Havana

[Kalifornication]

Communist regimes collapse, not from being overthrown militarily but from economic exhaustion. Cuba is economically exhausted. Look at what happend (and fast) to Venezuela when the government centralized control.

Cuba has incredible soil but farm productivity is very very low. I think food comprises 70% of Cubas' imports. There is no money for anything else. There is no aluminum for cans (and hence beer), no glass. There is no productivity. The economy is swirling around the bowl, it is a matter of time until it goes down unless it wants to decentralize.

Simplistic analysis buddy.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is a partly autobiographical book written by John Perkins published in 2004. It provides Perkins' account of his career with engineering consulting firm Chas. T. Main in Boston. According to Perkins, his role at Main was to convince leaders of underdeveloped countries to accept substantial development loans for large construction and engineering projects that would primarily help the richest families and local elites, rather than the poor, while making sure that these projects were contracted to USA Companies. Later these loans would give the USA Political influence and access to natural resources for USA Companies. He refers to this as an economic hit man. Although he states that throughout his career he has always worked for private companies, and suggests a system of corporatocracy and greed, rather than a single conspiracy, he claims the involvement of the National Security Agency, with whom he had interviewed for a job before joining Main. According to the author, this interview effectively constituted an independent screening which led to his subsequent hiring as an economic hit man.

[BeersTerry]

Communist regimes collapse, not from being overthrown militarily but from economic exhaustion. Cuba is economically exhausted. Look at what happend (and fast) to Venezuela when the government centralized control.

Cuba has incredible soil but farm productivity is very very low. I think food comprises 70% of Cubas' imports. There is no money for anything else. There is no aluminum for cans (and hence beer), no glass. There is no productivity. The economy is swirling around the bowl, it is a matter of time until it goes down unless it wants to decentralize.

[Chris H]

I trust your Spanish is at least functional?

My Spanish is very low, but I know how to communicate with the chicas at all times, very simple!

[PeacefulRunner]

I am going to vacation in Cuba in Feb. I'd like to stop by the island like Cayo Largo? I suppose it will be the all-included package in the hotel.

Does anyone has experience in this vacation hotel. Could we make some activities there? Any spot to hook up girls there or attract waitress?

Thanks in advance!

[Zhagolo52]

Very well put Chris, people think Cuba will be easy like DR, CR or Colombia and they get there and they get hit with the reality of things that you actually have to do a lot of leg work at times. Glad at least some people are still enjoying it.

No it has not gotten bad at all. It may even be better now. Like it has been said many times, Havana is not for guys who need point and click girls. Not for those who don't want to go with the flow and allow the action to gradually occur. I am getting set for my 11th trip next week, and these trips have been taken in less than 2 years. Trust me, I would not be rolling down there so many times, if it was so boring. Smh.

[Ty Down]

Why would they need to import flour? You can make flour from almost any grain. Shortage of eggs and chicken?

Grain Crops do not grow in the tropics. Wheat, rye, barley, oats are known as "winter crops" because they are sown in the fall of the year and harvested in the spring. Not possible in Cuba.

Last time I was in Cuba, last March, we could not find any Crystal Beer, word on the street was that the Palador restaurants were buying up the entire supply, but even the restaurants didn't have Crystal Beer. Bummer.

Eggs. Very hard to find, we went to all the Mercados in the area and no eggs, finally found some at a filthy government run rationing department on Calle 1 ra about 2 blocks behind the Melia Cohiba hotel.

Milk, forget it.

Watered down Rum, plenty of that shit.

[Yandel19]

Cuba is not a good place to monger. Most Cuban chicks are stuck up and want to charge Americans 150. There's shortage of bread beer everything is missing. Cubans see Americans as stupid people who they want to scam and steal from you. Airport agents in Cuba are SOB. I speak Spanish but I will never visit Cuba again. Go to Colombia way better.

[Yandel19]

Cuba is really not a good place to monger. Cubans only see Americans as walking ATM. I speak Spanish but there are much better countries to monger. Don't go to Cuba its a shitty country. No beer at the airpot.

[Combo]

Ya, Havana is worse. Don't know how anyone can say it isn't.

The new military regime has a crackdown going on. I mean, they ran out of flour in December and had to pay cash for an emergency shipment from the USA. No bread? That is the stuff of revolutions.

