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Travel to Cuba


petermcwerner

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I am flying to Cuba for the first time for 2 weeks and thought of taking along the FX01/c-lux as carry-always and the R9+DMR with the following lenses and accessories:

21-35, 4/35-70, Angenieux 70-210, 2.8/60 macro, 2x extender, macro flash, tripod

 

Apart from the "usual" travel photography I am mainly interested in nature photography (wild orchids)

 

Any tips and caveats, both photographic and personal?

Thanks

Peter

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Peter, I envy you - but not all that stuff you've got listed! No wonder you can't make a decision!

 

Were it me, there, this special moment in time, I'd have an M, a 35, fast color film, let the wonderful people do the talking....and leave the birds for another time.

 

Bruce Terry

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I went to Cuba in June 2004. I did not particularly go for wildlife but more for the people, cars and buildings (many of which are falling down in Havana). I took my R9 and 28-90 which proved to be everything I needed. Like Bruce I suggest forget the wildlife (not that I remember there being more than a few Humming Birds where I was in Varadero) and concentrate on the people.

 

Enjoy your trip.

 

Mike

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Mike,

 

Cuba is a paradise for birdwatchers!

 

[ATTACH]4415[/ATTACH]

 

There are beautiful birds, you just have to go to less touristic places.

 

[ATTACH]4416[/ATTACH]

 

If you go to Baracoa visit the wonderful Rainforest at the "Alexander von Humboldt Nacional Park"!

 

[ATTACH]4417[/ATTACH]

 

Regards Stefan

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I went to Cuba in June 2004. I did not particularly go for wildlife but more for the people, cars and buildings (many of which are falling down in Havana). ...

I suggest forget the wildlife (not that I remember there being more than a few Humming Birds where I was in Varadero) and concentrate on the people.

Thank you and all others for your advice. I intend to do both: buildings and people, but also wild orchids.

 

There are over 300 species of wild orchids in Cuba, over 100 of them being endemic.

A good resource is The Orchids of Cuba by Juan A. Llamacho and Julio A. Larramendi, Greta Editores, Lleida (Spain) 2005. I have also heard that Raul Castro, (mainly his wife), are very interested and collect orchids, but I fear that especially now I would have no chance of meeting them.

 

Finding the orchids in nature will not be easy. I hope to get some help from the Orquideario de Soroa

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People,

I envy you that can travel freely to Cuba. My wife & I were fortunate enough to visit right before our administration made it against the law of the US. I would love to live in Havana.

 

Our country does not understand the difference between South American communism (where it is an earned honor to be a member of the party) & other forms. I am really pleased to see Venzuela blocking the plans of the out of touch (on all levels) administration.

 

I took a Canon 1V with a 16mm-35mm which worked out well as we walked a lot & I certainly wouldn't want to be packing a lot of weight.

 

Pray for Fidel, pray for Cuba.

 

Michael

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Peter,

 

be aware that You are not allowed to walk on your own in most national parks. You always have to take a local guide who will charge about 10-17Euros/person for a 2-3 hours trip. My wife and I always tried alone, sometimes it worked well, othertimes (esp. in rainforest) not, as you cannot navigate if You just see trees and bushes close by. If your key interest is birds, visit the Humbold Park, as Stefan suggested.

 

Best regards

 

Oliver

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If your key interest is birds, visit the Humbold Park, as Stefan suggested.

 

Oliver,

 

Thank you for your tips. My key interest is wild orchids. I am looking for a guide who is knowledgeable in orchids and have emailed to a few people in Cuba connected with orchids, but have not received any answer yet. I doubt that the ordinary guides know much about endemic orchids.

 

You can see some of my orchid pictures on Orchids of The World and Angraecum Encyclopedia

 

Best regards

Peter

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Hello Peter,

I came from Cuba last week. Spent three weeks there. I didn´t make it to Pinar del Rio so I left the orchids from Soroa to the next travel. The oriental side of the island is full of surprises. Santiago de Cuba (the most fascinating city in Cuba), Sierra Maestra (worths a journey to Pico Torquino, more or less 2000 mt, you may also ask to the people at the bottom of the Sierra for special advices at flora and fauna in the Sierra), the travel from Santiago de Cuba to Baracoa is unbelievably beatifull (Viazul: Santiago, Guantanamo, Baracoa). Baracoa is indeed amazing, you may look there for cubatur to rent cars ou arrange visits to the iunque area, with its cocoa fields, coffee fields, etc, search for the coast at yumuri river, that you may navigate to a certain point.

I travelled mostly by bus (viazul transportation is great, they take schedules seriously) but journeys with rented cars within certain areas, cities and surrounding areas are far more comfortable. Then, depending on your purposes, you may securely travel in the guaguas (city buses, mainly for cubans), horse guaguas (city buses, but with real horse power, mainly for cubans). You may look for Gibara, Remedios, Trinidad, Topes de Colantes (and other places in Escambray Valley that is, as Vinales Valley, in Pinar, from Jurassic Era), Zapata and Matanzas provinces are also beatifull. In Santa Clara, in front of Teatro de la Caridad, you may find this geologist that is selling some of its flowers. He knows a lot of orchids and general vegetation on Cuba. His name is Claro, or Largo, I'm not completely sure, and he is selling there at sundays and mondays, I believe.

I took only my M7 and a 50mm f2 (I missed a wider lens). And a Manfrotto tripod that survived the cargo area of the Cubana airplane (the Civil Guard in Madrid forbid me to take it to the cabin and I was forced to send the tripod wrapped in plastic outside my bags). Take as much km of film as you can. Take all impermeable suits and bags you can.

I walked alone virtually everywhere. Day and night. I never felted unsecure. But some have reasons to complain themselves. Be carefull in Central Havana and Santiago at night.

Good luck.

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Hi Peter,

 

I spent 9 days in Havana in April/May, and while I have no advice regarding your macro photography, I can recommend the following;

The streets in Havana particularly Havana Vieja (old Havana) are quite narrow- my 35 'cron just never seemed wide enough for architectural shots although perfect for portraits of people on the street and the cars. So you're well covered with your wide zooms. Havana casts it's alluring spell with the incredible exuberance of it's people- asking any Habano/a's for a picture is usually met with "yes, why not!" Watch your gear, and while I had no trouble, be careful around Centro particularly at night. I don't like to be alarmist and theft can happen in any major world city, but there has been a sharp rise in snatch thefts in recent months. Your gear is safest in your Casa Particular or hotel. Check out this Casa if you haven't already got accomodation- http://207.96.254.9/_a/cities/la_habana/habana_vieja/CasaMarthaeIsrael/index.html Martha and Israel were wonderful hosts!

 

Have a great trip, Gerard.

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Thanks to all for your tips.

 

José Pedro,

I do not know if I can make it to the East: Santiago, Sierra Maestra, etc. or if I will stay in the West. It depends of the orchids I find there.

 

Gerard,

I shall be careful with pick-pockets. I already have a casa in Vedado. I wanted to be away from the noise of Habana Vieja.

 

In the end I decided against the 2.8/35-70 as I cannot use it with the 2x APO extender with it. I shall take the 2.8/100 APO macro and the 4/35-70 which is very good, too and much lighter to carry.

 

I shall put some pictures after I come back.

Leaving on Thursday morning

Peter

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Peter,

 

if you take the DMR on your trip I would recommend to bring also the 21-35 Zoom.

 

You will need it for Landscape, Interiors, Architecture etc.

 

35mm x 1,3 = 45mm will not be wide enough!

 

Regards, Stefan

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