Havana

Sainty old boy, the commercial food in ANY Communist country is terrible. Now, if you met some real people in Cuba, not trixies, but some real people, such as small-time farmers, you could very well have quite a repast, especially if you would pony up the money to pay for it and allowed your hosts to do the marketing and cooking.

There are a very few semi-private restaurants in Cuba (apartments, really) which are reputed to have good classic Cuban cooking. But unfortunately I don't remember the place I read this (and even if I did, the police could very well have closed them down since then!).

If you want some really excellent Cuban cooking, I recommend.......... Miami. ;)

-Uncle Otto

Saint,

Let me know if you want to go to some good place for food in Havana. I will give addresses and Telephone number.

El Cubanito

Place to stay in Havana

Hi,

Can you recommend any hotel or casa particular in Havana which is:

A) Located centrally
B) Safe i.e. stuff doesn't disappear from your room
C) Liberal view of bringing chicas to the room

Regards

Jean

to whom it ma concern:

Even if I may have difficulties getting a seat next time I go there: Te Gringo Viejo is excellent for food. Very nice cooking, very small place, though.

Pedregal is good as well, Rancho Palco recommendable, even for wines. Credit cards welcome at least in teh last two places.

Enjoy!

El Cubanito


Why wait to post the info on the Havana dining ?

By the time he asks and you reply 2 days could pass.

Just thinking ahead.

Starfe

Gringo Viejo: calle 21 No. 454 e/ Ey F, vedado, C. Habana, Tel.: 831 1946

El Rancho Palco: calle 140 y 19 Reparto Cubanacan, Playa, Tel.: 208 9346

Enjoy!

Oh, well, I am going to share with you...

Prado y Neptuno (which is also the address), well known for authentic (YESSSS!) italian cuisine, a hard to find experience. One of the owners is often seen there (el Gordo, an entertainer which will be a top-experience for your chica, because he just never stops his jokes, even when eating/drinking, to understand him you really need to know the local jerga).

Here´s some description (although in spanish):

En este sitio cercano al Paseo del Prado, en la céntrica esquina de Prado y Neptuno, se ubica el restaurante del mismo nombre. Lugar donde floreció la Bodega de Alonso en el siglo XIX y en la primera mitad del XX, el elegante Café Las Columnas y el Restaurante Miami, más tarde nombrado Caracas y por último Budapest. Este legendario espacio, actualmente diseñado con audaz originalidad por el afamado arquitecto italiano Gottardi, se especializa en la comida italiana.

Entre sus platos fundamentales se encuentran la lasagna casera y el espaguetis a la carbonara. También sus postres, confeccionados en la Casa, como el exquisito Tiramisú, constituyen manjares del arte culinario italiano. El bar, por su parte, ofrece una amplia coctelería nacional e internacional. La música italiana e internacional en vivo ameniza su estancia. A Prado y Neptuno continúa brindando un genuino sabor, ahora con la propuesta de comer a la italiana.


If you made it all the way through this text, here´s a webpage to look at:

http://www.habaguanex.com/restaurantes/home.asp

have fun

Starfe,

You are right! He is a link that has a list of about 60 places to eat throughout Cuba. Here is the link:

http://cubanow.org/restorants/

My favorite place in Havana is:

La Cocina de Lilliam
Calle 48 No. 1311,
between 13 and 15 Playa in Miramar
Telephone 29-6514

Saint, I hope this helps you.

El Cubanito

first time poster, first time mongerer.

i recently returned from a cuban vacation. a couple of buddies and i did a 3 day havana/ 4 day resort type vacation package. this was just going to be a regular type vacation. we weren't really familiar with the havana sex scene. but it didn't matter what our intentions were. four late 30ish/ early 40ish white boys walking out of the hotel libre meant the cuban's assumed we there for one thing and they reminded us constantly that it was available. a cuban guy latched on to our group. these guys can be annoying, but when you find an ok guy, their services can be very valueable, especially if they speak english and you don't speak spanish and you don't know your way around.

we proceeded to an outdoor bar. a couple of young girls sat a couple of tables over from us. i noticed one of them was really cute and pointed her out to my friends. at that point, the cuban guy left the table. i thought he went to the can. next thing i know, the girl i was checking out was sitting next to me. she was just smiling at me and staring into my eyes. she was stunning! the cuban guy told me if i wanted her, she is mine. this is all new to me. i've never been put in this position before. i knew i had to take the chance. passing up sex is not an option for me. i'm a nice, quiet guy so getting laid back home is pretty much impossible.

