Havana

[Chris H]

Seriously? I got drilled at my global entry interview about 8 months ago for going to Cuba last year.

That really surprises me. I went 8 times within the last year, no issues at all. Matter of fact when I use mobile passport, they don't ask any questions at all. Headed back down in 2 weeks, will let you know if anything has changed.

[Uncle Volodya]

I think the name of the bar has changed but this has been going on for at least 20 years. I have gone into the bar as I wanted to see it but there were all sorts sorts of posts on a now defunct Cuba form warning of the bar. A hole in the wall, dark place that is on Neptuno, west of the Prado

If its just a a rub off joint what is so special about it? Are there hot girls there? Plenty to find in other places (best just on the street if you have some Spanish).

[Uncle Volodya]

Hey Uncle,

No, you first need to have a local purchase the linea for you. In other words, they have to go to Etecsa and buy such line with their Cuban ID. That's how I did this. Once this was done on my next trip down I went to the Etecsa office with and told the lady in charge that I wanted to transfer la linea to my name since my friend had left the country. She did some paperwork and transfered la linea to my name, albeit with the propina. LOL.

So, now all I need is to make sure I recharge such linea once a year.

Mondo.

Thanks for the info. I guess I will get my casa owner or one of my girls to help me with this. How are the lines at the ETECSA office? Last time I was there I saw big lines whenever I passed these places.

[Uncle Volodya]

Hey Rodeo,

I am not sure if they will let you go thru security at the airport with a bottle of rum (remember liquids are usually not allowed when going thru security)

Maybe someone who's done this in Cuba can chime in on this topic, I've bought rum once past security since I found there's not that much difference between the price there vs the price outside.

Mondo.

Rum is a bit cheaper at the airport duty free shop. I think a liter bottle of Havana Club or Legendario Anejo is 5 CUC there as opposed to 6-7 at shops around town.

However, last time the Rum selection at the shop was very bad. They mostly had Havana Club and only Legendario (my fave) in blanco. The Anejo is my favorite rum.

You won't be able to get the bottle you buy in the shop through security check (liquids rules). Last time I just poured the rum I had left over at the casa into a plastic bottle and packed it in my check in luggage.

[Bdb013]

If you pack rum in your carry on luggage, they will find it and take it. I know this first hand. I was able to get some some thru in my checked bag. But they could also find it there. My next trip, I decided to buy the rum at the airport upon my departure. They seal it in a clear bag and you will have no problems getting it on the plane.

Hey Rodeo,

I am not sure if they will let you go thru security at the airport with a bottle of rum (remember liquids are usually not allowed when going thru security)

Maybe someone who's done this in Cuba can chime in on this topic, I've bought rum once past security since I found there's not that much difference between the price there vs the price outside.

Mondo.

[Nimes1807]

So, finally on to posting another report.

Interesting post about the bar on Neptuno. It is always good to get a heads-up about places like that. There's another bar on Neptuno, close to 'Casa de la Musica' Galiano, that used to be called 'Jaguar' but now is called Torro (has sign with bull horns). Daniela Bolanos Mata the scammer jinetera from my previous post, used to hang-out in this bar last year with her pimp boyfriend Yuniel Echevarria Dias (who everyone calls Ham). They are known to work together to swindle and defraud unsuspecting tourists. He calls her his 'malandra' (crook or thug). Having said all that, if you can keep the pimp boyfriend Ham at bay, Daniela is one hell of a bang. She is in the first photo wearing a white top.

The regular visitors to Havana will know of Johnny's aka Rio club. That is where I met Rachel (in the second photo). This was a couple years back. On my more recent trips, it was actually closed. But anyhow, I was at Johnny's and after contemplating talking to a cute petite white girl in a white dress, I changed my mind and decided to chat up Rachel. She seemed hot and had her ample bosom displayed prominently from her bustier outfit. I was hooked. I don't know what is going on sometimes because I was trying for a long time to make eye contact with Rachel or her friend but no dice. I remember the days when the chicas in Johnny's would grab at your arm as you walked in and you would have several vying for your attention. This time I had to make more of an effort. The cheesy show at the club finally wrapped up around 2 am and I had my chance to talk to her. We get to the casa and she asks me for a razor. WTF? Turns out she hasn't trimmed her Bush in a long time and needs to do some landscaping. She is obviously not a pro. I wait patiently and finally she comes out. On to the bedroom. And the action was forgettable, and I come to regret not going with my initial hunch to go with her friend. Rachel is in the second photo.

