Havana

[BeersTerry]

Jonsie has written many a rivetting report on other forums. I always enjoy looking.........er reading them.

[Jonesie]

intro:

when your a guy known for going to cuba often, people ask you to bring back things. cigars, rum, cigars, a che t-shirt, cigars, coffee, cigars, cuban art, and cigars.

a while back, i started bringing cigars back for my cigar smoking friends to subsidize my travels to the island. things have gotten carried away and these days i'm pretty much taking back enough cigars to give a small country cancer.

long story-short, this trip i pretty much turned all my buddies who went with me into cigar mules to quench the nicotine thirst of all my friends.

first night: candy store closed

after we were finally finished being interrogated by cuban immigration, we were off to our casa and the weekend ahead.

after checking in at the casa, we headed out for a reliable option, only to find out the candy store had closed for remodeling. so we went to a late night disco called delerio habanero. it's basically a ***** house with music in the background. once we got into the disco, the lighting was dim and it was hard to tell the pretty from the pretty-ugly. blazers talked to a girl for a minute and decided to keep shopping before making a decision. while we were at the table, we kept interviewing girls who would come up and ask to sit down with us. we even interviewed the ones who sat down without asking.

at some point, i decided the girl blazers was first talking to was the one who most fit what i was in the mood for this evening.

daimaris

daimaris was a really sweet girl and gave great service. she said she'd only been in the game for a couple of weeks. which judging by her great attitude was believable.

second night in havana: havana hustle

on the second day, we went to the campo for a non-mongering bbq. the food was good, and i'm glad to have had the experience, but not something i'd repeat.

once we got back, we went to salon rojo. it was surprisingly slow that night compared to prior visits. nonetheless, we were able to make suitable arrangements for companionship. the good doctor is what we'll call the guy who went with blazers and i on this trip. he's actually a doctor in costa rica and a pretty nice guy. the good doctor and i found a couple of friends (sisters) that fit the bill of what we wanted that evening.

sayandra has an amazing body and provides amazing service. albeit not for as long as you may agree on, but great nonetheless.

the hustle:

the good doctor and i had negotiated all night rates. which was understood to mean they left after breakfast (and the wake up session).

i had agreed to give sayandra 120cuc for all night and for the services provided.

after the first round, at about 3:30am, the good doctor's girl got a call from her friend/mother/pimp saying her daughter was sick, and she would need to leave and attend to the matter. and of course, my girl couldn't think of letting her "sister" brave the situation alone. but of course, they needed to be paid for the entire time.

funny enough, the good doctor, being a doctor, offered to go and offer assistance. i can't remember what exactly was said in rapid spanish, but the jist was that an actual medical doctor wasn't needed, just the agreed fees and a little taxi money.

i may not be a doctor, but i've been going to cuba long enough to know this hustle. so i grabbed the good doctor before he got his wallet and explained that in addition to our sincere concern, these girls would be getting half of the agreed amount for less than half the time/services provided. there was some back and forth, but eventually the ladies were off to attend to their daughter/neice/pimp with 60cuc apiece. cuba never get's boring.

foolish generosity:

on day three, the good doctor and i headed over to change money. while we were at the desk, i ran into an american couple from arizona. they didn't know that banamex was part of citigroup, and that their cards didn't work in cuba. they were in the process of booking a flight to cancun to get money. they only had two days left on a five day vacation, so i told the lady to write me a check for $500 and gave her the equivalent in euros. this later came back to haunt me, as i ran out of money soon after and had to borrow money from the good doctor to finish my trip.

sure hope that check clears.

third night: if it's not broken.

on night three, we went back to salon rojo. it was back to form and there was more girls than the night before.

while we were at the table, we must have talked to about 15 girls. kind of like speed-dating, only for money.

i talked to a few girls, and then saw daimaris walking up. remembering how nice the session was before, i just elected to take her home again. i worked out an arrangement for all night, as i just love the morning nut.

daimaris didn't disappoint. she did me right at night, and again in the morning. she left at about 8:30 am after i punished her with morning wood. punished for what, i couldn't tell you.

last night ass:

on the last night, we all hung out and smoked cigars. blazers and the good doctor were calling it a night anticipating an early flight back to costa rica.

i thought about it, and then decided to go out and get some last night ass.

i walked around la rampa and stumbled by a little disco named coctel something. i saw a cute mulata and decided i'd deversify my trip. sorry for not getting a picture. i had my camera packed and it was only three hours before i had to wake up to leave. a well placed 40cuc.

again, thanks to blazers and the good doctor. great people for sharing the havana experience with me.

