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Article: an Englishwoman abroad Fear and friendship in the streets of Havana
- Article from:
- The Sunday Telegraph London
- Article date:
- October 20, 2002
- Author:
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Copyright informationCopyright 2002 The Sunday Telegraph London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The buildings are cracked and faded, their ancient bricks softened
by time and humid air. The paint has long since peeled; the plaster
has bubbled and crumbled in places. The stone walls are mottled with
a creamy, rose-red lichen.
I walk through the dusty streets of colonial-era Havana, admiring
the beauty of 16th-century buildings which stand close to ruin in a
city that pulses with modern life. Washing hangs from the wrought-
iron balconies, white sheets billowing in the hot breeze. Old women
sit in rocking chairs in open doorways, televisions murmuring from
dark, damp interiors. I amble down a quiet street, keeping to
shadows.
I hear the man calling behind me before I see him.
"Amiga," ...