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George H. Rothacker, 2010©
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The Paseo de Marti is the main boulevard of Old Havana, and the most beautiful. It reaches from the seafront, or the Malecon, to just past the capital building of Havana, and is lined by many baroque and neoclassic buildings from the mid to late 18th and 19th centuries.
Today, the streets are still bustling with tourists, townspeople and cars and cabs of the 1940s and ‘50s. Despite the collapse of many buildings and disintegration of others, life continues as in a war torn country. In some buildings, stairs lead from an abandoned and crumbling ground floor to a bustling restaurant three stories up. The rhythms of wrought iron railings are broken by plastic patchings, and stained glass is replaced by plywood. Lines of wash and TV antennas alert of life behind the shuddered doors.
In 2008, Hurricane Ike destroyed many structures in Old Havana, overturning years of conservation work directed at the iconic antiquated buildings of the area. Not only did it damage historic buildings, but it forced many of Old Havana's residents to flee for safety. The threats that hurricanes pose adds to an already tenuous state for Old Havanas many historic buildings. Age, decay, and neglect combine with natural factors in a complex set of threats to the long-term preservation of this historic old town*
*Frank Herbst, Cuba - Handbuch für individuelles Reisen, Reise Know-How Verlag 2006