[Vedado Fun]

Great report Jonsie. I have no problem believing your story 100%. I don't think you tripped at the airport and bumped your head like TG suggests. Some guys do very well in Cuba while others do poorly. It all depends on what type of person you are and what type of approach you use.
It's true what TG says about Cubans being scared when it comes to talking with foreigners and both you and them should be careful. The Police are really cracking down on chicas who spend a lot of time with foreigners.

A report from Cubanet:
HAVANA, Cuba, August 25 (Aini Martín Valero, ALAS , www.cubanet.org) – Seven young women were given prison sentences of two to four years last week, accused of pestering tourists, a euphemism for prostitution.
According to friends of the women, they were arrested in various Havana night clubs where they were accompanied by foreign tourists.
Their mass trial was held August 21 in the Regla district.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Travelling Gring
For some odd reason you seem to be the only tourist in the world that Cuban girls don't run away from, but if people go expecting them to stand in line in broad daylight, they will be disappointed.
It's not the Cuba I see 4-5 months a year when there. Perhaps you tripped in the airport on arrival and fell into a timemachine that took you 10 years back.

[Member #4167]

The guide then went outside to look for a girl and he came back with Leila. She was a 21-year-old mulatta, very tiny and skinny, no kids. She was very scared about the police and didn't want to go out after that. We went back to the casa for 50 CUC TLN.

Nice report, SR !!

50 CUC = 60 US.

In cuba - difficult to find a girl on your own. They are there, but they are too afraid to talk to you. This is why you need a go-between and the go-between drives up the prices. The go-between gets 15, she gets 20 and the police get 15 to stay quiet.

The next night, I was determined to see other sights. I went to El Turquino on the top of the Habana Libre. Entrance 10 CUC for non-hotel guests, but you could easily bypass this by lying. Maybe this was a bad night, but all I could see were tourists. None of this top model nonsense. Now, maybe this was all on the second floor of the Haban Libre and not the top floor, but I thought that the really good action was on the top floor. Not so much. But pretty panoramic view of the city and a good band. I stayed there for a couple of hours and left. Drinks expensive (6 CUC for cuba libre).

This was typical for me.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

I like going to Cuba, but it's a pain in the butt for an American. The added cost of buying multiple plane tickets, the nervousness about passing U.S. customs, the potential for having your money stolen or losing your money and having no way of getting more money. It's all a pain. Also, not being able to have the things your used to is not fun, paying up the butt for calling the U.S. sucks, and paying 5 CUC at hotels for (relatively slow) Internet access makes you cringe. Oh, yeah...Cuba is hot too.

But there is something romantic about Cuba, and the Cuban women really do know how to please. Compared to a number of years ago, things are expensive. But on the whole, Cuba is still a better value than alternative places such as Costa Rica. I will return at least once a year until the embargo is lifted.

I agree with you about the hassles, the stresses, the overcharging and the inconveniences. Yes, Cuba is romantic, yes, Cuba is beautiful, but after awhile, all the bullsh1t overcharging gets to you.

As I long have said "Go to Cuba to see the country, but not for mongering"

You compare Cuba to CR and DR. Perhaps Cuba is cheaper, but CR and DR are some of the more expensive places in Latin America. While they are cheaper they offer first world convenience and ease of mongering. So it is not a fair comparison. Cuba is more expensive than a lot of other places.

Nice report, SR - keep them coming

[Member #4167]

Been thinking a couple of minutes on how to reply. Tough. Thing is, it would take more solid evidence for me to call anyone a liar, so instead I am going to say thanks for the report and congratulations for being able to work Cuba in a way that no other tourists can.

Tg,

In some ways Jonesie's report is realistic, and in other ways it is a fantasy

Here is how Jonesie's report should have read:

Even though I speak spanish fluently and I am a brave and bold monger, not afraid to talk to any girl, I walked around Havana for days trying to hook up with a cute non-pro shopgirl/waitress. Most of the shopkeepers I saw were pretty ugly, the cute girls having gotten married and emigrated long ago. The real cute girls were the students, walking in the street. Not a single one would talk to me. Over 3 days I did strike up a substantial conversation with 6 cuties. I negotiated a price and they agreed to meet me at my place later on. Of the 6 that agreed to meet with me, only 1 showed up.

