Let's see what is inside my Cuban treasure chest...
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Chivichana
Do you know what is a chivichana?
Chivichana is a toy
that Cuban children build with his friends or family.
Is a wooden platform mounted on four wheels
and with a mobile front axis.
Children use it to slide the streets.
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Quinquet
This is my grandmother's "Quinqué"
It used to lit up our house
during the blackout nights in Havana.
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The Pineapple
"La Piña" is the queen of all the fruits.
It is the fruit that Gonzalo de Oviedo
described in his chronicles around the Caribbean.
At the end of the 17th century it was cultivated
in the Royal European Gardens.
It was also a great source of inspiration
in the decorative arts
represented as symbol of royalty and richness
in textile, furniture and decorative objets
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The Orbita Fan
Anybody who has already lived in the Caribbean knows
that the fan is the best friend of the family!
So this is the Cuban Orbita fan of my cousin's house.
It looks dizzy, don't you think?
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The Ceiba”, sacred and revered tree in Cuba.
From this tree you get everything if you pay tribute to it.
It is the tree of Olofi, Almighty God of the yoruba religion.
You can’t use it to do evil because he will not grant it.
According to a Cuban legend, one night in a storm,
According to a Cuban legend, one night in a storm,
a woman ran desperately through the mountain
with her son in her arms,
crying out to the gods for their protection
from rain and lightning.
As she approached to a huge tree,
the trunk opened and the mother with his son,
could take refuge inside.
In Havana, many people go to the temple
to make a wish to the Ceiba.
To do this, you have to turn it around three times,
put your hands on the trunk, and put some coins on its roots.
… and this is just one of the many legends
this amazing tree can tells.
