Havana

[Mr Gogo]

Regarding the Tall Man's comment on pricing. I still find Cuba to be well priced compared to much of latin America and elsewhere. For example, I have just booked for the Philippines, the pricing there is incredible for a third world country (USD$160) . If you commented on the shitty available food options in Cuba, then I would have nothing to say.

Cuba is not strictly shooting fish in a barrel type hobbying as in Sosua, Medellin, San Jose etc. Should you like shooting fish in a barrel, Cuba can prove difficult.....but not expensive

I was in the Philippines and the prices were nowhere near 160 usd unless they have doubled in two years. Cuba is still a bargain for pussy but you have to be plugged in which can take a newbie a couple days to make worthwhile connections. If all a newbie knows is " Casa de musica" or street walkers he will be paying the tourists prices.

[BeersTerry]

Regarding the Tall Man's comment on pricing. I still find Cuba to be well priced compared to much of latin America and elsewhere. For example, I have just booked for the Philippines, the pricing there is incredible for a third world country (USD$160) . If you commented on the shitty available food options in Cuba, then I would have nothing to say.

Cuba is not strictly shooting fish in a barrel type hobbying as in Sosua, Medellin, San Jose etc. Should you like shooting fish in a barrel, Cuba can prove difficult.....but not expensive

[BeersTerry]

Mondo, I am not talking about Cesar Lopez. There was a time that Havana Ensemble was sin Cesar Lopez.

[Mondo707]

I have seen Cesar Lopez billed as Cesar Lopez, I guess without Havana Ensemble.

Waaaaaay back when, I have seen Havana Ensemble when they didn't have Cesar Lopez. They were, as my Cuban friend says, just "regular".

Hey BT,

I beg to differ with your friend here. Cesar Lopez is one of the highest regarded players on his instrument, not by me, and if you do not believe me google his bio and you'll see his credits all the way back starting with Irakere and there after.

I'll drop this theme here since this thread is for chicas info mostly just thought I respond to your comment.

Mondo.

[BeersTerry]

I have seen Cesar Lopez billed as Cesar Lopez, I guess without Havana Ensemble.

Waaaaaay back when, I have seen Havana Ensemble when they didn't have Cesar Lopez. They were, as my Cuban friend says, just "regular".

[Mondo707]

Hey fellow mongers.

I posted a bit about one of the combos that plays at the Jazz cafe usually on Fridays called Havana Ensemble.

Anyways, I was checking out one of my fave bands nowadays (El Niño why la Verdad) on YouTube and happened to run into the Ensemble's main guy, Cesar Lopez.

He got invited to play along with the band and did an incredible solo IMHO. In case you enjoy Timba music check it out below.

Mondo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54_OmxgLGg8

[The Tall Man]

Hey BT,

Yes man right on. I just came back about 10 days ago and have to agree with you completely.

This post is mostly about a few things that I found while there not necessarily about picking up chicas since that was not the main reason that I went this time around.

Sorry, not much info about picking up chicas, in case you want to skip my post.

First, I spent about a month and rented a one bedroom apartment which I had rented on previous visits right on the Malecon (Calzada & N) about a block from the US embassy.

This time I went for my Cubano music fix, which I got to say got fulfilled totally and a couple other things. One was meeting a gal that my mom raised and had not seen in quite a long time.

We shared some memories with her and her family, she's now married and and has 2 daughters. I needed to find out what was going on since out of the blue a couple of years ago started receiving emails from her so wasn't sure what the deal was.

I'll share a couple of things that might be helpful to some of you. For me having a phone to make calls, send texts within Cuba is a priority, so I rented a Sim card from the owner's nephew for $2 daily.

The way I did it I had my lost friend's daughter living in Tampa got me a recarga for $20 which Etecsa has every other week and which gives you an extra $30 bonus.

It cost me $20+the rental ($2 a day) total $80 for the 30 days and at the end I still had about $8 left.