Finally, I wised up and decided to go only with hardened pros. You wouldn't believe that is such hard work to find a hooker, but I finally found a few good lookers, after paying 10CUC admission to get into the hooker bars. To bring these girls home it cost me 100CUC.

REALITY: You can get anything you want in Cuba if you have enough money. You can land hardened pros in Cuba if you are willing to pay 100, 70, 50, 60 CUC. Cuba has changed in that it is no longer a buyer's market. It is very much a seller's market.

Jonesie made it seem all too easy.

As for getting "non-pros". As for myself, I speak spanish well enough. And I have am not afraid to talk to any girl. This definetly helps. I walked around Havana for days hitting on every cute girl I saw, trying to hook up with a cute non-pro. You can find them, but it is a lot of hard work. It is a lot of rejection and a lot of nos. Kind of like dating in the states, except in Cuba you can score with 18-25 year olds.

In some ways, Jonesie's story is believable, in other ways, it is not.

It makes me very suspicious that Jonesie is touting casaparticular.0rg. So I take what he says with a grain of salt.

Cuba to me is overhyped bullsh1t. It over promises and under delivers. You find this in EVERY ASPECT of Cuba. I have read of mongers paying $35CUC to rent a private casa particular, only to have the owners move back in with them. Or you arrive, having agreed to pay 30CUC for a luxury Casa Partiuclar on 10th street, to be told (at 10PM) that it is no longer available and that for the same price they will substitute a dump.

I understand that in the 3rd world, one can expect poor customer service and delays and substitutions. For this reduced quality, I expect to pay reduced prices. Cuba is 3rd world mongering at 1st world prices.

In other places in latin america I can get nice, a beachfront hotel room for $16. Or a middle of the road place for $10. Plus, I can bring any girl back I want without having to bribe the guard.

Cuba has perfected the art of gypping the customer. The slogan in Cuban "This is what we have, take it or leave it. The price is not negotiable". This slogan is repeated consistently with chicas, with transport and with lodging.

Even if you speak spanish fluently it will still take hard work, alot of rejection and a lot of mongering time to land a non-pro catch. Y go to Cuba when you can go to other mongering destinations and get la1d far more cheapily and for far less hassle?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I would suggest that the author or another Forum Member consider posting a link to this report in the Reports of Distinction thread. Please Click Here for more information.

[Smokers Rule]

I have only been to Cuba twice, so take my 2 cents for what it's worth . . .

I agree with Travelling Gring about girls being scared. Both of the times I was there, the girls I was with were very conscious of the police and being seen with me. It is a pain in the butt not because you have to worry about hiding from the police but because you can't in most cases go out with Cuban girls to places like restaurants, bars, etc.

This is not to say, however, that you should not go to Cuba. Aside from the difficulty of traveling there as an American, it is a great sex tourism destination in my opinion. The prices are low, the Cubanas are willing, and it's an interesting thing to do.

This is also not to say that you shouldn't talk to Cubanas when you're there. This is where I need to improve. Jonesie chats them up, and that's the secret to his success. I'm sure he talks to a lot more girls than he reports about; i.e., his reports contain only success stories. You have to put in the work to get the payoff.

So, yes, girls are scared of the police. But, no, that doesn't make Cuba a bad place to monger. I was not in Cuba 10 years ago, but I don't doubt that the Cuba of today would be a major dissappointment to someone who was there 10 years ago.

Bottom line: If you're a newbie, definitely go to Cuba. Just know that it's no Costa Rica or DR.

For some odd reason you seem to be the only tourist in the world that Cuban girls don't run away from, but if people go expecting them to stand in line in broad daylight, they will be disappointed.

[Jonesie]

Been thinking a couple of minutes on how to reply. Tough. Thing is, it would take more solid evidence for me to call anyone a liar, so instead I am going to say thanks for the report and congratulations for being able to work Cuba in a way that no other tourists can.

We all know that Cubanas are scarred sh!tless for talking to foreigners. But you just wave them over by the dozen in broad daylight in stores and on the street? And they stand in line there to talk to you?

As usual, every single report in here gets recommended as a report of distinction. If the purpose of that label is that newbies to Havana can get a realistic idea of how it is to be there, then I totally disagree. For some odd reason you seem to be the only tourist in the world that Cuban girls don't run away from, but if people go expecting them to stand in line in broad daylight, they will be disappointed.

