended up in a movie theater. Watching a somewhat depressing movie: The Brutalist. Real cinema, with a photography and texture that reminded me of 70's movies like Frenzy. I enjoyed it very much.
Looking forward to your video, I wish you a great day. 🤗
😊 Apparently they are both very good films. I'll make a note to see them. Thank you and a big hug. I'm off to another place a bit far from here to see if I can finally get my x-rays done 🦷.
I still wish you a great day. I hope all goes well.
Me voy a comer... 👋
Te deseo buen día también 🤗👋🏻
Buenos días 🌄 @nanixxx. Cómo fue 🦷?
¡Buenos días! Por fin pude. Ayer fui a un lugar donde el equipo funcionaba. Uno de esos que no es digital. Ya sabes a la antigua usanza y el revelado de la placa defectuoso... Espero que se pueda ver lo que se necesita ver ahí. Como ves en Filipinas no se descansa y siempre es un problema todo. Gracias por preocuparte. 🤗 Deseo que estés teniendo un bonito día.
Espero que lo que se pueda ver, se vea. Por aquí el día va bien... creo que se lo voy a dedicar a Hive... ya veré, que me han llamado para salir. 😅
También espero que tengas un día muy bonito. 🌞
@tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 7/57) Liquid rewards.
✨ Thank you!
Hermosas fotos
¡Gracias @encuentro! ☺️
I went with you to the Castillo del Morro, I loved it!!!! And the sky, even with clouds, is beautiful. The christ is a marvel and the third shot is great.
You know what? I miss the sound of the train very much, I used to live two streets away from it and I loved to listen to it... it's been many years since I only have the memory of it.
Oh, at 7:18 a while ago another train went by. I was preparing my coffee and now I drink it here on the terrace while chatting with you. It's a bit chilly and the day is grey. I have to go out in a while so I'd better bring an umbrella.Hi, @avdesing, so glad you joined me 😊. It's a great hike up there, a nice walk. So for this time I got off the bike to walk beside you. Hahaha...
Ten un lindo día
One day you could record the sound of the train.... will it be possible? Look at the things I ask for, I'm super crazy!!!! I'm here preparing lunch and painting a picture, the poppy woman!🤗
Oh, claro que sí, será un placer. Quizás pueda grabarte el que pasa a las 10 esta noche ... vamos a ver cómo va el día. Un abrazo.
Aquí no hay trenes de carga, y parece mentira que lo extrañe... las pequeñas cosas o detalles de la vida. Por lo menos hay un horario, en Argentina pasaba a cualquier hora🤣. Que tengas un día super hermoso!
Gracias 🍀 y tú qué ya lo estés teniendo.
Aquí pintando un rostro, eso me encanta... mientras escucho esto
Exquisite journey to which you transport us with magnificently achieved images.
Thank you!
Thank you. It gives me great satisfaction that you all enjoyed this post. 📷
I'm going to say little, your photos are wonderful, today you have your extraordinary verbal touch combined with the magic of your camera..
A post for the gods? I am only a mortal simple.
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Haha... no need to exaggerate. 😛 But I'm glad you liked the post.
It was really painful to upload these photos with less than one line on the 4G network.
Buenas noches, @adaluna1973. Que descanses. Yo necesito descansar ya.
Dear nani, what beautiful shots, I confess that I had a different image of Havana and I love to know it through your lens. I understand you about the vertigo, I don't like heights very much, especially if they don't have railings. 😅
I can tell you that Havana has many faces. Enjoy the beautiful ones and understand those that are not so beautiful, because in fact they all have a story to tell and beauty is also relative. 😉
Thank you.
I understand you, the same happens with Caracas, although there is a whole that including lights and shadows, depending on the observer we will see certain realities, I believe that every island is blessed, that proximity to the sea is healing. Thanks to you for showing us such beautiful landscapes. 😍
Thanks to you! We have to design our happy life from ourselves. It is only then that we will see outside what we want to see.
Amazing photos as always! Although you couldn't see the sunset completely, sunsets from El Morro never disappoint, and your photos don't either.
Good mapping of Havana from the other side 😁
😁 Thank you for your compliments, I know you are fond of me. Hahaha... a hug for you.
Hermosas vistas de la Habana de nuestra Habana la capital de los cubanos. El mar el cielo y ese cristo que nos protege, Jilma supo buscar el lugar perfecto para su obra para abarcar lo bello que es La Habana. Tus fotos son testimonio de esa ciudad que ha pesar del tiempo conserva su encanto. Gracias. Un beso hija. ❤️🥰
Es una reliquia que debe ser cuidada, como otras muchas que espero no caigan en el abandono porque son símbolos e historia de nuestra ciudad. Un beso mamani, te quiero. 😄