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To all the veterans:
I am going to Cuba for the first time in Late October. I will be staying at a casa particular. I would like to have girls sleeping with me overnight.
How do you keep your money and other belongings safe at a Casa.
Is there any incidence where the girl disappeared in the morning with all your belongings?
Thanks,
Lankan_Lover
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Second and third to the advice to chat up any chica you find attractive . . . sure, you'll get rejected a couple of times but in general you'll do well. I was once in search of change to pay a taxi in the far reaches of Vedado . . . a cute young negrita was walking down the sidewalk . . .the taxi driver slowed down, I asked if she had change . . . she said no . . pause . .then indicated there was a gas station a couple of blocks away . . . I invited her in the car to show us where . . . and ba-boom . . .we were having dinner a couple of hours later . . . etc. The key is attitude - - to be curious and light-hearted and ready to joke around . .in my experience . . .
You can have chicas sleep over night. Just tell your casa owner that you want to make sure your novia can visit you.
I've only had one experience with theft in Cuba. It was really my stupidity and desperation to enjoy a cubanita my last night. I found a cute chica but harcore. At my casa, I showed her my mp3 player. The sexo was absolutely undistinguished. I took a shower. She left . .and lifted my mp3 player. Just put your money and/or other valuables somewhere out of the way - - under the bed, way back in a closet, etc. The penalties for prostitution in Cuba are severe - - for the chica. Theft is even more severe. Most girls just want the money you pay them; they don't want additional hassle, problems, and worries.
The visa you purchase from Marazul or elsewhere is a Cuban entry visa . . similar to visas you might need to visit other countries. You can buy one at the Air Cubana ticket counter if you're flying from Cancun/Nassau etc. The visa has nothing to do with the US Gov or Treasury Dept. It's only for the Cuban authorities. I.e. you can't travel to Cuba legally with a Cuban entrance visa.
Personally, I'd like to find out more about out of the way or local discos, bars, etc. If you have any names, locations, ratings, etc. . . please post them. Next time down, I'm looking to totally avoid the tourist zones (except maybe a couple of trips to my favorite Havana bar -- Monserrate.)
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To All - I'm leaving for two weeks in Havana and possibly Nueva Gerona on Saturday. If any WSG mongers are there at the same time, post here to let me know if you want to get together.
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I have a favor to ask of my fellows here: If anyone is going to Havana, at any time, my girlfriend there has a few letters for me (which obviously can't be mailed here), and if you would be willing to get them for me I would be most grateful. I'd be willing to pay for your time and trouble as well. Thanks guys.
I can be reached at docbill449@mindspring.com
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You can mail letters from the USA to Cuba. No law against it. It is only going to or importing something from Cuba that is illegal. After a buddy and I went to Cuba in 2000 he carried on a correspondence with a girl for several years and had no problems.
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DocBill,
Sorry to tell you that you are misinformed.
A girl from Manati used to write me letters all the times. Also, it does not cost them much to mail a letter to the US.
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DocBill
I mailed a few poster cards to friends when I was in Cuba (dropping off at regular poster office). They were very fast to reach US. As a matter of fact, they were faster than what I mailed from Europe.
Also, it is very cheap to send poster cards to US. I think that it is 0.65 Cuba Perso.
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doc,
if you want to send letters to cuba here is a site that will let you send letters to people in cuba and have an electronic response also. the cosy is $1.00 per letter.
the site is: http://www.escriba.com/. the only negative is that you have to buy $ 20.00 worth of letters transfer in your initial tranrep001ion. i hope this helps.
el cubanito
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I've had a lot of experience with this and am far from misinformed; Letters to Cuba from the US sometimes get through and often do not. They are often suspected of having money in them and opened by various personel before ever reaching their intended destination. When I had a girlfriend in Guantanamo she would write me and I got about half her letters, never less than three months after she wrote them. My girl in Havana has written numerous letters and sent them and I haven't gotten one. She has saved copies and hence my request below. If you know Cuba you know that everything is hit and miss and nothing is reliable.
