We took a ferry over to a La Regla, a neighborhood noted in the Lonely Planet, apparently famous for it’s Santeria practices. What we saw was the ‘real Cuba.’ The urban heart of the city lacking in Pesos Convertibles where poverty is at its most evident.
I avoided photographing people. I don’t feel right about that kind of exploitative tourism, and we left shortly after we realized this was not a neighborhood we belonged in as visitors. It was not for sightseeing.
Here are some of the buildings near the churches at the ferry port, but farther down is a deep rabbit hole of economic exasperation that is difficult to put into words, and being witness to such leaves me without a doubt that we need to open up economic trade with Cuba — keeping it restricted is only hurting the Cuban people.
I can’t even imagine what areas of the country are like that receive no remittances or Pesos.
