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In this post I am going to share with you one of the happiest moments I spent in the southeastern city of Santiago de Cuba. I have already shared here some photos that I took in different moments of my career as a photojournalist, but I was missing these, which I keep as a great treasure of that beautiful place.
I was on the roof of an 18-storey building on Garzón Street, after having some delicious ice cream with my work colleagues.
And it is precisely in this building, on the top floor, that you will find the Turquino ice cream parlour. On my last trip there I wanted to go up again but it was not possible. All the high points of the city were secured by soldiers from the President's personal guard, who were going to take part in a ceremony that is a tradition there to bid farewell to one year and welcome the next: the hoisting of the flag.
(My posts from those days)
Travel Log: The work of a photojournalist
This is Gio Yak (a name we made up, mine was Ana Yak), who liked to use my hat to take selfies. In this post you can see me wearing that hat... I leave it in case you want to see more pictures of Santiago.
OK, I'm going to tell them about the Yaks. I mentioned it once here, the Yaks thingy. I said I was going to tell it, so it's coming in this one... you didn't wait that long for it, did you?
The point is that on the road trips, very long and tiring, we had to entertain ourselves with something. Sometimes we would fall asleep (you know, snoring, drooling, playing pranks on us), or sing, or play. Other times we'd get drunk... (this didn't happen as a general rule)... The driver was of course not allowed to do this... he had to drive. But our drunkenness helped him to stay awake.
Getting to the point... On one of those trips, precisely to Santiago de Cuba, we had a game to form words and when we had to form a word related to an animal that began with Y, I said Yak. And nobody knew what it was. I explained that it was like a buffalo or a cow or a ruminant... I didn't know myself because I hadn't seen one live. It just sounded familiar from the story books I used to read as a child. Russian stories. The laughter was enormous when we started joking about it and including the word Yak in our names. So we were: Gio-Yak, Ana-Yak, Da-Yak, Jesus-Yak (our driver).
This is one of my favourite cities in Cuba. The mountains look so beautiful.
I remember that day I took as many pictures from as many angles as the roof allowed. And from there I got some images that I later published it in an article about motorcyclists in Santiago de Cuba. Motorbikes are widely used as taxis there.
Well... I think that's enough chitchat for today! I would like to participate with these photos in the #Monomad Challenge. 😉
Original content by @nanixxx. All rights reserved ©, 2025.
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Gracias por usar @worldmappin 😀
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Good morning @nanixxx, amazing photos. How the places change when seen from above. Thank you so much for sharing this yak moment.
A very big hug 🤗
Eso quedó genial... jajaja.
No, pero si vieras como me discutían que eso no existía. 🤣 Entonces desde ese día cada vez que nos comunicamos somos los Yaks. 😁 Y tengo otro cuento de los Yaks... creo que hasta hay un video. Pero eso está reservado para un post de esos de recuerdo.
Un abrazo grande... y que vaya bien el domingo, @enraizar. 🤗
Por ahora el domingo va muy bien por aquí. Esta tarde iré a una exposición sobre la Alemania de entre-guerras. Así que espero ver arte de vanguardia, Bauhaus y otras cosas, y más cositas que espero que sean también interesantes. El domingo se presenta más que bien, muy bien o requetebién.
Seguro que el tuyo también lo es/será un gran domingo.Abrazo. 🤗
(Espero ese post de recuerdos)
Bueno... ya lo está siendo y me alegra saber que tienes tan buen plan. Me voy a dormir un rato. 😄 Buenos días y hasta otro día. 😅
Felices sueños 👋
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Qué belleza de ciudad. Así de blanco y negro, deja mucho a la imaginación. Ese muchacho está lindo. Jjj🫢. Hay helado allí? Entonces todo es perfecto, vamos un día de estos jjjjjj.
Jajaja... sí. 😄 Tas parejera...
Hay que reservar en la Yutong. 🤣
Ay, te pareces a mi abuela que me decía muchachita estás parejera, jjjjjj . Me estoy alistando para ir a la Feria del libro.
😂
Brilliant landscapes, looks really good in mono
You know where to go when you get to Santiago de Cuba... I placed it on the map. Let me know so I can go with you for ice cream.
Thank you 😊
I have been there many years ago , I shall dig out my snaps , I was thinking of a re visit, but the good old us of a have made it difficult to get an esta if one travels to your beautiful island sadly
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Well I'll see you somewhere else, as if it's in Bukhara because with everything I've been through with this tooth I've already determined that I'm leaving here as soon as I can hahahaha... I don't know if I'll swim away or hooked on a dolphin's fin.
Freedom break or a permanent move? Bet you will feel differently once your tooth is dealt with?
