Santiago, the former capital of Cuba, celebrated its 500th birthday four years before Havana, and the splendor and glory are dazzling enough, even if they remain. From the dusty streets mixed with rum and salsa, to the resting place of José Marti, to Fidel Castro's decisive attack and gunfire declaring that "history will acquit me"... the heroic city of the Republic of Cuba will always leave people with a sense of revolution and freedom to the end.
Many people come to Cuba and have been to Havana and are satisfied, as if they have experienced all the beauty and contradictions of this Caribbean country. But I think that just going to Havana is far from enough to really know Cuba, and its domineering personality, brave and combative whereabouts, and sentimental mind all need to be "met" in person to gain a deeper understanding. So after a three-day stay in Havana, I flew directly across the island to Santiago de Cuba, at the eastern tip of Cuba, to begin my journey across the island from east to west.
This Santiago is Cuban
If you search for "Santiago" on the map, there will be no less than 10 places with this name, the United States, Chile, Spain, Argentina, Panama, Dominica, Venezuela and other countries have the same name, such as the British colonists named "Victoria" all over the world, the Spanish Empire in the American continent also used the name "Santiago", highlighting its first "sun never sets" empire invincible maritime supremacy.
Among the many Santiago, Cuba is geographically located on an island and a corner. I went to Havana airport to check in in the wee hours of the morning. The terminals for domestic flights in Havana were much simpler than the international ones, and the low, dimly lit check-in halls were packed, and I found the check-in counter on the manually changed flight information board and received a handwritten boarding pass with recognizable flight information scrawled on it. The departure hall resembles a bus terminal in a Chinese township, with rows of seats and surrounded by photos of landscapes from all over Cuba, with only a 24-hour "National Cafe" counter barely serving customers, with only four items: mayonnaise bread, instant coffee, "earth cola" soft drinks and fruit drinks.
The walls of Havana Airport's domestic lounges are covered with photos of landscapes from all over Cuba, with only one counter serving 24 hours a day, the "National Cafe".
I saw the Cubana de Aviación aircraft with propellers on both wings outside the window, and I was a little worried. The afterglow of Cuban classic cars remains, but Cubana Cuban's Russian-made "classic aircraft" makes their own people very worried, afraid of air crashes due to old equipment. Fortunately, I ended up boarding a Boeing 737. Walking on the shuttle bus, I found that the yellow area in front of the car had 4 Chinese characters written on it: "Standing Forbidden Zone", and realized that this car was made in China, which soothed my panicked heart.
It took about 1 and a half hours to get to Santiago and it was dark on arrival. After leaving the airport, I was ushered in front of his grey classic car by an uncle driver, which had just been cleaned and had the Real Madrid logo and Spanish on the front window. Most of Havana's classic tourist cars are just retro in appearance, and the interior is a modern sedan accessory, but the interior of this car is also very vicissitudes: rusty iron parts, leather seat road scratches, steering wheel is two bare iron rings welded by itself, and the age of the car is at least 30 years. The Spanish coat of arms is affixed to the front of the handblock, and the small lion puppet hanging above is the only decoration in the car.
A classic car with a sense of vicissitudes inside
The driver asked me to carpool with a white girl and drove me to a booked family hotel in the old town. Along the way, cars stumble through colorful old attics, occasionally hear the sound of parts clashing, and soft morning light shines through the gaps, as if the slightly decadent but still proud ancient capital slowly kicks off.
Stroll through the antique old town, starting with the standard breakfast
The mid-range family hotel I stayed in was about 50 CUC per night (one of the Cuban currencies can be exchanged for pesos, about 346 yuan), and the courtyard was decorated with various tropical plants, one wall painted with lake and mountains, a swing in front of the wall, and a fan-shaped pond in the corner next to it. I enjoyed breakfast at the table with a white tablecloth in the shade.
