I have said it before, I LOVE DOORS. I don’t know what it is, there is just something about doors (and windows) that are just beautiful! During my ravels, I always tend to find some amazing doors or doorways. I have already done blogs on the stunning doors of both Marrakesh, Morocco and Cartagena, Colombia – so it is no surprise that I found some while touring Havana, Cuba. While they may not be as bright and colorful as the other places, the Doors of Havana still have this old world charm and a feel that “they’ve been through some shit stuff.”
Before I went to Havana and looked into going to Cuba, I really didn’t know much besides it was ‘forbidden’ for Americans to visit, a bit about an embargo, and a rough history. In my mind, I honestly thought that it would look more like Colombia – Cartagena specifically. I was expecting vibrant, colorful buildings, and there definitely were some, but definitely far and few between and muted compared to Cartagena.
Things were definitely more run down compared to Marrakesh and Cartagena; and while it may have been a bit eerie it was still beautiful. I am actually glad Havana wasn’t like Colombia! Many of the once glamorous buildings in Havana were abandoned for decades and fell into ruin and upkeep was sparse. The government and people are now turning this around, but still focus more on the inside rather than the outside.
To me, each door tells a story. Some have been through more than others – some have seen more paint than others 🙂 I like how every door and facade is a bit different. They go with the land surrounding, as seen in the picture above. The building and land was slanting upwards, so you have a door this is slanting up. Don’t really find that in the states!
Overall, Havana may not have been what I expected initially (especially in looks!) but I ended up absolutely loving it. These doors have much more character and a story to tell – whether you find out the real one or make up your own.
