Visual Artist    Barbara F. Postel in Cuba, during the Revolution, days prior to Castro's takeover of The Riviera Hotel, owned by Myra Lanske.

Morro Castle in background. Years before, around 1935, my Mother Elsie was jailed in the Morro Castle Prison for stowing away on a Cruise Ship. She had made clothes out of pillow cases on the ship after being caught and locked in a cabin. My father kept the letters of her adventures........both used to hitch hike and ride the rails around the USA.

Colette and Barbara, at the deserted Riviera Hotel

Me freaked out from height, no back flip or swan dive. In front of Riviera Hotel     Colette and Barbara Riviera Hotel

In Havana wearing Bermuda shorts, a no no.

Colette and I were in Miami Beach, visiting with some friends in Biscayne Bay, when we decided to go to Cuba, with two boyfriends from Miami. When we arrived, there were young, pony tailed boys, armed with machine guns, and dressed in military gear, all over the streets. The casinos were empty, except for a few people at George Raft's, and the owners wanted us to stay, so they gave us chips to gamble with. Myra Lansky gave us a huge suite for only $8. at the Riviera and we were the only guests. Coming back into my room, after a swim, I was shocked to see that the maid had even lined up my bobby pins, on a shelf, along with a few other things. Cuba had the best dance clubs and music, so we left the empty tourist places and headed for an outdoor Cuban Jam Session. It began to thunder and rain, but nobody noticed and the Conga line just continued gyrating, while the band played up on the covered stage.

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