After staying in several guesthouses, I learned that breakfast at 5CUC is standard in Cuban family B&Bs: refillable bread with a few small boxes of butter, slices of ham and cheese, a plate of sliced fruit, a fried egg with sometimes a few slices of raw tomatoes, a glass of juice (guava, pineapple or orange) and a thermos hot coffee, plus a small jug of milk. This is already the most satisfying meal for Cuban-strapped Cuban families. Carefully laid out and neatly stacked, each breakfast is full of ritual and can basically satisfy passengers.
The 5CUC standard breakfast at the Cuban Family B&B: refillable bread with a few boxes of butter, a few slices of ham and cheese, a plate of sliced fruit, a fried egg with sometimes a few slices of raw tomatoes, a glass of juice and a thermos of hot coffee, and a small jug of milk in your home.
Measuring with your footsteps is the most intimate way to meet Old Town Santiago. Walking through an unknown street, you will stumble into a slightly dilapidated building, and in the center of the small courtyard stands a well-shaped dome pavilion, the mottled walls have not faded their bright colors, and the chalk graffiti painted by mischievous children on the walls adds a bit of interest. The most imposing building passing is the Royal Bank of Canada, with beautiful Baroque decorations and Romanesque pilasters preserved.
In the hot summer, there are few pedestrians on the streets, only children are playing shirtless in the scorching sun, some wearing colorful sheets, perhaps fantasizing about transforming into some superhero. The scene of the city is so leisurely, even if there are horse-drawn carriages rushing by and motorcycles roaring, they have not broken this security, but it shows that the old city has not changed.
After a while, I came to the central square of the city, Sespedes Park, named after the bronze bust of Carlos Manuel de Sespedes. In 1868, he rebelled against the Spanish colonists by force, beginning a 10-year struggle for independence. Although it is a park commemorating the anti-colonial "Warrior General", it is more regarded as a "treasure trove of colonial architecture".
In Seth Pedes Park, the father of the boy wearing a helmet is on a video call with the child's mother, and the smiling faces of the three constitute an alternative "family portrait".
The most conspicuous church (Catedral basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción), behind the bronze statue of Céspedes, was originally built in 1514 with neoclassical towers in the wings. The church has been burned down and rebuilt, earthquakes, pirate looting, and repeatedly renovated and repaired, and it is still elegant and luxurious. After the 500th anniversary celebration of San Diego was renovated, the overall color of the exterior changed from light yellow to blue, mixed with white lines, giving the weather-beaten building a sudden sense of fashion.
The Ayuntamiento de Santiago de Cuba, directly opposite the church, has scaffolding on the façade, red tile roof, white walls, protruding dark blue balconies and door frames, maintaining the neoclassical style of 1954. Since 1901, the 18-metre-long Cuban flag has been hoisted here at midnight every year to celebrate Flag Day. On January 2, 1959, Fidel Castro announced the victory of the revolution by delivering his first speech after the victory of the revolution from this balcony.
See San Diego City Hall from the rooftop garden bar observation deck on the 5th floor of Hotel Casa Granda. In 1959, Castro gave his first speech after the victory of the revolution from the balcony of the town hall.
The orange and white buildings on the east side of the park are also very attractive, with the Casa de la Cultura Miguel Matamoros, a club of the local rich before the revolution. In white is Hotel Casa Granda, and the rooftop garden bar on the 5th floor is a must-see observation deck with a view of the distant mountains, bays and harbour from the Santa Maria Maggiore, a city nestled between the rolling Sierra Maestra and the azure Caribbean Sea, with a geographical location comparable to any central city in the world. The bar has a minimum spend of 2CUC and a 4CUC cocktail, as San Diego is home to Bacardi's first rum factory, the world's largest privately owned spirits maker. In the afternoon, sip back to the sweet and strong authentic rum and overlook the panoramic view of the old city, and the value for money is very much in line with the laid-back temperament of the city.
The white building on the left is the exclusive Hotel Casa Granda, and on the right is the Church of the Assumption, the façade was originally pale yellow, which was repainted blue when Santiago was founded 500 years ago.