Raquel (not to be confused with Rachel) was a hottie I met in Cecilia. She was wearing a leopard print pair of pants. And who would not want to meet a chica wearing that? Back at the casa she was very friendly and nice. She had a crazy body and the session was great. Afterwards, we cuddled and chilled for a while. I told her I'd like to see her again in a few days and she said next time she's sleep over. That sounded good to me. I got my chance again when I saw her again at Cecilia a few days later. I kept my options open initially scoping-out the place for talent, but decided Raquel was the one for tonight. By the time we got to the casa it was already around 3 am. After another fun session she did stay-over and sleep, although I found it hard to sleep next to her. In the morning finally at 10:30 she got up and was acting very differently and having an attitude and being neurotic and jumpy. Maybe she had to be somewhere. ? Raquel is in the third photo wearing the leopard print pants.

Finally I have to mention the amazing, mysterious and annoying Vaneza (sadly no photo available). Met her in Capri Salon Rojo. She was one of the best looking finest chicas I met in my many trips to the island. I spotted her from far and made eye contact and motioned for her to come hither. She seemed to have this pesky leech of a pimp boyfriend attached to her. He was this very short Cuban guy who always looked and acted angry. He did her negotiating and as I recall wanted way too much. I stuck to my price and finally as it was getting near closing time he relented. As I walk in the early morning hours to my nearby casa with Vaneza, I catch a glimpse of the stalker pimp following us at a distance. We get to the casa and Vaneza and I start to get friendly. There isn't much in the way of foreplay but I must say she was absolutely divine. Body, face, sexiness all perfect 10's. After the session she freshens up fairly quickly and as I go to open the door for her to leave guess who is standing there right behind the door like a stalker. Yes the pimp boyfriend. I keep my cool and humor the annoying guy, I figure it's not worth getting upset. I even invite him in and offer him a glass of water. He again acted angry and neurotic. Anyhow, several days later I decide I must have Vaneza again, this time for an afternoon romp. I call her and set time for her to come to visit me. I keep watch from the balcony as she is arriving I see her approaching alone. Good sign. After I let her in, I decide to lock the gate at the elevator on my floor, so anyone who wants to get out of the elevator on my floor will have to have a key. We sit for a moment, I figure I want to chat for a couple minutes, offer her a drink and then some fun can begin. She wanted none of that she wanted to go to the bedroom immediately and get the session over with. At this point I told her I am not like that, I like to relax, talk for a few minutes, have a cold drink and some foreplay before getting the session started. She again persisted to rush me. That's when I told her if she's in such a rush to go she can leave now. She said fine. I open the door for her to leave. And who is standing in the elevator, on my floor, unable to get out of the elevator? Of course the crazy pimp boyfriend. Vaneza left empty handed. Serves her and her chulo right for being so annoying. Later that night I saw both of them in the line-up to get into Cecilia, they didn't even make eye contact with me. Interestingly she was wearing the same outfit as she had on that afternoon when she came to my place. Again, sadly I don't have photos of her.

[Mondo707]

Is it cheaper to purchase Havana Club Rum at the stores in the airport or somewhere else in Havana? If somewhere else, suggestions?

Hey Rodeo,

I am not sure if they will let you go thru security at the airport with a bottle of rum (remember liquids are usually not allowed when going thru security)

Maybe someone who's done this in Cuba can chime in on this topic, I've bought rum once past security since I found there's not that much difference between the price there vs the price outside.

Mondo.