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Gentlemen,
I have had all of the letter problems referred to here. You are all right to varying degrees: the actual answer really is “hit or miss”.
In my early days of exploring Cuba I even tried to make contact with a couple of airline people to help with postage… They took the letters out of Cuba, posted them from their hotels anywhere else. This worked to a degree (3 out of 10 letters got to me), however we all have our own priorities and the letter trail soon came to an end. My reply usually never arrived (confirmed by telephone...). As with everything in life: YMMV.
Finally I gave up on the idea, and now rely on the email system. Simple. Quick. No problems. The cost (by Cuban standards) for my 2 chica’s is admittedly high, but them I’m worth it! Seriously however, you can achieve a lot more by email than the traditional pen to paper…. By the way, I come form the pen-to-paper school of thought.
Regards, Havanaman
Ps. I’m thinking about going this November, probably in the third week. Hook-up anyone?
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Havanaman,
I will be in Havana, Cuba from November 8 to November 26. I will be all over the Isalnd though. I will be in Havana, Ciego De Avila, Holguin and Santiago. Let me know where will you be.
El Cubanito
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Havanaman!
I'm planing to be there during Thanksgiving Weekend. You think you will be there it will be great to meet some one who has been to Cuba many times. This is my first time going to Cuba, so I'm gathering as much info as I could.
[size=-2][u]EDITOR's NOTE[/u]: [blue]Posting of this report was delayed pending revisions to capitalize the word "I". To avoid future delays, please refrain from using "i" instead of a capital "I" in future reports. [i]Thanks![/i][/blue][/size]
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GenCuster,
I know of a great casa with three bedrooms and a great landlady, right off La Rampa in Vedado. Chicas are ok. E-mail me if you are still looking:
Docbill449@mindspring.com
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Going to Cuba....read a weep
“CLEARLY, THE CASTRO regime will not change by its own choice,” Bush told a gathering at the White House Rose Garden. “But Cuba must change.”
The president said that too many Americans were bypassing the restriction against travel to Cuba. They are using humanitarian relief work as a cover to go on holiday or “carry cash into Cuba,” he said.
“The Department of Homeland Security will enforce the law,” he said, adding that Americans also will be prevented from traveling through third countries or by private vessel.
The administration had been signaling for weeks that new steps concerning Cuba were being planned. A small group of advisers, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, were asked to provide advice on hastening what the administration calls the “inevitable democratic transition in Cuba.”
Some of Cuban President Fidel Castro’s most ardent opponents have criticized the Bush administration for not doing more to bring about democratic change in Cuba.
Florida, a vote-rich swing state, is one of the states Bush has visited most since becoming president. The votes of Miami’s Cuban-American community could be crucial in the 2004 presidential election.
Bush’s relations with his backers in Miami hit a low point in July when Washington returned 15 migrants to Cuba after receiving assurances they would not be executed for hijacking a government-owned boat that was intercepted at sea by the Coast Guard.
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What is the current (October 2003) story?
I have been reading conflicting reports on Casa availabilities due to an alleged increase in the license/tax from $100 per room to something like $150. I was told many Casas have closed.
Does anyone here have any first-hand information which is reasonably current? Also, how about a recommend on a good Casa central to the action. I have sent notes thru some of the sites but no responses.
I never thought I would live to see the day when the American Government would not allow an American citizen to do what he/she wants outside of the country. I know we need to give up some individual "freedoms" for the betterment of our society but who is endangered by an American going to Cuba? Or are "we" right and every other country which does not resptric its citizens from free travel to Cuba wrong? Who is out of step and marching to a different drummer now?
George W. better take a lesson from California, it's not only a state governor which can be recalled in favor of someone who speaks straight and looks to help the "great unwashed masses."
OK, more than my 2-cents this time.
Spock.