Just beyond the city...

Manaca Iznaga lies 20 minuets outside of Trinidad. It is a tiny community, revolving around tourism. The one and only main street is a small boulevard lined with vendors selling beautiful white linen, hats, and wooden jewelry. When the sugar plantation left the area, the community was forced to create new means of income and thus took up artisan trades such as embroidery, and woodwork.

The city's tower, encircled with vendors and the trademark white linen.  

The view from the top 

A long way down 

Mad and I 

Things are looking up 

Think outside boxes 

Maddie

Waiting for departure

Tedious Traditions 

Touring Trinidad

On of the older cities in Cuba, Trinidad was founded in 1514 and is now known for its well preserved streets, UNESCO funding, and tourism. Regardless of the atmosphere, Trinidad in undeniably beautiful, with rainbow buildings, cobble stone streets, and mixture of colonial architecture. 

Se Vende

Tourism is the main economy of Trinidad, and with it the typical straw hats, carved wood, vibrant art, and bottles of Havana Club. 

Estillo Destruido 

We left the city to climb the closest "mountain" (aka small hill above the city), on our way we passed by this church which Lonely Planet had described as "beyond its glory days". Behind the church, construction for a new hotel had begun, but this too must have past its prime as the only guests were 10 milk cows and weeds.

Faster than walking down 

Maddie, hot and tired of the blazing sun, chose the faster rout down the mountain... it worked great until she reached the bottom. 

Where to go when the streets end...

Now Where?

Learning from the Pros.

At the first boxing tournament of the season, the winners from the last four days battle for a spot in the finals. Each match was composed of three, 3 minute rounds. Ages ranged from 15 year olds on the national team to 30+ who had long outlived their boxing prime. 

After the matches we returned to Miranda's studio and trained hard for 2 hours, channeling our memories from the mornings matches and envisioning all our future glories in the ring.. or maybe just the gym.

Urban Exploration

While exploring the winding streets of Camagüey I discovered an abundance of city culture. From towering churches to block-long murals. The city is famous for its maze like streets (once used to confuse and entrap invading pirates).

The city's most impressive cathedral constructed in the 1800s and restored many times since, the stained glass remains broken, the stones stained with weather, and the air musty with years of service. 

Morning rises with Mass

Bronze statues pay tribute the the locals that live in Plaza de Carmen. Like eerie ghosts they often come a sit with their metal replications, drawing stares from tourists, and laughs from neighbors. 

Not all Cuban art is official. These portraits utilized the "estillo destruido" and available resources. to create a haunting  commentary on the access to supplies throughout Cuba

Some murals are for pure enjoyment. 

Vampires, Piña Coladas, and Comida.

  Tropical Cuba is the perfect place for agricultural abundance! Blessed with astonishingly fertile soil, endless growing seasons, powerful sun, and equally powerful rain, growth is inevitable.  
    Unfortunately, this does not mean that Cuba is the utopia of diverse produce that I had envisioned. Nope, the days dreaming of all types of veggies, fruits, spices, roots, legumes, and so on... are just that dreams.
   The reality of produce in Cuba is much more specific, and barely fills a shopping list; potatoes, beans, cucumbers, peppers, pineapple, bananas, papaya, guava, avocado and the occasional tomato, squash and eggplant. Although limited the produce that is available is produces in high abundance, and high quality. 

The usual abundance of garlic at the local agro in Camguey.

     For example there is enough garlic for sale, to extinguish a whole army of vampires. From the massive strings for sale in the agros, to the daily street vendors shouting "aaaaaajjjjjjjooooo! Se Vende aaaajjjjoooo!!!" Garlic is available year round, 24/7, in abundance. 

Pineapples for sale in Camaguey . 10mn for each one equals about .50 cents in USD.  

  Pineapple is also a staple crop, prominent throughout agros and street vendors. Although the Piña Coladas are made from anything but fresh pineapple, they make the perfect breakfast.

Sweet Oranges for sale. 

 Fall is citrus season in Cuba. Everything from oranges to grapefruits to lemons, limes, mandarins, and countless other nameless varieties are overflowing the vendors carts.

Particularly fresh tomatoes

Agro 19 & B is known as being the most expensive vendor to buy produce, yet it often has the freshest produce in Havana. On a lucky day I was able to find everything from carrots, to grapes, to tomatoes, and even the rare MAMEY!

Carrots and grapes are rare at agros, reflected in their high prices: $1 a pound

It would be monkey heaven!

Bananas are always for sale, often stacked in layers, they come in sweet varieties ready to eat, cooking varieties that are starchier, and frying varieties that make delicious platino chips.

THE SIZE OF YOUR FACE
 Avocados (literally the size of your face) are constituently available produce throughout Cuba. Though Havana hosts the largest Catalina species, one variety or another can can be found anywhere. 

Urban Agriculture In Cuba

Price List 

Weight Scale

My Good Friends at the Butcher Shop

27 years selling produce 

Julian. 81 years old. Retired Farmer. Retired musician. Retired bus driver. And Current Grandfather. 

Eggplant and Coconut 

Carrots and Grapes. 

Evolution of Boxers

After a month a Miranda's we have transformed from awkward boxing mimes, to self sufficient boxer, capable of swinging punches, throwing jabs, and coordinating attack passes, defense and trick. 

We still have a long way to go, but a real round is on the horizon, and a match is plausible.  

Ready to Work

Nick

Generations of Gear

Waiting for the distance 

Nick and Maddie

Bag Work 

Upper Cut

After an afternoon of sweat and hard work it feels great to strip off the wraps.