Roof garden bar on the 5th floor of Casa Granda Hotel. San Diego is home to Bacardi's first rum factory.
A brown-hatted old man sitting on a barrel with his crutches leaning on his lap in the corner of the park slaps an upside-down aluminum keg with one hand and two homemade sand hammers in the other, with a smug look that would convince you that Santiago is the birthplace of almost all Cuban music genres. The modern bank on the west side is considered "out of place with the surrounding classical architecture" by many travel guides, but the crowds on the steps at the entrance are clearly a popular Internet spot.
Folk bands sing and dance in Seth Pedes Park in the heart of the city
ROADSIDE SOUVENIR SHOPS SELL POSTCARDS OF CHE GUEVARA, STATUES OF JOSÉ MARTI OFTEN APPEAR ON INCONSPICUOUS STREET CORNERS, OR LARGE POSTER PHOTOS OF YOUNG OR OLD CASTELLO WILL COME INTO VIEW FROM TIME TO TIME, AND EVEN GLIMPSE OF THE WALLS OF RESIDENTS' HOMES, AND SLOGANS SUCH AS "REVOLUTION", "JULY 26", "HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE" (VICTORY FOREVER), "CON LA GUARDIA EN ALTO" AND OTHER SLOGANS REMIND PEOPLE AT ALL TIMES. The true colors of this city of revolutionary heroes have not changed.
A souvenir shop on the street selling souvenirs related to revolutionary leaders such as Che Guevara.
The streets of Santiago de Cuba are full of photos of revolutionary leaders such as the Castro brothers, highlighting the background of the city's revolution.
The city of "726"
On the southern edge of the old city, near the harbor, lies Santiago's old French-speaking district, Tivoli, which was inhabited by French residents who had fled Haiti. At this point, the colors of the building are more vivid and beautiful, and the view of the highlands is wide, overlooking the quiet bay. The entrance to the area is a century-old Escalinata Padre Pico, originally made of terracotta tiles, now with only exposed cement brick surfaces. On the steps sit old people resting and children playing. Standing at the top of the stairs and looking down, a straight street is flanked by colorful houses of different shapes, and classic cars, motorcycles and pedestrians on the street decorate the picture beautifully and leisurely. From here, you can take a closer look at Santiago's modern revolutionary history along a route.
The century-old Padeli Bico Steps, originally made of terracotta tiles, now have only exposed cement brick surfaces.
Starting from the yellow building not far away, the Museum of Secret Struggle, formerly the police station, displays many artifacts and precious historical materials of the underground struggle against Batista in the 50s of the 20th century. THE EXTERIOR WALL IS PAINTED WITH THE "26 JULIO" ("726" UPRISING) SIGN WITH A GUN MOTIF. The number "726" is almost the code for the city, and even an alias, highlighting Santiago's unshakable position in the Cuban revolutionary struggle.
The Museum of Secret Struggles displays numerous artifacts and precious historical materials from the underground struggle against Batista in the 50s of the 20th century
However, here you will see another date: November 30. On this day in 1956, the "726" insurgents attacked the police station in order to divert the authorities' attention and cover Castro, who had returned from exile in Mexico. Castro landed in Niklo with 81 revolutionaries on a dilapidated cruise ship. In fact, they arrived 2 days late, and were discovered by the authorities, and they were crushed. But Castro survived and regrouped until victory. This ship is the famous "Granma", which has become one of the symbols of the Cuban Revolution.
Through the city, many buildings have nameplates with "November 30th" and "July 26th", and the revolutionary blood of that year has penetrated every corner of the city. Other houses have a plaque of honor from a five-year period embedded in the exterior walls of a certain five-year period, and the walls of a school show the achievements of housing, industry, education, agriculture, etc., as if to tell the story of the continuation of the revolutionary tradition.