the cuban guy, the girl and i walked towards a street running parallel to la rampa st. where he knew of a casa. this was close to the hotel libre area. the girl agreed to $30. she didn't really seem too interested in haggling over money. as we walked towards the casa, the cuban guy took the girls arm in his and told me to walk back around 20 ft. so the girl and i weren't seen together. when we got to the casa i tipped the cuban guy and payed the casa owner $25 and went to the room.

i was really nervous. i had visions of the girl just lying there staring at her watch, not being into the whole thing. i sat down next to her and couldn't believe it when she grabbed me and started french kissing me. she really seemed to be enjoying herself. we had a great time! not just the sex, but goofing around, having some laughs just like i was with a real girlfriend. it was a great experience. however there were some problems. after around 1 1/2 hours, the casa owner said time was up. we ignored him for another hour, but he kept knocking on the door. now that i look back, maybe i should of payed him after i was done.

another problem was that as we were leaving, we noticed around 5 policemen loitering outside the casa. the girl kissed me and waved me to go on ahead. i may as well have been invisible as i walked by the police. they hardly even looked at me. i walked up the street slowly, hoping the girl would be by shortly. i couldn't see her. i hung around outside the hotel libre for a while hoping to see her walk by but i never saw her again. i have to admit i was worried about her. to this day, i still feel guilty about me being able to just walk by the police and her having to fend for herself. i was high on booze and life because i had just gotten laid by a babe and i wasn't thinking straight.

anyway, that's my report. thanks for listening. it's probably pretty lame compared to the other reports. any feedback is welcome. in conclusion, i am dying to go back to cuba. i think the women are there and they are willing. the challenge is going to be finding a place to have sex with them. also i think there were quite a few girls that looked **** (16-17years) out there trying to hook up. i think i will be insisting on seeing id in the future. the selection of adult girls was too good to risk ending up in jail.

HAS ANYONE ELSE BEEN THIS STUPID?

Henry David Thoreau said: [i]If misery loves company, misery has company enough, [/i] so I'm looking for company here. While this is my story, it can apply to a woman also.

Before going to Cuba early this month, I started a correspondence with a lady whom I hoped to have a relationship with (not simply "get laid" as has been said).

We exchanged notes in email, albeit having to use translations since I speak no Spanish and she speaks no English. Still, she came on very positive and soon said she was looking for a "serious" relationship, aka most likely marriage. I had no problem with having this as a consideration as she came across in email as very sweet and her pictures were enough to revive the imagination of a dying hermit.

I arrived and met her and her family at the airport. Her family seemed and probably are sincere people who I believe to be very honest.

Although I had planned on touring Cuba for the week, I ended up hanging out with the family most of the time. This worked out OK, since the Father spoke decent English.

I tried to develop a relationship with the lady/daughter but it was a real problem with language, or so I thought.

I had no problem buying food for the family since they had me for dinner two times in their house. I also took them to dinner on two occasions at places where they could never go. I also took the daugher on a "shopping trip" since she needed clothing. All in all and without being asked, I spend close to US$500 for the lady and her family. When I left, I gave her a $100 bill as a Christmas present.

The interpersonal relationship I had hoped would start to develop never progressed past a few friendly kisses (cousin type, no emotional/physical response) and some hand-holding. I was never one to force any issue nor did I ever treat her with anything less than total respect.

Near the end of my stay, the daughter asked me to buy her a computer ($500) so she could use it at home although she has no internet connection. There now came more requests for "things."

Without going into more details, after I left and we continued to email, it became clear she wanted a lot from me and none of it had to do with a serious relationship outside of material things. It was the classic "carrott on a stick" game making vague promisses of "things to come" when I returned. In an email after I returned, she also said she had a lady friend who wanted to contact me for assistance having my lady "friend" get a letter of invitation to come to Costa Rica to work. Sound familiar?

I finally painfully concluded with the help of two objective friends, one of which was with me in Cuba and met and spoke with this lady, that I was being taken for a ride. I was used proving the old saying, "There is no fool like an old fool."

And defore anyone takes to tell me why they think I am negative, let me state one thing very directly. NO!!! I'm not complaining because we did not end up in bed. That wasn't my reason for going to Cuba or meeting her. My complaint is having been used or more accurately, allowing my trust to be used against me.

So has anyone here had a similar experience? Any I did read the "sad Cuban love story" and thought about it when deciding to write this novella.

Thanks.

Spock.

Hi Everybody,

I've read quite a bit of infos on Cuba. Would like to try it out, however, there's a legality problem. I'm sure you all know about US Citizens are banned from going to Cuba. What is or are my possiblities of getting around all of that political bs? Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Dran Reb:

Many of the girls in Habana are real pros but you sound as if you found a nice girl who may just enjoy sex as much as she need to make a few extra $$s. If you don't understand the economics of Cuba, check out the archives here or one of the other travel boards about the pay scale for Cubans and the cost of many necessary items.