Now so you guys know I didn't use this to yap away just to make / receive necessary calls / texts which in my book is a necessity.

Bonus for me was being able to use my Motorola phone which I am familiar with.

Also, I've been reading about Verizon and Sprint getting access inside Cuba and roaming being available too. Can't help you on that since don't have info on costs etc.

Second about the Cuba music scene, I left a couple of days before the Stones got there, not my thing so didn't miss it although I would have gone to the concert had I been there.

My thing is Timba / Son and I got my fix big time. My first 4 days I went to the 1st Timba / Salsa fest in El Bosque with the best Cuban bands (every day 3 top tier bands!

After that I went to different venues including both Casa de la Musica, whenever a band that I dug played. I well say the matinees are better than the night shift (cheaper too).

My friends husband is a journalist and I got invited to a couple of gigs which in my opinion are the way to go if one has some contact to get invited to this sort of event since there are no Jineteras and one has a chance to meet a real Cubana who is not trying to hustle you.

Third, for me Habana is getting more expensive however I found one huge bargain if anyone is like me about digging music. It's the Jazz cafe across the street from the Melia Cohiba.

Fridays and Saturday nights they have two really good ensembles playing there and the cover cjharge is $10 CUC. Once you get a table you can have drinks for your $10 or a decent Cuban meal for the same $10.

Don't know about you guys but for me whenever I go here in L. A. To check someone at a jazz club it usually runs me around $70 with dinner included so for $10 I get both dinner and great jazz.

I really wasn't looking for chicas necessarily but kept my eyes open and would hang at hotel Colina in the afternoon to have a Cristal or two and window shop all the foot traffic going by.

Had a couple of gals sit next to me and ask me about wanting to have fun, got a cute one phone # and a couple of days later called to come over to my place and she asked me upfront for $60, lost interest and told her so.

One irony, after coming back I made a pit stop in Miami Beach where a buddy lives and spent about a week there. While there met a couple of Cubano hustlers who offered me Cubanas of any size / color / shape.

Why I mention this, well cause I think a lot of the Jineteras have been moving on to the mainland and now the Miami Cubanos that use to denigrate them when they were in Cuba are stuck with them in Miami / Dade, LOL.

Mondo.

Very interesting read. I spent 10 days in Havana last year in August just to finally experience it. Now with the lax travel rules and the higher prices I have many other places to visit before I am on the other side of the grass, LOL.

Thanks for sharing your opinions.

The Tall Man.

[LifeIsABeach]

In Miami or in Havana?

I was talking about Havana as this is Cuba site.

[Mondo707]

Wow, prices have gone way up to from I was paying 10 years ago. $20.00 got me a choice of what ever woman I wanted, young single, married etc. All were available. I could either take her to her friend's house for a couple of dollars or back to my apartment. No clock watching nor a pimp involved.

Hey Life,

The price I mentioned were for the Miami area, don't know if you got that?

Cuba / Havana prices are much lower although they also been going up from the "good old days".

Still I would agree that to get the best bang for your buck you need to go outside la Habana.

Mondo.

[Mr Gogo]

Havana.

Just returned from a trip to Havana and let me say things are changing fast. I took the tourist charter with a direct flight from Mia-HAV for 379 and 75 for the visa. Obama has just relaxed the travel rules so you can now go solo and don't need to be part of a tourist group. Just self certify and keep an agenda and all your receipts. Customs asked no questions leaving and returning.

My first day in Havana was about hanging out and just checking out the vibe of the place with the new rules. Let me say it had an eerie feeling to it. My friends and girls had vanished. My spots in Vedado were thin, even on a Friday night. Where was everyone? Luckily I had a couple past Internet girls waiting on standby to kill the void for my first two days.