I am dumbfounded. The last 2000 reports in here have pretty much all had one thing in common: That Cuba and Havana is hell to monger in and that 99 out of 100 girls (except for the hookers in the clubs) are scarred to talk to foreigners. But here comes a report from someone who thinks Havana is heaven for mongering. Strange.

It's not the Cuba I see 4-5 months a year when there. Perhaps you tripped in the airport on arrival and fell into a timemachine that took you 10 years back.

I've been to Cuba 44 times in the last 3 years. I lived there to learn Spanish in 06. I've written about 20 travel reports on Cuba alone. But my guess as to our differences in experience is a combination of Looks, Spanish, and understanding of the Havana street. I'm a fairly young, decent looking guy in good shape who speaks (Cuban) Spanish and is never away from Havana more than a month at a time.

Now. In many of my reports, you won't be reading the times I approached a chica and she refused to aknowledge me. But as I'm the author of this report, I will choose which parts are relevant. But I assure you, every part is true.

[El Grande]

Thanks for the report Jonesie.
I totally understand TG's doubts though, but if you speak Spanish and know how things go over there its just the way you have to do it. Speak to the hotties you meet no matter where you find them and you'll be surprised what you'll get.
BTW Don't refer to the amount of posts. I doubt that Jonesie is a Newbie to Cuba...
I do it the same way over there, I just don't overpay them with 50 $ :-)

[El Rey De Pollo]

Havana is hot as fuck in August. But the mongering is fucking excellent.

Been thinking a couple of minutes on how to reply. Tough. Thing is, it would take more solid evidence for me to call anyone a liar, so instead I am going to say thanks for the report and congratulations for being able to work Cuba in a way that no other tourists can.

We all know that Cubanas are scarred sh!tless for talking to foreigners. But you just wave them over by the dozen in broad daylight in stores and on the street? And they stand in line there to talk to you?

As usual, every single report in here gets recommended as a report of distinction. If the purpose of that label is that newbies to Havana can get a realistic idea of how it is to be there, then I totally disagree. For some odd reason you seem to be the only tourist in the world that Cuban girls don't run away from, but if people go expecting them to stand in line in broad daylight, they will be disappointed.

I am dumbfounded. The last 2000 reports in here have pretty much all had one thing in common: That Cuba and Havana is hell to monger in and that 99 out of 100 girls (except for the hookers in the clubs) are scarred to talk to foreigners. But here comes a report from someone who thinks Havana is heaven for mongering. Strange.

It's not the Cuba I see 4-5 months a year when there. Perhaps you tripped in the airport on arrival and fell into a timemachine that took you 10 years back.

[Jonesie]

At some point, I'll figure out how to attached photos with the report.

[Jonesie]

Havana is hot as fuck in August. But the mongering is fucking excellent.

Arrival and Check In:

I arrived in the afternoon and checked into my casa. The casa owner seemed a little nutty, but nothing too unusual. I went to the Focsa building to get some beverages for the fridge. While there, I saw a really hot girl working there in her mini-skirt uniform. I realized I only had 50cuc bills and went to the counter to ask for change. The girl said she wasn't supposed to break the bill, but would if I'd buy her a beer. I told her I would buy her two if she would introduce me to the girl I had my eye on since walking in. She called her over and I began to chat her up. We went outside and exchanged info. She said she got off at 8pm and could meet me then. As I was only a block away.

Yadira showed up at my house in her cute little uniform and asked where I'd like to go. I told her we could just stay at my casa. She at once realized what I was offering and in a blink switched to business mode and asked how much I wanted to pay her. I countered with the same question, to which she replied 30? . I told her that was fine. I had to argue a little for the BBBJ, but otherwise she had a great body and was pretty affectionate in bed.

Afterward, I gave her 35cuc and asked her to smile for my camera. She very adamatley insisted that I not take pictures. Sorry fellas.

What I absolutely love about Cuba is that you can do shit like this on a daily basis. Nowhere else can you get an everyday grocery store girl to come fuck you after her shift for 35cuc.

