Page 84 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2017

SPORTS & OUTDOOR going back in time
U.S. citizens may now travel to Cuba under the “People-to-People” program for educational and cultural exchange purposes. Our recent trip, was sponsored by the Oceans for Youth (OFY) Foundation which has partnered with the Jardines Aggressor to offer a tour culminating in a one-week dive boat trip. As we rode the bus from the airport to our hotel in Havana, I recalled the many stories I had read about Cuba. So, I was fully prepared for non- working elevators, no air conditioning, and a scarcity of toilet paper. Imagine my surprise when we arrived at the five-star Iberostar Parque Central, which was as nice as any hotel where I’ve ever stayed. Much of Havana is in obvious decay, as if in an apocalyptic movie where the city was abandoned and left to revert back to nature. Buildings adjacent to our hotel undergoing an exterior face-lift were derelict shells lacking roofs. Their debris-filled rooms were visible through windows devoid of glass.
DANCING IN THE STREETS with the locals.
84 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2017 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
DANCING
IN THE
STREETS OF
HAVANA
story by Frank Wilem photos by David Gross
people are people, no matter where they live