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Cuba Open from the Inside Travels in the Forbidden Land Chris Messner 9780988791503 Books

Download As PDF : Cuba Open from the Inside Travels in the Forbidden Land Chris Messner 9780988791503 Books

Cuba Open from the Inside Travels in the Forbidden Land Chris Messner 9780988791503 Books

Great fun to read. If your looking for an academic textbook, forget it. This is a recounting of personal discovery and adventures of a country not seen by many (in the U.S.) for many years. Messner includes historical bits and personal impressions of places and people off the beaten paths of a forbidden land. I liked the book. I wish I was along for the ride. Just can't decide if I would want to be up front or in the back seat!!


Tags : Cuba Open from the Inside: Travels in the Forbidden Land [Chris Messner] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Cuba occupies a place of undisputed fascination in the American psyche. Despite its proximity to America,Chris Messner,Cuba Open from the Inside: Travels in the Forbidden Land,Chris Messner,0988791501,Travel Americas

Cuba Open from the Inside Travels in the Forbidden Land Chris Messner 9780988791503 Books Reviews

Cris Messner has seen the real Cuba, the one that wouldn't be in travel magazines, if there were any about our neighbor to the South. An honest and touching account of his automotive voyage of discovery, it is both personal and revealing. Revealing about life in Cuba as well as the discoveries of an American in a very strange land. I'm reminded of the early explorer accounts of life in Africa or Araby where what is discovered can be beautiful but also disturbing. It's also the story of an plain American who writes what he feels as he feels it.

Chris and his guide Jesus, weather potholes and police, while finding the world of ordinary Cubans working within "the system" and making it work for them. Not a travelogue, with restaurants reviews and accommodation ratings, it tells the story of Cuba now, and its people. You could never do his visit yourself, but letting him take you on it is well worth the time and the rereading.

A paperback version of his photographs does not do them justice but, look for them on the web.
Written by a photographer with an eye for detail, "Cuba Open From the Inside" is an engaging, unpretentious book that presents a vivid portrait of a rarely understood nation. Chris Messner, who fearlessly navigated Cuba's roads in a rented Kia Picanto, notices and reports on details that help Cuba become much more real and subtle. Whether mentioning the propaganda billboards that he came across when approaching the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay -- "We are a victorious fighting people" announced one of them -- or simply describing a dark skinned older woman smoking a cigar, Messner manages to be honest about a place that has been endlessly caricatured, demeaned, and fantasized about. When Messner describes the spot where Columbus set foot on land, in Cuba in 1492, he notes that "..everything has been left as it was over five hundred years ago, when first found, as if it was still discovered." Messner's book has a sense of respectful awe about it; Cuba is the author's new world, and he takes tremendous joy in relating to his readers that there really is a place in the world where there is a quite a bit yet to be discovered.
Captivating book. Didn't want to put it down. Loved the personal view of a photographer with Historical input. Felt I was on the journey with the author and was excited, scared at times yet enjoyed the little chuckles along the way. The culture was very exposed my the author which left an interesting question of what was to come. Made me more curious about Cuba and yet aware of the seclusion that holds them in time. Would enjoy a sequel with more photographs or even a film. I did purchased a book for my brother who travels extensively.
This is an unpretentious account of an American discovering Cuba beyond the beaten touristic path. The author is drawn to the beauty of the countryside, and especially to the history of the island as written in its monuments, buildings and churches. Without taking sides on the present political situation of the country, the author gives us glimpses of the poverty and lack of freedom of its people as he proceeds on his odyssey. Guided by a Cuban who becomes a good and steadfast friend, Mr. Messner travels the breadth and lenght of the island, sometimes facing real danger on rough and uncharted roads. Through it all, we are treated to the sights, sounds, color and tastes of a fascinating land, whose people face the challenges confronting them with grace and good humor. The finale has a bit of suspense, as Mr. Messner tries to extricate himself from Cuba without falling into the clutches of a customs "Comandante".

I rate it five stars, for the honest and genuine way in which Mr. Messner guides us through his experiences, and for the opportunity of seeing through his eyes a Cuba that hasn't been seen before by outsiders. The urgency of his tale is his fear that, once open to the outside world, that Cuba will be lost forever.
Had I but only spent a few more minutes examining this book prior to purchase, I would have spared myself not only the money I paid for it but, more important, the time I invested in it. I would have picked up on the fact that the book appears to be self-published. The book consists of the following repetitive narrative "We drove over difficult roads to __ (a town/city in Cuba). It's name means--(and here, no matter how obvious the Spanish word, we get a translation). It was discovered in ____. It had an interesting ____ (church, hotel, park, you name it). I took some interesting pictures. We looked all over for a place to stay. Finally, my Cuban friend found a place. We told the owner what we wanted for dinner, then we took a walk around the town. When we came back, we had _____; it was delicious. We also had beer and rum, which we greatly enjoyed. I was very tired when we went to sleep." For however many days Messner was there (it only seemed forever), this was the description of each day. Fortunately, the author decided to go home two days early, or the book would have been another 15-20 pages of this crap. So why would I read the book through? I'm planning a trip to Cuba later this year and kept hoping that eventually the author would say something that might be remotely helpful. He does not. Save yourself the time and money. As for those people who thought the book was a five star book, you are either friends of the author or you need to go back and take high school literature again.
Excellent
Great fun to read. If your looking for an academic textbook, forget it. This is a recounting of personal discovery and adventures of a country not seen by many (in the U.S.) for many years. Messner includes historical bits and personal impressions of places and people off the beaten paths of a forbidden land. I liked the book. I wish I was along for the ride. Just can't decide if I would want to be up front or in the back seat!!