Oria/Cuba 2001 - Cuba - Santiago - Edificio Turquino


See also my Cuba 2000 page

Like last time, we moved into the apartment on the 16th floor of Edificio Turquino, 18 Plantas. It offers a splendid view of the city, is discreet and conveniently located. For directions check out my addresses page.

Magalis' husband is actually a non-entity. He was hardly ever allowed to open his mouth
Magalis, the woman who can organize everything, with her husband and a friend
Tamara sports an impressive mustache
Teresa is Magalis' daughter. She gave birth recently (3 months ago I didn't even notice she was pregnant)
Maritza moved out with her lovely daughter when we arrived. God knows where they slept during that week
Maritza was our host. Whenever we need the apartment, she moves out
It took us a few days to figure out the lock on this thing
High security with iron grids and double locks
 
This apartment, while not typical cuban, is an excellent place to stay in Santiago
The entrance with one of the fridges (broken) and a kitchen we never used
We hardly used the living room as we spent most of the time outside
Our apartment sported a spacious living room...
We only used the TV as an alarm clock in the morning
...complete with a TV (2 channels, propaganda and propaganda) and rocking chairs
The part of town you see out the window looks like a slum, but isn't
The balcony on the 16th floor, overlooking half of the city
 
You had to constantly switch on and off, otherwise you'd either burn or freeze
Our bathroom. Major improvement: You can now choose between freezing and scalding water from within the shower (you used to switch in the living room)
This room looks much nicer with the bedcovers on
My bedroom. complete with fan
A welcome fresh breeze. Maritza wants to install air conditioning. I don't see why
Steve's bedroom, painted in an equally subtle color
The road we walked about a thousand times
The view from the my bedroom towards the bay. Compare this image with the one from last year (same perspective) to see the change in climate
 
Don't stay in this house if you suffer from vertigo
16 stories can be frightening
You learn a lot about Cuban life by just sitting outside Edificio Turquino and watching people grow (apologies to Boris)
Avenida Victoriano Garzón, one of the main roads of Santiago
Steve had a lot of breakfast, and most of the other ones', too
Steve, as I usually say him: Eating loads of breakfast
Sara is a strange girl. We never quite figured her out
Sara, a Chilena from Santiago (de Chile, that is) whom we had met on the plane from Havana
 

Map of Santiago with Edificio Turquino
Map showing the location of 18 Plantas on the prolonged axis of Parque Cespedes - Plaza de Dolores - Plaza de Marte. Walking distance to Parque Cespedes is about 15 minutes.

 

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Pictures by Thomy and Steve, Text by Thomy - Feedback should be directed at thomas@voirol.com