Havana

[El Rey De Pollo]

Vedado Fun and Berthold,

Thanks for the updates on the current do's and dont's in Havana.

Havana can be a very dangerous place if you are not careful. I would not recommend having a private casa all by yourself. This is illegal and could also be risky.

I am a little curious as to what you mean? First of all, what experiences have you had or do you know of, of Havana being a very dangerous place. I am thinking that things must have changed lately as I have always felt completely safe there. Even walking the streets at night half-drunk.

And could you elaborate on your casa advice? Until now I have always stayed in hotels and taken the chicas to casas I know where you can have a room for a couple of hours or the entire night for 15 CUC. But was thinking about staying in a casa next time around, but would then definately prefer a private casa with private entrance to take chicas in unnoticed. Why is this dangerous? And what do you mean by 'private casas are illegal'. Whats your definition of a 'private casa? '

Again, great current info. Just wondering about these few lines.

TG

[Dolphin2007]

Thanks El Cubanio. I'll want a place that is very very very cool with the chica action. I don't want to give anybody any heart palpatations. Too bad there is no contact info for Casa Maria. I don't know how to reserve such a place. How do I find out which casas might be more friendly to chicas than other ones? Vedado Fun. Do you have any recommendations that you'd be willing to share for chica-friendly casas? Thanks everyone. This is great learning for me.

There are a ton of casa in Vedado. If you are looking for quality

Casa Antigua is by far one of the best Casas in Vedado. The owners are a Husband/Wive. The Husband Horacio is a great guy, but the wife she is a little bit of an eccentric. They will allow you to bring one chica after that if you try to bring another chica Martha has Heart papatacions. Here is the website if you are interested:

http://www.casantigua.justincuba.com/

Another house is Casa Maria. This Casa does not advertise because the owner daughter is marrie dto this Rich Italian dude. There house is by far one of the better houses in Vedado. They have 2 rooms for rent. Both rooms are huge and each room hast it own private bathroom. Maria is, very, very, very cool with the chica action. Her address is Calle C between Calle 23 (la Rampa) and Calle 25. I do know not remeber the exact number of the house, but her House is right next door to the School on Calle C. If you get to the School the house is right to the left of the School as you are coming from CAlle 23.

I hope this helps you.

El Cubanito

[Vedado Fun]

Ok. You guys have convinced me to find a casa in Vedado vs Old havana. Any recommendations? Care to share the places that you like?

Thanks about the laptop and $ issues. They make sense. I don't drink, and I've lived in numerous big cities where crime is an issue, so I hope to be pretty aware of things. We'll see how it all goes. This is all new to me, since I've never been there.

I usually stay on Calle L near the Habana Libre and Hotel Colina. There are lots of casas for rent in this area. Since you are new I think it's best to just contact Pototo on Cuba Junky. He's a great guy and his business is helping tourists in Cuba. I think lots of guys on this site know him. He will set you up with a casa and even meet you at the airport if necessary. http://www.cuba-junky.com/havana/pototo.htm

Just email him and tell him you want to stay in Vedado very close to the La Rampa area and exactly what you want for a casa. You will be very happy with his service.

[El Cubanito]

There are a ton of casa in Vedado. If you are looking for quality

Casa Antigua is by far one of the best Casas in Vedado. The owners are a Husband/Wive. The Husband Horacio is a great guy, but the wife she is a little bit of an eccentric. They will allow you to bring one chica after that if you try to bring another chica Martha has Heart papatacions. Here is the website if you are interested:

http://www.casantigua.justincuba.com/

Another house is Casa Maria. This Casa does not advertise because the owner daughter is marrie dto this Rich Italian dude. There house is by far one of the better houses in Vedado. They have 2 rooms for rent. Both rooms are huge and each room hast it own private bathroom. Maria is, very, very, very cool with the chica action. Her address is Calle C between Calle 23 (la Rampa) and Calle 25. I do know not remeber the exact number of the house, but her House is right next door to the School on Calle C. If you get to the School the house is right to the left of the School as you are coming from CAlle 23.

I hope this helps you.

El Cubanito

[Berthold]

When was the last time in Havana, Cuba??? Never??

El Cubanito

my last time in havana was in april and may 2006

[Dolphin2007]

Ok. You guys have convinced me to find a casa in Vedado vs Old havana. Any recommendations? Care to share the places that you like?

Thanks about the laptop and $ issues. They make sense. I don't drink, and I've lived in numerous big cities where crime is an issue, so I hope to be pretty aware of things. We'll see how it all goes. This is all new to me, since I've never been there.

I always bring my laptop with me and have never had any problems. I always keep it locked up in a suitcase when I'm not using it.

I also leave my extra cash locked up in a suitcase at my casa. You can leave a small amount like $30 or $40 in a pants pocket or shirt pocket in your closet at your casa. If you bring a girl back to your casa just pay her with this money so it's not necessary to open up a suitcase to get more money.

