American World Traveler Summer 2018 Issue

Serendipity in Villa Clara, Cuba
Article and photography by Steve Gillick
The Driver’s Bar in the town of San
Juan de los Remedios, in the
northern Cuban province of Villa
Clara, has a 1950’s retro look, thanks to
the mural behind the bar. While they serve
beer, mojitos and sandwiches to locals and
visitors alike, the Bar is a magnet for curious
photographers and art lovers. And
luck would have it that as soon as I entered
the bar to take some photos, I was greeted
by the artist who had been commissioned
to paint the mural as part of the restoration
of the building in 2014. Roaidi Cartaya
Carbajal was born in Remedios in 1972
and has become a recognizable artist and
personality in Cuba for his depictions of life
in his home town.
As for the 1957 black Dodge Coupe with
bright yellow fins that was parked across
from the Bar, that’s also one of Carbajal’s
projects, where the cars of the 1950’s represent
art, design, memories, Cuban history
and Cuban culture. But as he was
explaining this to me we were interrupted
by a loud rumbling of motorcycles as a
number of rough and tough looking men
and women clad in leathers and Club colors,
parked down the street. The leader,
wearing mirrored sunglasses strode directly
toward us and I bravely asked “Are you a
friendly motorcycle gang or should I be
concerned”?
His immediate response, accompanied by
a charismatic smile, was “Oh we are very
friendly”. And after some conversation and
laughter, the Club members, who I later
learned were award winners at various