[BeersTerry]

Just a heads up report on a bar with a light up sign on the front that says: Casa Club 24 h. The last a of casa is turned upside down. The bar is at 258 Neptuno. I went there with co-worker buddies. We had been walking around the city and I recommended to them that we go to the Malecon and La Rampa, but they wouldn't listen to me and thought they knew everything. A local we talked to said we should come to a bar he knows about, and brought us to Casa Club. There were some fairly hot girls there who were aggressive, which is okay by me. But the guy who brought us asked what kind of drinks we wanted as we sat at some tables and he also got drinks for the girls sitting there. We never were asked if we wanted to buy drinks for the girls or not. We asked about the drink prices, asked about if we must pay for drinks as they come or start a tab. The con artists working there never would give a straight answer to these questions and they acted as if we should just have a good time and not worry about all that. I started to become concerned and I told my friends we should demand to see the bar bill. I told the friends about a similar experience I had in Egypt once that turned out very bad. We got the casa club bill. They charged us for the girls' drinks as well as ours and each mojito was equal to around 5 US dollars. So the bill was very quickly 30 US. Maybe we could have refused to cover chica beverages since we were never asked about them, but we didn't know how that might go down. One friend did later go off into the night with a working girl there, and he said he was able to talk her price down to 30 CUC including house fee. I saw her and she was pretty cute. So yes there are girls there but the people running the bar are out to scam you.

Happy hobbying out there.

I think the name of the bar has changed but this has been going on for at least 20 years. I have gone into the bar as I wanted to see it but there were all sorts sorts of posts on a now defunct Cuba form warning of the bar. A hole in the wall, dark place that is on Neptuno, west of the Prado

[Sho423]

Just get on a plane and go, no problems at all.

Seriously? I got drilled at my global entry interview about 8 months ago for going to Cuba last year.

[JHappyDog]

Is it cheaper to purchase Havana Club Rum at the stores in the airport or somewhere else in Havana? If somewhere else, suggestions?

We just bought directly from the Factory in Havana. Although the Airport had decent prices and there are tons of small 7-11 type stores or supermarkets if you want to consume during the trip.

[Ty Down]

Hey,

Reading some of the posts below and just wanted to let you know how this works.

They cost a couple of CUC for an hour's worth of on air time.

Here are the instructions for dialing the States from Cuba;.

Dial 119 (the international line access code), then 1 (the USA Country code).

Enter the ten-digit area code and phone number you wish to call, followed by the hash key.

Hope this helps.

Mondo.

Thanks Mondo!

[Ty Down]

TY I've use my unlocked iPhone Several times in Cuba. All I had to do was just pop in the Cuban Sim card. I've sold maybe about 4 unlocked phones to people I purchased from the US no problems. The iPhone SE is the number one requested. I've use my normal cell phone with international minutes at it while I was in Santiago Cuba. I didn't use it much however my bill went up maybe $75 to $125.

Thanks GrownMan! I was not aware that you can put a sim card in a iPhone.

AT&T is my service provider and my iPhone does work in Cuba, but it is very expensive!! Like I mentioned before, I came home to a $3000.00 (yes, THREE THOUSAND) after my first trip to Havana a couple years ago. My solution was to buy a cheap unlocked Samsung Galaxy and and find a sim card once I get to Cuba, works fine.

[El Grande]

Is it cheaper to purchase Havana Club Rum at the stores in the airport or somewhere else in Havana? If somewhere else, suggestions?

Everything is cheaper elsewhere. Look in local stores, supermarkets, casa del ron or at hotel shops. In this order.

[GrownMan1]

I don't think you can put a sim card in a iPhone, at least I'm not aware of it. Your iPhone will work in Cuba, just get ready to get screwed real good when you phone bill comes in the mail.

The best option is to buy a cheap unlocked droid phone from Best Buy or Amazon, I've been using unlocked J3 Samsung's. They work well with the Cuban sim cards.

Finding sim cards is no problem, no questions asked. Sometimes they even hand them out at the airport upon arrival, no charge...well, the card is free but you will have to buy one of those scratch off credit/recharge cards from ETECSA

TY I've use my unlocked iPhone Several times in Cuba. All I had to do was just pop in the Cuban Sim card. I've sold maybe about 4 unlocked phones to people I purchased from the US no problems. The iPhone SE is the number one requested. I've use my normal cell phone with international minutes at it while I was in Santiago Cuba. I didn't use it much however my bill went up maybe $75 to $125.

[Rodeo9112]

Is it cheaper to purchase Havana Club Rum at the stores in the airport or somewhere else in Havana? If somewhere else, suggestions?