When I go out I only ever take a small amount of cash with me like $15 or $20. I don't drink so I'm always very aware of what's going on around me. Just follow my previous advice and you will be ok. Don't flash around a lot of money anywhere and don't go giving away money or other gifts in the street for no reason. Don't walk around Havana carrying a backpack or an expensive camera. There are lots of street robberies there every day.

I've been to Havana many times and I've come to the conclusion that it's very difficult to become friends with most people there. Everyone there is after your money and they have many ways of getting it from you. The people I trust the most are the casa owners that I stay with. I almost always stay at one of two places so they know me well and they treat me well. I also treat them well and give them small gifts whenever I can.

I think what Berthold says is mostly correct but I'm very used to staying in the Vedado area of Havana and it's very convient and close to the places that I need to visit. If I could go to Havana and spend a month or so I would love to meet someone like Berthold and get to know the areas he's mentioned. I have been to Cerro and Marianao but only for quick visits.

I would recommend staying in Vedado instead of Old Havana mainly because I think Vedado is a lot safer and a lot more interesting at night. You can always walk from Vedado to Old Havana along the Malecon. It will take you aprox 45 mins or more but it's a nice walk. At night it's fairly safe to walk along the Malecon because there's always lots of Police there but like Berthold says it's better to take a taxi to get from A to B.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I certainly hope that the author or somebody else will post a link to this report in the Reports of Distinction thread. Please Click Here for more information.

[El Cubanito]

use Holiday Market Travel.....

There website is:

http://www.holidaymarkettravel.com/

I hope this help. I have use them in the past.

El Cubanito

[PincheCabron]

I went to Havana last July and hung out with a girl for most of my stay of two weeks. No problems whatsoever with going anywhere although I kind of have a latin appearance and am in my late 30s (although I probably look younger). I actually got stopped and got asked for my carnet which I thought was funny. I don't think the cops are looking for chicas with foreigners but if the dude looks 70-80 years old then they may make an exception.

[Member #4167]

I don't use Nash Travel.

Thanks

Can you recommend a better travel agency? Or better yet, several ?

[Member #4167]

I was there a little more than ten years ago. But things have changed a little so my opinions / observations are not current as those of the true Cubaphiles herein (Including: BeersTerry, Cubiche, El Cubanito, (Jeweller. An up and comer) and many more folks. Hence I don't want to be nominated into any "report of distinction. "

Cuba is like crack cocaine. A great high but at a steep price.

Let me tell you of my experiences with this crack cocaine (Cerca the mid 90's)

I went to Havana. I originally didn't go there for mongering. On the plane, I asked a Cuban-American "what are the bargains in Cuba? Leather? Silver? )

He answered: "pussy is on sale. "

I got a driver with a car. $25/d. He was an electrical engineer who made more money that way (such is the way of Cuba). He was honest and reliable. OK, well maybe not so honest, more about that later.

The Hotel/Casa Particular "Discovery"

I checked into a hotel, then learned about the No Chica rule. Actually, at my first hotel, the guard let the girl into the hotel. I told the guard I was going to buy her dinner in the hotel restaurant (which I did). This was a pure P4P. She was OK. Wasn't that attractive looking. Kinda skanky but young. I wasnt allowed to bring back chicas after that.

Finally, I realised I needed a Casa PArticular, so I checked out and wheeled my suitcase along the streets of Havana. Looking for a Casa PArticular.

A very helpful fella offered to find me a Casa PArticular. He found one in which the the bed was literally made of straw. And it smelled.

I guess the horses won't be eating hay tonite.

Everyone not employed by the tourist industry is on the take in Cuba. The person who helps you says "you wait here, I'll go talk to the landlady. She won't talk to you (que mierda! ). " HE makes a deal with the casera "charge this yuma $25 and give me $5. "

I feel a little cheated, but such is the forma de la vida en Cuba. I would rather pay the rack rate and pay the jintero $5 for his consultation fee. Same money spent. I just feel less cheated.

Everything is black market in Cuba. Everything you do is illegal in Cuba.

Even after I left my suitcase behind, I was still ocassionally pestered by the jinterOs. I did get ripped off trying to buy some Cuban cigars. These were una mierda, they weren't even good as CHEAP CIGARS. But, you'll find that in any 3rd world country.

By the way I didn't see a single cat or dog on the streets of Havana. I don't think they eat them, it's just that food is in short supply. Maybe the animals die from the poisonous diesel fumes from the "buses"

After a few mishaps and several prospective Casas PArticulars later (no chicas allowed) I rented an entire apartment with kitchen, two bedrooms, et al for $25/nite. A really nice place. This was somewhere downtown. The only problem was that the landlady pretty much stipulated that I could only bring over one girl for the entire time I was there. I could only have one girlfreind.