Stunning pictures you took back then. Your right Santiago looks like a wonderful city, you made it look good. I love the mountains too. Oh you got me beat I haven't had ice cream at the high up. I think I have only had it at the ground level or maybe 2nd floor. Take care Amiga may the new week ahead be a good one for you :-)
Oh, what a good perspective on the matter... I hadn't thought of that! Well, I beat you to it! 🤣
Thank you, Amigo. ✨
What a great anecdote Yak!!! If there is such an animal, I'm sure, but people have no memory or imagination hahahahaha
What great pictures and really the mountains look great, I love the panoramic and aerial views!!!! Nice Sunday!🤗
Bueno... ¿conoces un animal que se llama ñu? 😄 Pocos lo conocen. En inglés debe ser... deja buscar... is a member of the antelope family.
En inglés debe ser gnu or wildebeest.
En fin, que no podemos saberlo todo. Yo me acordaba por un libro pero no es un animal del que comúnmente se habla, el Yak.
Un abrazo avecita. Que disfrutes tu día, me están llamando unos vecinos para que los acompañe a bicicletear. 😂
Si! Conozco ese animal el ñu!!! O al menos en algún lugar lo leí... no lo vi en persona. Disfruta el día!🤗
Santiago is a lovely city...fully of color, AND souurrender by a beautiful sea!!!
Yes, mountain and sea together are beautiful. 👌 Espero que te encuentres bien y que aproveches tus días en la Isla de la Juventud.
I know the Yak from the villain in Kung Fu Panda 3, so the animated movies also teach haha 😂
From now on, if I remember, I'll call you Ana Yak and I'll be Buhi Yak, how's that? 🦉
By the way, what spectacular pictures, from that angle in the heights it looks like a tourist report 😍
¡Eres un crack! Crack-Yak 😁
Of course! You can learn from everything. I like animated films a lot, but I barely have time. Living alone is not easy hahaha... in such a big house with gardens... I think I should reduce myself. 😂
Even in B/W, Santiago has something that makes it unique.
Brilliant landscape. The mountain adds a special touch to those images, which are already a marvel in themselves
Te voy a regalar los colores porque me has inspirado. 😁
No wonder I always see your good shots, taking angles that can represent a message. That is inseparable from you as a person jurnalis photo.
Oh what a nice comment, I have to gag my ego. Hold it right there! I already gagged it.
Hahahaha... thanks! 🤜🤛
Such a cool story! The view from the top must have been incredible, and I love the Yak nickname game—sounds like a fun trip. Thanks for sharing these moments, Santiago de Cuba looks amazing!
Oh, thank you teacher for the word I didn't remember when I wrote this: nickname. 😁
That's what I miss most about being a journalist, travelling with colleagues who were also good friends. But I'm looking for alternatives so that I don't stop travelling, even if it's only on this island.
@jlinaresp and @visualshots, I am always grateful for your support.
Always amanzing content coming from you dear @nanixxx!... Thanks to you for sharing!... Have a great week! 🙏
!PIZZA
🤗 Have a great week ahead for you. Always a pleasure to share!
Greetings friend, Santiago is a very nice city, mainly what caught my attention is that it was very clean. I recommend that, next time you go, visit La Gran Piedra, it is a phenomenal place.
It is, indeed, very clean and the people are very friendly. I tell you, every time I went I enjoyed it very much. I still need to go there where you recommend and to many places on our island, in fact. I have to work on that.
Thank you!
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@jlinaresp(9/15) tipped @nanixxx
I will love any city with mountains, all the images are great, I like the contrast of the trees between the concrete. Wow, photojournalist, the combination of two super interesting careers and one of those that surely when exercising them, leave traces and learning, I like it.
Funny about the Yak, here there is a game called Stop, where a letter is proposed, and, against the clock, players must write down a name, surname, city, animal, food, etc, with that letter in question. I'm anxious to play it so I can use Yak when I get that letter that makes us all sweat 😆.
Hugs Ana-Yak, happy Sunday afternoon 🤗
I had a nice Sunday afternoon, but I'm so tired now... 🚴♀ I need to sleep. Well yes, you already have a word to use hahaha... how witty you are. Thank you!
😂 Me has hecho reír con esa despedida, muchooo. Jajaja... Abrazo recibido y de vuelta.
Santiago es hermoso. Le haz hecho homenaje c9n esa fotografía.
Sí, es una gran ciudad y yo tengo muchas fotos de allí. Me ha encantado visitarla siempre.
¡Gracias!
The mountains in the background (the Sierra Maestra?) look incredibly majestic!!!!
What beautiful views.
I'd love to spend a few days lost in those hills... 🤓 Hiking, photographing, eating whatever nature provides. I'll visualise this and see if I get the chance. 😄
Thank you @adaluna1973.