III Harley Davidson Rally (Encuentro Harlista!)

This past weekend, I was thrust into one of Cuba’s most prismatic and emblematic subcultures and scenes: I rode along on the country’s first Harley rally, when over 50 riders made their way to Varadero on pre-1960 bikes from as far as Pinar del Río and Camagüey for three days in hog heaven. As you may imagine, my muse was working overtime in this new and captivating environment, populated by cool people with their own language and subtext. Since everything I know about biker culture I learned from Easy Rider and Altamont, I was keen to experience the 1er Encuentro Nacional de Harlistas Cubanos firsthand.


  • Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope

    Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope  LH 5

    The Terry Fox Marathon of Hope takes place in Havana and all across the country, starting at 9am. This has the greatest participation of any country in the world with up to 2.3 million people running, …

    Balletomania at the International Ballet Festival

    Balletomania at the International Ballet Festival  LH 5

    Blind but beady-eyed, beaky-nosed, old, imposing and profoundly glamorous, Alicia Alonso stands in a single spotlight at the front of the dress circle of the Gran Teatro de La Habana, bathed in waves …

    Marcha de las Antorchas: A tribute to José Martí

    Marcha de las Antorchas: A tribute to José Martí  LH 4

    The writings of one man have enlightened and inspired Cubans for over a century. This man is José Martí, and every year on January 27, students and workers gather together to celebrate his birth in th …

    Japanese Samurai in Havana for the week of the rising sun

    Japanese Samurai in Havana for the week of the rising sun  LH 4

    It is one of those juxtapositions that make you look twice, which challenges your preconception of where you are. Japanese samurai performing Aikido in Plaza de Armas, a crowd of Japanese looking peop …

    XV Festival Romerías de Mayo

    XV Festival Romerías de Mayo  LH 4

    Continuing a tradition that goes back to the Colonial period, in 1993 a group of young Cuban artists decided to revive these “romerias” (al fresco religious festivities) that announce the arrival of s …

    Mayo Teatral

    Mayo Teatral  LH 4

    The forerunner was the Festival of Latin American Theater sponsored by the Casa de las Americas in the early 1960s and by 1964 attaining international characteristics. By the end of the 60s it had sto …

    Havana’s 2014 International Book Fair

    Havana’s 2014 International Book Fair  LH 4

    Havana’s International Book Fair opened its doors in February with its usual flair to once again become that huge annual event celebrating the mythical power of books. Perched on the ramparts of the M …

    Plenty of Love despite the rain

    Plenty of Love despite the rain  LH 4

    6th International Love In Festival, 2013 The Sixth International Love In Festival had to contend with some vicious weather with tropical downpours more reminiscent of Bognor Regis than Havana. Nonethe …

    The Feria Internacional del Libro

    The Feria Internacional del Libro  LH 4

    The Havana Book Fair is one of the most popular fairs in Havana drawing tens of thousands of people within the walls of the La Cabana Fortress. Don’t be put off by what can at times seem like a mob sc …

    The Elsinore Theater Festival

    The Elsinore Theater Festival  LH 4

    The Elsinore Theatre Festival has been held in Cuba every year for over 30 years. The staging of plays in theaters and open spaces, set design, dramatic texts, criticism and research related to the wo …

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