Images of Güines

The numerous ditches that for many years were left open in Güines streets until, finally! the pipes of the “new” aqueduct were buried within…

The existence in our Villa, besides Sergio Álvarez and Agrícola de Güines (Agricultural of Güines) Banks, the branches of Banco Nacional de Cuba (Cuba’s National Bank), Banco Español de la Isla de Cuba (Spanish Bank of the Island of Cuba), Royal Bank of Canada and Banco Internacional (International Bank). After the bankruptcy before the so called “fat cows” period, Sergio Álvarez and Agrícola de Güines Banks remained solvent, this last one, later on, went under. That is how Banco Núñez (Núñez Bank) was able to provide us with a credit institution that we lacked for some time…

The lack of electric public lighting suffered by Güines for a long time due to the fact that the Municipal Government of that era, did not pay the arrears on the electrical bills to Compañía Cubana de Electricidad (Cuban Electrical Company)…

The potentate sugar cane landowner “Taquillo,” who, besides being a remarkable juggler with his cane, used by him in order to walk, would tell stories to his listeners about the enormous amount of tons of sugar cane that he would process in his sugar mills as well as the astronomical amount of vegetables that he canned and exported overseas…

“Cheché” the Blackman. The favorite coachman of that era’s “Romeos” who hired him and his carriage to go around in the evenings to pass in front of their favorite “Juliets”…

The most popular lottery tickets seller in the Villa, “Meco” the one armed man, whom the kids used to bother and he would get angry and tell them: “Take everything away, take everything away” throwing pennies at them…

The shoeshine boy, lottery tickets seller and utterer of flirtatious but respectful remarks, named José Yero, who had his “bailiwick” within the porch of El Primo Café (The First Cousin, and also The First One), where the most famous vanilla ice creams of all the area, were made…

And talking about shoeshine boys, the kings of the brush and cloth, Samuel González (Soplete) with his chair in the porch of Agustín Dúo’s billiard parlor on Máximo Gómez Street across the park and “Nery” the more aristocratic one, dominating the shine of the shoes, a profession he practiced within the porch of Esquina de Tejas Hotel (Corner of Tiles)…

La Güinera (The Lady from Güines) buses, belonging to Mr. Nicolás B. Lluy the first to establish a highway passenger transportation service between Güines and Havana. It had its terminal in front of Esquina de Tejas Hotel on Havana Street…

La Oportuna (The Timely One) buses belonging to the Gutiérrez brothers with its terminal in front of Plaza Hotel…