Without the traffic light, passers-by lose the ability to cross 23rd Street at that point
14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 7 November 2024 — First the traffic light that regulated the passage of pedestrians in front of Coppelia, the city’s iconic ice cream parlor, stopped working, and now Hurricane Rafael has given the final machete chop to the crossing that connects the most famous ice cream shop in Cuba with Tower K, by knocking down the traffic light intended for vehicles that pass through 23rd. Without the light, passers-by lose the possibility of crossing the central avenue at that point, and Havana loses its umpteenth crosswalk.
Among the first photos of the recovery work in Havana published this Thursday are some that show young recruits of the Military Service collecting debris, fallen fences and tree branches in the vicinity of the building known as Torre López-Calleja (from the name of the late leader of the military conglomerate Gaesa, responsible for its construction). The tallest building on the Island stands out with its immaculate glass facade in the midst of the chaos left by the hurricane. The damage included the fall of the perimeter fence that surrounds the building, where construction work is still being carried out.
Hurricane Rafael has deepened the damage that laziness, lack of investments and the crisis have caused in what was once the cultural and economic heart of Havana
In the surroundings of the luxurious complex, which will house a hotel, shops and offices, Rafael has deepened the damage that laziness, lack of investments and the crisis have caused in what was once the cultural and economic heart of Havana. The broken sidewalks, the shortages at Coppelia, the closure of numerous restaurants and the decrease in the number of people who travel the area daily, due to the mass exodus and transport problems, now make up the landscape that extends along an avenue that runs from the sea to the Almendares River.
The broken traffic light in front of Coppelia will hardly be noticed in the midst of so much deterioration. Not much will be missed either: the shortage of fuel has significantly decreased the number of cars that travel 23rd, and the “island of flight” that Cuba has become has also depressed the number of pedestrians interested in crossing from one side of the street to the other.
But the places that memory treasures are lost. The kisses given before walking across that pedestrian passage; the braking saved in the memory of that day when an almendrón* was about to go through the red light; the trova** music coming from a guitar, while the green signaled the pedestrians; the taste of a scoop of chocolate ice cream on a fragile wafer, licked while planning to step on the crosswalk’s stripes.*** The setting that evokes these memories is missing more and more pieces.
Translator’s notes:
* A 1950s American car used as a shared taxi with a fixed route.
** Trova is a popular Cuban style of music, created by itinerant musicians in the 19th century who traveled around Oriente province singing original songs accompanied by guitar.
*** A crosswalk is called a “cebra” (zebra).
Translated by Regina Anavy
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