Cuban girl in military uniform outside the "26 July School"
Santiago de Cuba is full of slogans such as "Revolution", "July 26", "Victory forever", "Be on high alert", etc
The building that saw the crown of revolutionary glory in Santiago was the Moncada Barracks, built by the Spaniards in 1938 as a prison and named after the prison that held Guillermo Moncada, a hero of the Cuban War of Independence. THE YELLOW AND WHITE FORTRESS-LIKE BUILDING IS TOPPED WITH A RED "26" LETTERING AND THE WORDS "CIUDAD ESCOLAR, 26 DE JULIO" (JULY 26). On July 26, 1953, after the start of the San Diego Carnival, Castro led more than 100 men to attack the Moncada Barracks, taking advantage of the lack of preparedness of the police and soldiers. Although the attack ended in failure, and Castro, who fled into the mountains, was arrested, it was this chaotic and even failed uprising that made Castro, who was still a nobody at the time, famous, and thus accumulated a lot of political power. Six years later, the revolution triumphed, and the first shots fired here became the beginning of all glory and dreams.
The Moncada Barracks was converted into a school shortly after the victory of the revolution, and bullet marks from the fierce battle are still visible on the exterior walls.
To enter the memorial, go around to Gate 3, which is a corner. This is the place where the fierce battle was fought that year, and the dense craters on the walls are the most powerful proof of this. Batista's soldiers covered the crater with cement, and years later the Castro government restored it as a warning to its original appearance.
Admission to the memorial is 2CUC, plus a photo fee of 5CUC. The museum presents in detail the routes, diagrams, models and figures of the revolutionary action, including every name and face on board the Granma. Touching are photographs of 61 rebel warriors falling, their youthful faces repeated in neat walls of photographs and paintings. At the end of the exhibition are two photographs: one of young Castro carrying his bags, José Martí and the Cuban flag in the background; The other shows a group of students waving red scarves in front of school on July 26, with a line that reads: Cuba! What would have happened to you if you had betrayed your pioneers! (¡Cuba, qué sería de ti si hubieras dejado morir a tu Apóstol!) is taken from Castro's famous defense "La historia me absolverá" (History Will Acquit Me) after his arrest for attacking the Moncada barracks, which became a loud declaration of the "July 26" uprising.
The Moncada Barracks Memorial details the routes, charts, models and personalities of the revolutionary actions, including every name and face on the Granma.
Not far from the barracks, the Abel Santa Maria Historical Park, is also named after the hero. Abel Santa Maria, the leader of the 61 warriors, died attacking the hospital's predecessor on the last day of July. In order to commemorate them, a huge three-dimensional fountain was built on the original site, which means the rushing ideal of the century-old generation of young people. But when I arrived, the fountain was unopened, leaving an empty monument-like column with six bayonets symbolizing justice, the heads of Abel and Castro, and a five-pointed star, along with a line from the Cuban national anthem, "The Song of Bayamo," "Morir por la Patria es Vivir."
Many locations in Santiago are named after heroes, and in some places new revolutionary events are staged at different times, and heroes continue to write legends in the land of heroes, always young people who follow.
The neighborhood here is much livelier than the old town, and on the side of the bus door, I saw a familiar text: China Yutong. Buses in cities such as Havana and Santiago have almost all been replaced with Chinese brand buses.
Most of the buses in cities such as Havana and Santiago in Cuba have been replaced with buses from Yutong in China
The author encountered a group of Cuban Young Pioneers wearing red scarves waiting at the bus stop
Cemeteries and forts
Cementerio Santa Ifigenia, located at the western end of Santiago, is Cuba's second-largest cemetery after Columbus Cemetery in Havana, and although it is slightly less large and grandiose, it is buried with the same number of figures, including Jose Martí and Fidel Castro.
The entrance to the cemetery is a monumental hexahedral building, each corner is a goddess-like column, symbolizing the six provinces of Cuba during the Spanish colonial period. The intricately designed tomb of José Martí, built in 1951, is shining in sunlight at various times of the day, echoing José Martí's poem "Don't put me in a dark place, like burying a traitor; I am a good man, die as a good man, and I will face the sun! Inside the tomb is a white marble seated statue of José Martí, with a contemplative expression, holding a pen in one hand, representing his identity as a teacher, poet, writer, journalist and other intellectuals, and a piece of paper dropped on the ground, indicating that he is worried about the future of the Americas.
