TRAVEL: by Eric Mackenzie Lamb
Following the news these days, we can see that Cuba is going through difficult times. President Trump has imposed conditions on the country’s citizens which make it even more difficult. But it wasn’t always like that.
During the early 1960s, I lived for about six months in Havana, Cuba. Because I was fluent in both English and Spanish (as well as French and Italian) I was paid by the tourism department to guide visitors to numerous famous places throughout the city.
I lived in a building near the center of the city. As it happened, I was on the same floor where Ernest Hemingway stayed, in fact just two doors away. One of my most unforgettable experiences was his saying good morning to me when we met in the hallway. After I explained to him that I was working as a guide for tourists, he told me about some of the city’s most famous attractions.
His most famous works were The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea.
For me, the memory of that meeting will always be a highlight of my life’s experiences.
Below are some images of Havana’s most famous sites.