First Night: Stretch

After sending my mercado girl on her way with some well earned overtime pay, I took a nap, a shower, and went to my favorite place on earth. The Candy Store. I arrived at La Canitas a little early, it was only 11pm. Only a few girls were there and I decided to grab a bottle of water and a table. Shortly afterward, a petite mulata came in and sat at the table next to mine. I loved her body and invited her over to sit with me. She reminded me of a girl who worked in my office when I lived in LA some years ago. Who I always wanted to fuck.

Being that Cuba is taking the global downturn especially hard, prices for the ladies is quite reasonable. She started at 50cuc, I countered at 40cuc, she agreed. Then I asked if I could get a second pop, she said I could for 50cuc. I jokingly asked if I could get a third pop for 60cuc, she actually thought about it.

Yey-something was really good in bed. She had that little mulata body that I like so much. And wasn't shy about sharing it while seeking her own pleasure.

I sent Yey-something on her way with 55 well earned pesos and called it a night at 5am.

Second Day: Now THAT'S Customer Service

On the second day, I woke up late and made coffee. The owner of the house kept coming in and out of the apartment to see what I was doing. I asked her what she needed, to which she replied she was keeping an eye on me. I asked why, she said I was American and she wanted to make sure everything would be ok with her house. I told her the US had stopped giving a shit about Cuba 40 years ago and she needed to relax. Just then the doorbell rang and it was Tony from Casaparticular.org. I had brought him some medicine and he'd dropped by to pick it up. I asked him to check the neurotic ***** that owned this casa or to find me another place. He had a short conversation with her and she went back into her room.

Tony and I chatted for a while and made plans to meet later and go out. Then I went to La Roca for lunch.

While having lunch, I noticed a hot waitress walking around. I finally crossed glances with her and gave her a flirtacious glance. She walked over and asked if I needed anything, I told her she was really cute and asked what time she got off. She said 4pm. Which was two hours later. I asked her if she wanted to meet me then, she told me to give her my phone number and she would call later. I gave her my Cuban cell and had written it off as a blow-off.

I went back to my casa and took a nap. I was woken by my cell phone shortly after 4pm. I was groggy and didn't remember giving her my number for a minute. She asked me if I wanted to see her, I said of course. She said she could come to my casa, but would need me to give her a little gift. I told her fine.

She arrived shortly afterward and came in. She was wearing street clothes at this point. I had hoped to strip her uniform off, to no avail.

She asked what little gift I planned to give her, I returned the question. She asked for 60cuc, I said that was expensive, she asked again how much my gift would be, I said 40cuc, she countered with 50cuc and we had terms.

Honestly, I have no idea what her name was or is for that matter. She gave me a decent uncovered blowjob, followed by acceptable sex. When she left, I went back to sleep until Tony called later to make plans to pick me up.

Second Night: A Friend of A Friend

Tony came by and picked me up at 10pm and we went to the Nacional to meet my friend Yamil and his wife for coffee.

He told me about a club I should check out named La Cecelia in Miramar.

We arrived at La Cecelia in Miramar and I was immediately impressed. There were roughly 500 people at this outdoor disco. TONS of hot working girls, and great live music.

Tony and I found a table and sat down for a while. Had a few drinks and watched the show. Once the show was over, we started the interview process. There were some very pretty girls in play this particular night and I tried to interview as many as I could. Most were in the 50-60cuc range. I finally found a winner in Dyanna. I negotiated 2 pops for 60cuc. We were off to my casa.

When we arrived, there was some back and forth about paying before or afterward. She finally gave in and got undressed.

Dyanna and I jumped in the shower togither and rinsed off, as it was very hot at the disco. Once she got undressed, she looked so good I had to go down on her. After a few minutes, she returned the favor and then slid me in. She had a tight, wet box and I went at it for a while. I finally blew on her stomach and handed her my shirt to wipe off the leche. Back into the shower she went.

A short break and I was back at it. I pounded her for a good half hour, but couldn't get a nut. I finally gave up and paid her 70cuc for the beating. We sat on my bed for a while chatting until she got up and put her clothes on. While she was putting on her lipstick, we were playing around and I felt like giving it the old college try again. So I pushed on my bed, pulled one pant leg off of her, and fucked her hard for about 4-5 minutes before I found the elusive leche.

A pretty girl and a great sport.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I would suggest that the author or another Forum Member consider posting a link to this report in the Reports of Distinction thread. Please Click Here for more information.

[BeersTerry]

El Conjelitas is a place where the pros and semi pros hang out.