Currently (January) there is a transportation crackdown. Most of the gypsy cabs and lots of the collectivos are gone. The lack of collectivos andgypsy cabs mean that the regular taxis start at $7 for short rides. Also way fewer bicitaxis.

There is beer in restaurants (mostly Sol, Presidente & Hollandia) but almost none in the stores. Ended up in Miramar to buy a couple of cases of Presidente, though there was some beer in Galleria de Paseo. Also no eggs and not much chicken to be found.

The lack of transportation has affected the number of chicas at the clubs. Ya there are some but most girls found are from close by. That means worse in Miramar and still the same in centro and vieja.

btw............es winter time in Cuba too! That means the malecon is very very windy at night. You think Cubans are hanging around the malecon at night when I see them wearing coats during the day ? Daytime temps were 27 C. If you can speak Spanish, daytime is always the best time to be finding chicas

Why would they need to import flour? You can make flour from almost any grain. Shortage of eggs and chicken?

[BeersTerry]

Ya, Havana is worse. Don't know how anyone can say it isn't.

The new military regime has a crackdown going on. I mean, they ran out of flour in December and had to pay cash for an emergency shipment from the USA. No bread? That is the stuff of revolutions.

Currently (January) there is a transportation crackdown. Most of the gypsy cabs and lots of the collectivos are gone. The lack of collectivos andgypsy cabs mean that the regular taxis start at $7 for short rides. Also way fewer bicitaxis.

There is beer in restaurants (mostly Sol, Presidente & Hollandia) but almost none in the stores. Ended up in Miramar to buy a couple of cases of Presidente, though there was some beer in Galleria de Paseo. Also no eggs and not much chicken to be found.

The lack of transportation has affected the number of chicas at the clubs. Ya there are some but most girls found are from close by. That means worse in Miramar and still the same in centro and vieja.


btw............es winter time in Cuba too! That means the malecon is very very windy at night. You think Cubans are hanging around the malecon at night when I see them wearing coats during the day ? Daytime temps were 27 C. If you can speak Spanish, daytime is always the best time to be finding chicas

[DiavelLoco]

What days will you be there next week? Would luv to meet up.

I am here for quite some time. Let me know the date / dates you want to meet up and I would be happy to clear my schedule. I have a car here if that helps.

[Catire]

No it has not gotten bad at all. It may even be better now. Like it has been said many times, Havana is not for guys who need point and click girls. Not for those who don't want to go with the flow and allow the action to gradually occur. I am getting set for my 11th trip next week, and these trips have been taken in less than 2 years. Trust me, I would not be rolling down there so many times, if it was so boring. Smh.

I trust your Spanish is at least functional?

[Uncle Volodya]

What days will you be there next week? Would luv to meet up.

Damn now I am jealous as hell. Chris H is a real compadre. No better guy to show you around. Would give my left nut to be with you guys and hit the Malecon to meet some sexy chicas.

[Chris H]

Can we meet up to share some info? Drinks and cigar on me.

What days will you be there next week? Would luv to meet up.

[Mr Gogo]

The girls are still in Cuba and they still like to fuck. With the new president he has this get tough policy to show he means business and everyone is nervous. Eventually everyone will relax and it will be good hunting. Probably best to be a low key monger as they are paying more attention to who is with us. Can't blame the girls for being cautious especially when threatened with three years in prison. Get the number and have them come to your place. Maybe not a good time to be hanging out in public to protect the girl. Or go online pre trip and line up girls and numbers for your arrival. The local girls without a phone might have to stick with the local trike guys so use them and pay the premium.

But don't pay the trike guy more than 10 cuc for the intro, 5 cuc would be even better but those guys can sense if you are desperate. If a trike guy says 50 cuc for the girl he is a crook, most guys on trikes pay these gurls 10-15 cuc for sex.

I've seen Havana go up and down in the last 6 years and it's just the natural rotation. Ask the locals about the new spot and check it out because I've seen spots that take over a year to reach tourists and the internet. Example; Pica flora or Saint John's was a cabaret on the 14th floor of the St John's hotel for years, then they changed the format and working girls started going. No one posted about it for a year until Grownman started going, then it became the spot. Hell I would sit at Sofias cafe which is two doors from st John's and never knew it was for working girls. Guys still talk here about salon de rojo but it hasn't been shit for awhile. La grunge has working girls night, gay night, and couples night so you got to tap into the local gossip to know what's going on.