If you want a private place and to really meet some Cuban people, next time get a casa particular (private home) which will run you about $25. Get a private entrance and your own key and you should have no problems. Much better and cheaper than any hotel. If you don't get a private entrance, simply ask the casa owner if it's OK to have a Cuban lady "friend" over. If "no problem" then no problem.

My most enjoyable experience when I was in Cuba in early December (this year) was with a school teacher who I met at a disco. 31 years old and doesn't smoke. Since I speak no Spanish and she only spoke a little English, I had my friend who speaks Spanish ask her how much to "get together." She responded "nothing." I could afford that.

We went to her place and had a fine time but my heart went out to her since her "home" looked more like an abandoned warehouse being demolished. I could only tell it was a residence because it had a working phone. When I left I gave her $30 and some presents small. She never asked for one thing. I took her number and on my last night in cuba took her out to dinner at a very nice restaurant which would rival any Beverly Hills place. We went back to my casa and enjoyed the evening. Never a word about $$.

When I had her leave at 0300 since I was also leaving to catch an early flight out, I gave her a Christmas present of a $100 bill. She started to cry. When I go back in February, it will be my pleasure to hopefully see her again.

This was a lady and a real jewel. Treat all the ladies with respect and it will come back to you ten-fold with a true GFE.

Spock

Dran Reb,

I never been to Cuba, because coming from NYC its hard and you risk getting caught. I've had similar experiences in Dominican Republic, Jamacia, Costa Rica & Singapore, some good, some bad, but you learn from them and move on. Some women treat you better and don't know if your going to see them tomorrow. Some treated me better than women in America who claimed they wanted to spend the rest of there life with me & have my children. Amazing, but I realized the money and gifts we give them is on a need and gotta have basis for some, not all, but especially if there uneducated with more than 2 children & no man at home. What can they do? (Then again I've met some girls I think if they lived anywhere else they would be stone cold freaks, just to damn good) One guy there told me that this is the life for them, so if he lives there and can say that so easily, then what could I do, except enjoy & treat them nice.

I've fallen hard, but since my partners I travel with have hearts of stone, they quickly brought me back to reality. Now I just have fun & when I meet a really nice one I try to go back and see her again & resist the temptation of falling for the sad sob stories. I could say more but not to waste space, you can say now I'm a pro having fun with the pros. IT'S ALL ABOUT GAME.

PS Photo of a pro who in America, I couldn't have gotten for $30 and breakfast. Would have taken alot more than a 15 minute conversation & a few beers. No buying any big material items & promises of love.

For Thai Diesel - There is tons of info on this board in the General Info section. You might also want to call A. Nash Travel in Toronto - Saint has posted the website - and they can give you advice.

For Dran Reb - Hey any report is interesting - you are now a participant!

Talosian, a hopeless romantic (I mean that in a good way) and a literary one at that!!

Without getting into the morality of the Cubans or the politics etc. and looking at the practical situation - I want you to promise us here and now, as a new year's resolution, not to be too hard on yourself. Obviously this situation got to you.

The reality is that many people walk away with those kinds of stories from Cuba. I know of a Canadian that worked in Cuba, married a Cuban girl and brought her back to Canada. Once she had her papers, divorced him, married her Cuban boyfriend and brought him to Canada. She had him fooled for over a year!

Are all Cubans like this - of course not (your second report shows how warm and kind they can be). But there are some that will come after tourists (if you are fishing go where the fish are). The thing is that there is not much to do on the island so that have lots of time to think up schemes and lots of time to practice. They are playing with a different rule book then you and I. It is all about survival. Also some foreigners are pretty rough on the chicas as well (Mexican, Italian etc.).

Let's face it they are good at the craft. They are warm and charming and some of the woman are truly gorgeous. It is not hard to be suckered in.

Also not all are like that - but there are some that seek out tourists to con - in small or large ways.

A real estate friend of mine once gave me this advice - when buying do not fall in love with one house - fall in love with two. I think the same thing applies to Cuban chicas. The thing is that you have options when you go there - lots of options. In your own country women may be difficult but in Cuba - a foreigner with a good heart is a serious catch for a large proportion of the female population - no matter age or looks. So you don't have to jump at the first one - another will be by (probably in ten minutes)

Chalk up the experience to a lesson learned, ($600 US in the grand scheme of things is not a huge amount - look at it as a university course), make yourself a mojito, and make a toast that you are going to be a whole lot wiser on your next trip.

And also take a bow for sharing your experience - for the good of all mongers!!!

Talosian,

Please check your PM in a couple of days RE: being stupid.. and no, you are not...

Regards, Havanaman