Canitas is on the 2nd floor of the Habana Libre. It is hit or miss but when there are girls there are alot of girls. anywhere that is costs $10 to get in will be for pros or semi pros.

[Smokers Rule]

Sorry we couldn't meet up. I've used CA three times now and he's never asked me for money up front. Weird. Yes, it was VERY hot last weekend.

Very nice report Smokers. Leila is a winner. I've always had bad luck with cubaaccomodations. They always would change my reservation on the day before my trip and ask me to send money. I've always had great luck with Tony at casaparticular.org.

I too was in Havana last weekend. Man was it hot. I normally stay closer to the action. But I know that house and it's nice.

[Jonesie]

Very nice report Smokers. Leila is a winner. I've always had bad luck with cubaaccomodations. They always would change my reservation on the day before my trip and ask me to send money. I've always had great luck with Tony at casaparticular.org.

I too was in Havana last weekend. Man was it hot. I normally stay closer to the action. But I know that house and it's nice.

[Smokers Rule]

I was recently in Cuba for a few days...here's a trip report.

AIRPORT

I arrived from CUN on a Cubana flight. Cubana runs 1 flight each way per day. The price is $270 for the flight and $18 for the tourist card. This price includes Mexican taxes.

I asked, and you can usually make reservations up to the day before you want to fly. That is, they are rarely sold out. And the good thing is that (unlike US airlines), the price does not seem to change much...at least with this promotion.

Here's the process for an American making a Cubana reservation:

1. E-mail Veronica Sanchez with the Cubana Cancun branch at reservaciones1@cubanacancun.com. Tell her your itinerary. She will probably ask you for your passport number too. I wrote her in Spanish, but I imagine someone there knows English.

2. When you get to Cancun, go to the Cubana offices and pay the $288. The Cubana offices are located here:

Av.Tulum 232
sm4 mza12
Edificio Cancun Towers
Cubana de Aviacion
Tels 887 7210 y 8877017

Taxi from the Zona Hotelera in CUN is around $10 each way, less if you negotiate. My taxi driver had some problems finding it. It's on the corner, on the first floor of a two-story office building.

You go in and tell them you have a reservation. I had a copy of my e-mails to Veronica. Then you wait for a seemingly endless amount of time until they press every button on their keyboard, and you finally pay them. You can pay in USD.

They will give you a confirmed itinerary.

3. You bring the itinerary to the airport and get your boarding pass. Simple as that.

Cubana planes are old and crappy. The flight is not smooth. Good thing the flight is only 50 minutes.

Upon return, I politely asked the Mexican customs guy not to stamp my passport. I didn't try to bribe him though. He said he had to stamp it. I asked him to stamp it on a different page than the original stamp, and he asked me which page. So I had him stamp it on a page with a lot of other stamps. He was a good guy.

The standard taxi rate from the airport to Vedado (and probably anywhere else) is 20 CUC.

Remember: The airport tax is 25 CUC, so factor that into your equation. Also, don't lose your tourist card.

LODGING

I use http://www.cubaccommodation.com for my lodging. Send an e-mail to booking@cubaccommodation.com and Alejandro will hook you up. I tell him exactly what I want, and he finds it for me. I am also clear that I want the place to be 100% chica friendly. He passes this info along to the owner so there are no surprises when I arrive.

This time, I told Alejandro that I wanted an entire house to myself. He found me a nice house near John Lennon park with 2 bedrooms for 45 CUC, and the entire house was to myself. The owners lived in another house at the back of the property, and I didn't see them unless I called them and needed something.

I am very aware that 45 CUC in August is high. I was paying for two rooms and a completely private house, and this casa is much nicer than any I had been in. Nice and spacious, good A/C, TV, hot water, everything. The casa owner was very cool too about the girls. She explained that they take the names and ID numbers of the girls for my safety but they don't register them. At night, she has a security guy there (from 10 pm to 7 am). His name was Bruno.

I don't want to post the casa information here, but if you want it e-mail me and I'll get it to you. The owner asked me to pass along the information to you guys. She doesn't have an e-mail though so contacting Alejandro may be best. I can give you her phone number, though. She speaks good English.

