LOCALadk Magazine

35 Summer 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk which was originally designed by an American architectural firm in 1930. The hotel was later taken over by the Cuban government when former leader Fidel Castro took power in 1959 following the revolution. During the Missile Crisis of 1962, anti-aircraft emplacements were installed on the hotel grounds, and walled trenches were excavated below the gardens which overlook the waterfront. The connecting underground tunnels and bunkers have been incorporated as part of the hotel's historic designation, and are open to the public. Estella had spent three months reporting for duty in one of the underground bunkers. Her job was to monitor the waterfront with binoculars and a two-way radio. The Malecon, a historic 5 tive Committee of the National Security Council, chaired by John F. Kennedy. The photo had been taken during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Next to that photograph was a large placard containing words detailing the situation from the Cuban perspective: "The great- est confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union did not take place in Europe. It occurred during the Missile Crisis in Cuba in October of 1962, the only time the world was on the brink of thermonuclear war." The hotel's Hall of Fame displays photos of many Latin American leaders, as well as Sir Winston Churchill and Jian Zemin, presi- dent of the People's Republic of China. A recent photo is of Sec- retary of State John Kerry's 2015 visit, when the American flag cal insurance policy before passing through customs. (Seriously, there was a booth set up at the airport for just this purpose). The request is not that unusual: Cuba provides free healthcare for all its residents, sends its own Cuban doctors overseas to help in less-developed countries, and conducts ongoing advanced med- ical research projects. The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is a two hour bus ride from the air- port. It was here that we were first introduced to Cuba's history. We met with Estella, a woman who stood about 5 feet tall with gray hair and a tough demeanor. Estella had been a member of the former National Revolutionary Militia during the early 1960s. She now spends her time guiding tours at the historic building, mile long seawall built in the early 1900s runs along Havana's coast and separates the hotel from the waterfront. We followed her through the underground tunnels, ducking our heads at various points, until she stopped by a glass display case. "This was my uniform," she said proudly as she pointed to the case which contained a pair of dark green pants and a jacket. Next on the tour was an underground bunker which had been converted into a small museum. It displayed posters, maps and photographs detailing the Cuban perspective of the Missile Cri- sis. A striking black and white photo was mounted on a stone wall. It displayed the meeting at the White House of the Execu-

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