My modus.operandi is that I prefer to find a girlfreind. I like doing things the hard way, I guess I like the illusion that this is not a P4P.

I went out to bars and niteclubs. I like them white, and thin. I was not a bad looking guy at the time. I am uglier and fatter now, 10+ yrs after. Believe it or not, it wasn't easy picking up cute girls. My spanish was pretty bad. Maybe I was too picky. However, I can get a fat skank in my own country.

One day I came back to the Casa one day and the landlady was in my casa, cooking herself a meal. This was after all HER KITCHEN. I wanted to tell her "Get the heck out, I want to bang my girlfreind. " but, she was in the middle of cooking some elaborate meal. Not cooking the meal for me. It was for her. MY girlfreind sat their and chatted with her while I fumed! Cock-blocked!

Still. I kept going back.

This driver took me all over the city. Whenever I saw a cute chica (and really it; s not flush with hotties like in Europe or the USA) I asked the driver to chat her up. (I had minimal spanish) I NEVER got a girl this way. The driver even admitted that he regretted the fact that his cubanas were being banged by Yumas. My driver was COCK-BLOCKING me. I'd point out a girl, ask him to stop, and he'd say "I know her, she's not a jintera. " He was lying. I could have gotten to know her with the written letter of introduction from my freind, the dead president "Andrew Jackson"

I went walking along the malecon. I found that not every chica is a puta. Pickins wasnt that easy. There is still competition in this city. There are italians who have plenty of money. Some of these girls have rich novias en italia. Perhaps back then, mongering was in full swing and the competition was fierce. By the way Marina Hemingway was in full swing. But I wasn't about to pay $50 per screw. I am not really into formal P4P. I like a true GFE.

I met "L". She was tall, thin and beautiful. In her early 20's. Her body, though thin, was a little bit trashed from childbirth. Her face a bit weathered. They can't afford suntan lotion there. She was equivalent in looks to a 30 yr old in the western world. Very little muscle tone. But. Very little fat. Still she was beautiful.

I fell in love with her. She gave me one of the best GFE I have had. She said she loved me. Then the scams started. "I need $90 for rent. "

I wish she had said "Listen pal, I just gave you 4 days of the best sex of your life, my charge for this is $90. " A bargain!. I would have gladly paid it. Pero, en Cuba la manera de la vida es la engana.

And I still want to go back!

I have read on this forum that it is not as good there as in the days of old. Police crackdown. Jiniteras running scared. A special prison being built just for jiniteras. Who is spreading these rumors. Do we have a US govt mole on this board?

From what I've read on this forum, the jinterOs are allowed to bother you, but not the jinteras.

The Casa PArticular situation has deteriorated. (It wasn't that good 10+ years ago) They have reduced the # of available Casa PArticulars by 50%. And if you get there. Your reservation may not be honored. Your Casa PArticular could have been rented to a fellow mongerer.

And I still want to go back!

Are there any "Cubaholics Anonymous" Meetings?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I certainly hope that the author or somebody else will post a link to this report in the Reports of Distinction thread. Please Click Here for more information.

[BeersTerry]

I don't use Nash Travel, I just use their site for information as they post info on car rates, flights etc.. The only time you need to worry about availabilty is August when all the Europeans are there.

Other than that, it should not be a problem to get a car.
In Havana, there are about 6 car rental agencies all within walking distance of the Malecon at Infanta. (including agencies in Hotel National, one across the street beside the Salon Rojo, one in Habana Libre and I think 4 within 1-2 blocks of Infanta.

[El Cubanito]

When was the last time in Havana, Cuba??? Never??

El Cubanito

[Berthold]

In Cuba, they try to trick you out of your of your money.

In Brazil, they take it a gunpoint.

In Colombia, they just kill you.

When you are in havana in the center and you can see cops with a black uniform with dogs and headsets somebody got more than tricked.

[Berthold]

Hey - I speak a passable spanish

When you say "Age gap not too big" what do you mean?

I Suppose 20 years is too much?

You know when you want to hook up with a regular girl you have to do stuff with her like taking her out for dinner, dancing...and currently this seems to be difficult due to the police hassle en el centro, habana vieja, vedado..
During my last time in havana i could see that alot of ("couples" older guys/ young cuban girls) were stopped by the police when they were entering, leaving restaurants, nightclubs or simply walking around together and the girls had to show their id and were questioned straight away.
What i meant with the age gap is that, if it is too big it is more obvious for the police. Me i am young 25 and i did not experience this kind of troubles which i mentioned above.

[Member #4167]

By the way somebody in this forum was paying Bertha 1.50CUC for washing a single pair of pants. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FRIGGIN MIND? I got all my clothes washed ironed and mended in Cuba for $2.