My next to last day I ran into the first girl I banged in Cuba almost three years ago. We sat on the malecon celebrating till 4 am with her two amigas. Later she would give me the scoop on everything: The cops had done a major sweep 3 days before Obama arrived and snatched people of the streets so everyone was still spooked. Also the girl told me that the new hustle is to marry for business. See a foreigner can't buy property or open a biz in Cuba unless they marry a Cuban. Of the three girls drinking with us that night on the malecon 1). Was married to a German guy who paid 36 k for a Casa in Havana vieja that they also rent out to tourist. 2) My girl had just returned from Italy where she had been married for a year. She still wore the big diamond ring he brought her and sported a new galaxy S6 phone. She said it was cold in Italy and she missed Cuba. The husband refused to open up a biz in Cuba so that blew her hustle. 3) The third girl was also married to a German guy but she was home for now awaiting his visit. Casas, restaurants, clothing shops are all the new things these girls are fronting for their foreign spouses. Also several girls have went to Miami to cash in on being the hot new Cuban in town. The streets were thin and the girls are on the move internationally with new phones and clothes to match. No more girls with one pair of shoes and no phone.

Cuba is still a must see for guys who haven't gone yet but for the seasoned Cuba veteran their might be a drop off in talent until you get reacquainted.

American business opportunities are opening up but with a current US election and the Castros still in control people are scared.

[Combo]

Wow, prices have gone way up to from I was paying 10 years ago. $20.00 got me a choice of what ever woman I wanted, young single, married etc. All were available. I could either take her to her friend's house for a couple of dollars or back to my apartment. No clock watching nor a pimp involved.

In Miami or in Havana?

[LifeIsABeach]

I think Miami prices would be comparable to the going rate around south Florida maybe a bit higher since there's prob more dough in that area.

The Cubano hustler told me for a FOB Cubana would set me back $150 with a no clock watching rule in effect (maybe a selling point?) he showed me her pixs from FB and she'd be around an 8. 5.
Mondo.

Wow, prices have gone way up to from I was paying 10 years ago. $20.00 got me a choice of what ever woman I wanted, young single, married etc. All were available. I could either take her to her friend's house for a couple of dollars or back to my apartment. No clock watching nor a pimp involved.

[BeersTerry]

Yes, I saw that the Valdez's have been moved to Thursdays after monopolizing Friday and Saturday for years. All the same, they need to change their act (s) once in a while.

Seen Havana Ensemble around for years.

[Mondo707]

Ya, I too love the music scene in Havana. Hate the weekends as it is always one of the Valdez brothers at La Zorra or Jazz Cafe. It would help if they changed their effing act once in a while.

Hey BT,

Don't know when you were in la Habana last but when I was there the group playing Fridays at Jazz cafe was call Havana Ensemble and if you go back and check out the annual Jazz fest in December they were all the rage.

The sax player "esta por arriba del nivel", Cesar Lopez, maybe next time you go make sure to check him out. Also, the other combo on Saturday night was almost as awesome.

BTW, I never made it to La Zorra why el Cuervo since as you know the loudness level (is over the top for me) and a couple of times I forgot my earplugs.

Mondo.

P.S. Here is a link for the Havana Ensemble playing Caravan, enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDHA...&nohtml5=False

[Mondo707]

Very interesting report but, concerning the sim card from Etc, you can buy one one for 40 CUC which gives you your own phone number plus 10 CUC of calling time. I have to say that I don't know if no non Cuban can buy one as I put it in the name of my'girlfriend'.

Concerning the Cubans in Miami Beach, it will be interesting to know the price range, as to compare with the 'originals' back home!

Hey Coco,

I think Miami prices would be comparable to the going rate around south Florida maybe a bit higher since there's prob more dough in that area.

The Cubano hustler told me for a FOB Cubana would set me back $150 with a no clock watching rule in effect (maybe a selling point?) he showed me her pixs from FB and she'd be around an 8. 5.

As per the Sim card goes this will change soon here after since there is some competition coming with all the US providers getting on the island.

Mondo.