Quinceañera in Trinidad, Cuba - Photos and Full Story

Today, I would like to share with you a little piece of my recent trip to Cuba. As an American, Cuba was always this taboo, off-limits destination that intrigued me even as a small child. It had always been a dream of mine to visit such a unique country. I have a fascination with visiting places that are like nowhere else in the world.

Cuba is one of five remaining communist countries (Cuba, China, North Korea, Laos, and Vietnam), and, in my opinion, is the only one left that is truly communist. Nearly everything is subsidized. Rent for Cubans is as low as $2 a month. This may sound like a dream come true, but their wages are also cripplingly low. Doctors and other highly-sought after careers garner a mere $20 a month!

The country as a whole is fascinating. A highly educated, yet incredibly impoverished country, Cuba is one contradiction after another. The Cuban people are awe-inspiring. They have so little, yet are so incredibly capable of creating and repairing from nothing.

The best (and really only, in my opinion) way to do Cuba is old school. Accommodation wise, we arrived with nothing more than our first night's stay arranged. With the help of our lovely hosts in Havana, we were able to arrange everything. We used this ancient corded device known as a "land line" to book everything. Cuba has no internet available in homes. WiFi (wee-fee to the Cubans) is available only in certain areas. With literally dozens of people huddled around a square, it is impossible to miss the hotspot.

We had seen Havana, Viñales, Cienfuegos, and were now in Trinidad. We were staying with friends of our first host, Hector, and were all out for a stroll about the town. One thing you'll notice during your stay in Cuba is that since there is no internet or luxury commodities, you will often have little else to do apart from walking around and talking to people. Everyone in town knows everyone else. They talk to each other in the streets. It is beautiful.

We were in the Plaza Mayor, shooting the shit, when we noticed a long line of cars parked, wrapping around the church. Our host, Mikey, told us there was a quinceañera going on. To the Spanish speaking world, the quinceañera is a fifteen year old girl's coming of age birthday celebration. It is a really huge deal.

Cuba is notorious for its fleet of beautiful classic cars, but just like everything else in Cuba, nothing is really as it seems. These almendrones as our Cuban friends called them, were nothing more than shells that had been gutted, repaired, and repainted hundreds of times over.

I invite you to pause a moment, and study all of the modifications made to this car

As you can see, the interior of this car is far from a pristine classic. In fact, the vast majority of these cars are beat to shit and running on engines repaired with whatever scrap metal can be found.

the ultimate 50 yard fakeout, these beauties lure you in with their distant luster

Right. So now we're back in Trinidad. I'm walking around the church, marveling at the lineup of classics that are actually still in great shape.

I love the simplicity Cuba offers

I'm walking about, snapping some photos, when I come across this beautiful gem.

I'm no car guy, but I know when something special is in front of me. It's a wonder how this pristine classic has been so delicately maintained in the harsh living conditions of Cuba. This Chevy is so quintessential Cuba, down to the very last detail.

even the dashboard flags are on point

I'm half admiring half drooling over this classic in somewhat of a daze. Something, or someone rather, breaks into my view. It's the band from the quinceañera! In a flash, I raise my camera and fire this single shot.

Nikon D7100 | ISO 100 | 35mm | f 4.2 | 1/500 sec

This is my second entry in the Black and White Street Photography Competition hosted by @daveks and sponsored by @papa-pepper.

Cuba is really a magical country unlike any other place in the world. I invite you to visit it with an open mind and sense of respect for the hardships its citizens endure on a daily basis. With the opening of its borders come great new opportunities for its people. These great opportunities are wonderful in every way but one: that classic vision of Cuba will soon be a thing of the past. I encourage you to visit while Cuba still is the Cuba we all admired and fell in love with in our earlier years.

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Thank you for taking your time to read my story. I hope you found some gain from it, however small. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments. Have a wonderful day! 💙

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I am a US born photographer now living in Barcelona, Spain. Through my travels I have learned many things. The most important of which is letting go of all ego. It is only then can we move past our hangups and achieve our destinies. I love the community here and the encouragement I receive to continue practicing my voice. Please, if you have any feedback, don’t hesitate to comment. If you want me to check out your account, let me know. I love meeting others who wish to inspire a community and movement for progressive change.