Cuba's second largest city devastated by Sandy, half of homes lost roofs, 15,400 destroyed

[flamingdem]

10. Yes, Santiago is so poor

Havana is wildly rich by comparison. Such a shame because they have recently invested in building up the public spaces and shopping areas, partly for tourism but to their credit mostly for the residents to enjoy. All of that seems so fragile. Gone in three hours no doubt. A lot of the tourism installations have been damaged and the church, Caridad de Cobre, is the most important symbol of Cuba because it's the Virgin of Charity's church, Caridad del Cobre, Ochun in Afro-Cuban religion, a mixed African-Spanish figure that is the number one Saint there, and Hemingway donated his Nobel Prize medal to that church, and to "her".

Having spent a lot of time in Cuba it's amazing how much the Cubans do with so little, but this is just crazy, in Santiago they have to start over, they have next to nada.