I was just in time for the half-hourly Changing of the Guard. To the sound of loud music, eight soldiers, armed with straight bayonet guns, walked out of the white building on one side, and after a few bells, they changed the guard with the guards inside and on both sides of José Martí's tomb, and the ceremony was full of solemnity.
Changing of the guard at José Marty's tomb. Underneath the sculpture in the shape of an olive branch in front is an unquenchable flame, and three soldiers in the center walk towards them from below the tall mausoleum, and the picture is full of solemnity.
The crowd watching the ceremony dispersed, and I noticed that Castro's tombstone was also on the side of the entrance, and a plaque on a large stone read "FIDEL." The simple and simple tombstone surprised me a little, and I always felt that it should be taller and more delicate. But from another point of view, Castro's quotations and portraits have long been spread in thousands of households in Cuba, and there is no need for unnecessary carvings to preach for the famous monument behind him, but this square stone makes him calm and indifferent throughout his life and revolution.
Fidel Castro's tombstone is simple and simple, and the nameplate on the large stone reads "FIDEL".
The martyrs who died in the attack on the Moncada barracks and the revolutionaries of the "726" uprising are also buried in the same cemetery, and various politicians and celebrities have erected beautiful tombstones like works of art, and several white seabirds have stopped at the top of the tombstone cross. At the same time, it is also a cemetery shared with ordinary people, and I saw in the corner of the mausoleum a multi-faceted wall full of grids, with only names, dates of birth and death and numbers written in the squares, and at most a photo. Planting a flower may be the best memorial to the deceased. The phoenix flower next to it is blooming, paying equal tribute to all life. This huge cemetery houses the common end of superstars and ordinary people.
The cemetery of Santa Ephegna is a cemetery shared with ordinary people, with a grid wall in the corner, with only the name, date of birth and death and number written in the square, and at most a photograph.
From the cemetery of Santa Ifegenia to the city center, I deliberately tried the horse-drawn carriage, an ancient mode of transportation that better matches the city. The coachman whipped up the somewhat tired horses, and the carriage could seat seven or eight people, and I greeted the old and young people in the car with a Spanish "hello", and they would also look at my camera curiously.
Horse-drawn carriage rides are a common mode of transportation in San Diego
Further afield, the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, is a World Heritage Site built in the 16th century to defend against pirate attacks. Located on a promontory about 60 meters high at the entrance to the Port of Santiago, it offers a wide view of the turquoise coastline and rolling mountains. But maybe the weather was gloomy that day, and the vast scenery was not as stunning as I expected. Instead, on the way back, my taxi driver got out of the car to help my fellow pusher who broke down, which became a "very Cuban" detail that impressed me even more.
As night falls, the humidity and heat fade, the temperature cools down, and the city releases another kind of vitality. Ships in the harbor turn on the searchlights of the anchors, several abandoned train cars on the seaside have been converted into pizzerias for diners to eat, and parent-child interactive game halls; The shopping street is crowded, restaurants use chalk to write the latest menu on the blackboard, and you can also drink Coca-Cola from Mexico, with two pairs of chopsticks painted on Coke cans that say "Make your meals more delicious"; With dim street lights, children play hopscotch
Several abandoned train cars by the sea have been converted into pizzerias and parent-child arcades
Revolutions, heroes, slogans, battles... San Diego may seem less approachable, but if you stay in it, you can feel the lively romance of this 500-year-old city even for a short stay. She has stories from the past waiting to tell you, and enthusiasm for the present waiting for you to return her love, like a revolution, always unfinished.
This article was published in the 10th issue of World Knowledge Illustrated magazine in 2022
Editors in charge: YIN, Zan