Mass transit in Cuba's Second City
An International truck hauls passengers in Santiago de Cuba. HAVANA ANCHORS Cuba's northwest coast; Santiago, the island's next largest city, holds a similar status on the southeast shore. The two cities differ hugely – in terrain (one largely flat; one all hills), in climate (one temperate; one hot), in culture (Havana is hardly sedate, but Santiago, with its Afro-Caribbean roots, has a sensual sway). In transportation, too. The standard municipal bus in Havana is a modern articulated Yutong from China. In Santiago – as in rural Cuba – converted American trucks from the 1950s are the primary people movers. Seating is tight on the makeshift bus. So is standing.