The small store was in what Americans would call a strip mall. However, it was nothing like a regular strip mall and instead was a long 12 foot wide by 60 foot metal building, gravel parking lot filled with customers and vendors, each selling their local produce.
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What you may not see
In Israel, underground bunkers, signs near the road that read, “DANGER – MINES” will quickly take local residents to a time and place not too long ago between the mid 1940's and mid 1960's. .
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The Famous Cuban Cigar
And there we were... at the sacred tobacco farm where the famous and sometimes infamous Cuban tobacco was grown, dried, hand cut and later rolled into cigars that some call, “Sweeter than candy.”
Read More"My Aunt Worked for Elvis"
52 Year old Dyran sat back as if to better focus on the past... “I remember pulling up to Graceland at about age 20, the staff was at the front door and pointed to the side where parking was located,” he told me.
Read MorePregnant and living on a Sidewalk
As the sun was setting over Knoxville, she prepared for the night. Her home is the sidewalk. But, it's not just her... she is 5.5 months pregnant. In just a few months her child will be born.
Read MoreThe sad reality of alcohol
One of the most famous quotes is quite true: "First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Read MoreDisability in Cuba
He was confined to a wheelchair with only one leg while the other was swollen in the heat and humidity of Cuban air.
Read MoreCUBA: Where the Streets Have No Name
In Havana, you will find that a taxi driver lives in the same building as a doctor. Perhaps someone who works law enforcement lives next door to a grounds keeper? A scientist lives in the same building as a teacher – and so on.
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The People of Cuba
Cubans are smart, very smart. According to "The Fact Life," Cuba has one of the highest literacy rates in the world at 99.8%.
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The Alleys and Side Streets of Cuba
Cuba has around 37,800 miles of roads. Of that number, close to 20,000 miles are unpaved. That said, some downtown streets may have been paved 40 years ago and not touched since. So, what maybe a paved route, could easily feel and look unpaved.
Read MoreThe Mogotes of Viñales Valley
Viñales Valley was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1999 and is protected by the Cuban Government as a National Park. Due to the area being a World Heritage Site, it is also protected by the United Nations with an international treaty.
Read MoreLife on the Street
Dave Walker lives in his van in Murfreesboro, TN near Nashville. In this 10 minute he talks about some of the things he has seen or heard in the past 8 months.
Read MoreAnimals are Everywhere in Cuba
Animals of all sizes walk where they want to walk. From the nicer restaurants in town where you find dogs inside, to the mom and pop locations in the farmland - animals are everywhere.
Read MoreThe Cars of Cuba
The late Fidel Castro banned imports of vehicles in 1959. Cuba doesn't have an auto manufacturer, so the cars that were imported in the 50's were there to stay. The communist leader also banned the import of car parts, according to the "Independent UK Newspaper."
Read MoreWhat Cuba Could Be
The sun falling on downtown Havana showed the true Cuban dream of success had washed away into the Caribbean years ago. An area that was alive with music, families and more in the 1940's and 50's is decaying as if it was struck by a curse in 2000's.
Read MoreYou are confined to your state - No leaving
Taxi drivers in Cuba are the most open when they talk about the dream of travel. Why? Because they meet travelers from around the world daily.
Read MoreBlue Skies and the Colors of Cuba
Every once in a while I came across that picture perfect setting that highlighted what Havana, Cuba once looked like in the 1940's.
Read More9:30 at Night - Capital of Cuba
Cuba at 9:30 PM Eastern Time: The capital of Havana is only a whisper outside on a Thursday night, other than a few passing cars. As you walk into one of the many apartment buildings you hear kids playing in one unit and as you continue down the florescent lit hallway, you hear the sound of a small yelping dog.
Read MoreA tune for the plants with a touch of aqua
Hours passed as he sat on the curb of a Cuban hotel in downtown Havana strumming his ukulele. As the hours went by he would get up and pour some of his water bottle on the plants directly behind him, one by one.
Read MoreThe Streets of Cuba
You hear songs talking about Havana and you may watch old movies make mention of the romantic capital of Cuba - so you would think it is just that... beautiful.
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