GUIDE

Based on the recommendations of another forum member, I used a guide/driver named Jorge on the first night. He was supposed to pick my up from the airport, but it turns out he doesn't even have a car. He showed up at the airport for some reason anyway. That night, we went out and he found me a chica (see below) at a decent price, but all I did for him was buy him a couple of drinks. He was a little bit of a scammer, I think. Gave me bad vibes, so I stayed away for the rest of the trip. No harm, no foul. If you want his number, I have that too. But you probably don't want his number.

CHICAS...

I arrived about 5pm, met the guide, went to the casa, and went out. We went to a bar that he described as "Robin bar" and "Hemingway's Other Bar" I believe the sign outside said Conjelitas or something like that. It was in Vedado, about 3 blocks from Salon Rojo. Hopefully someone knows this place and can clear it up.

There were a number of tourists and some Cubans. The guide then went outside to look for a girl and he came back with Leila. She was a 21-year-old mulatta, very tiny and skinny, no kids. She was very scared about the police and didn't want to go out after that. We went back to the casa for 50 CUC TLN.

Leila is crazy and rode me for literally 30 minutes straight without stopping. It was unreal. Very good service. The only complaint is no DFK.

The next night, I went to the Hotel Nacional to make some phone calls then took a walk. Salon Rojo was hopping. Entrance was 10 CUC. I didn't go in. Then, as I was walking, I ran into Leila again. Imagine that. I took her back to my place for another TLN.

The next night, I was determined to see other sights. I went to El Turquino on the top of the Habana Libre. Entrance 10 CUC for non-hotel guests, but you could easily bypass this by lying. Maybe this was a bad night, but all I could see were tourists. None of this top model nonsense. Now, maybe this was all on the second floor of the Haban Libre and not the top floor, but I thought that the really good action was on the top floor. Not so much. But pretty panoramic view of the city and a good band. I stayed there for a couple of hours and left. Drinks expensive (6 CUC for cuba libre).

It is true that the girls on the street will typically not even look at you. However, around La Rampa and the Habana Libre, especially at night, you'll get some stares from the pros. It would be easy to pick them up. I mention this here because I regret not having talked to a girl I saw outside the Habana Libre as I was leaving.

Anyway, I got in a cab and went to Salon Rojo. It was PMM (no live music), so cover was just 5 CUC. Some decent looking girls, but you could tell they were all pros. I talked to a few who immediately wanted to leave, but didn't mention any prices. I decided to leave.

I then went to El Cantante. There were a lot of people. It was kind of dark and dingy, and there were a few good looking girls, but not a lot. This is a place for darker looking girls it seems.

I decided to go home and call Leila up again. You just can't go wrong there.

Leila gave me both her number and e-mail, but unfortunately I left them both in Havana. I regret this immensely.

TAXI DRIVERS

Taxi drivers are the biggest thieves in Havana. Their meters are always located behind their mirrors, and they always adjust either their mirror to cover it. If you ask them to use their mirror, they will try to negotiate with you. Now I know that paying 2-3 CUC when the fare is 1-2 CUC is not a huge deal, but I just hate how they take advantage of tourists.

EUROPEANS

There seemed to be fewer European guys there with hot girls this time around. I don't know if I just came at a bad time or what. It was definitely low season, and the global economic slump is definitely taking a toll.

INTERNET

To access the Internet, just go to a hotel. You can buy cards for 30 minutes for 5 CUC at the Melia Cohiba or Hotel Nacional. Probably the other hotels too, but I haven't checked. The Internet seems to have gotten faster since the last time I was in Cuba a year ago. All of the Cuban Internet terminals that I used seem to run the same tarjeta system. The Internet at the airport is REALLY fast (by Cuban standards).

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

I like going to Cuba, but it's a pain in the butt for an American. The added cost of buying multiple plane tickets, the nervousness about passing U.S. customs, the potential for having your money stolen or losing your money and having no way of getting more money. It's all a pain. Also, not being able to have the things your used to is not fun, paying up the butt for calling the U.S. sucks, and paying 5 CUC at hotels for (relatively slow) Internet access makes you cringe. Oh, yeah...Cuba is hot too.

But there is something romantic about Cuba, and the Cuban women really do know how to please. Compared to a number of years ago, things are expensive. But on the whole, Cuba is still a better value than alternative places such as Costa Rica. I will return at least once a year until the embargo is lifted.

If you haven't ever been to Cuba and are contemplating a trip, I would DEFINITELY recommend it. Just (1) plan ahead, and (2) know that there will be some bumps and inconveniences along the way. Definitely worth it.