Havana

Tried to submit a report a couple of days ago. Spent several hours writing the report. I guess my computer dropped off line. So when I hit the submit button my report went to cyber space hell. I'll try again. This time I will only do it in parts so that if my info is lost it will not be as painful.
To start with, I'm not a writer. But, I feel that I should at least try to give back some of which I have received from this site. So, after saying all that, here goes. I've been to Havana 3 to 4 times a month for about 4 years. I was working as a contract pilot for a European airline. I'm guessing I've been there maybe 40 to 60 times. These were usually only one night layovers. On top of that I've never left the city of HAV. All was well until 9-11. The airline required a reduction in crews. So, guess who were the first to go? You guessed it the contract guys. The last time I was there was Nov 2001. So, some of my info will be dated. I spent about 10 days there on this trip. I used my United miles to get to Cancun and then on Aerocriba to HAV for $185 RT.

TIP#1 Misplace your current passport.

Get a replacement passport and then find your old passport. Use your old passport to go to and come from Cuba. The Cubans will not know you are using a lost passport. Do you think they talk to the US? They can stamp the shit out of your old passport and you will not be spending sleepless nights worrying about your return to the US. Iknow for a fact this does work!

END OF PART 1

PART 2
Like I said, some of info will be dated. Especilly with the Chicas. I have found, over the years, that the majority of the contract #'s I have for the Chicas are outdated. Some of the girls are "on the inside"(doing time for prostitution), another one was a school teacher and was in HAV only for a couple of weeks. Some other ones moved houses where they were renting a room without giving a forwarding #. You will find alot of the girls are not from HAV> They are from one of the providences and are in HAV for a short period of time to make a quick buck. And, if they are lucky, they may mary a rich Italian.

TIP#2 My best pick-up line in HAV is "HELLO" in english.

It just goes on from there. I don't speak any spanish. You know how, english is the language of aviation. Some say it severly hampers my activities, but I have never found it to be that big a problem in HAV. It has never been that big a problem in other parts of the world.

TIP#3 The Chicas don't get offended if you ask them if they want to "Shag".

You do have to be a little more tactful than that. You just have to chat them up a bit, then ask them if they have the time. Case-in-point. One day I was riding in the back of a car with my guide and a driver in the front. We passed by a 9 walking down the street. I said something like "Wow, did you see her" to my guide. He said something in spanish to the driver and the next thing I knew we stopped and had backed up to where the 9 was walking. The guide spoke to her in spanish and then turned to me and said "she is available. Do you want to go with her now"? I got her # and did her a couple days later.

END OF PART 2

PART 3

TIP#4 Do not use the taxis outside the expensive hotels if you have a distance to go.

Use Havana taxi #?/ Pana taxi 55-5555/ Taxi OK 24-0000/ Micar 24-2444. The airline that I used to work for put us up at the Melia Cohiba (one of the most expensive hotels in HAV). I used to just go up to the bell captain and say "taxi". He would always call one of the Mercedes that were standing by. I thought they were all the same price. Not so! One of my girlfriends told me the other taxis were much cheaper. So, now on I ask for a taxi by company name. Who knows, The money you may save may add up to the price of a Shag.

TIP#4a Do not use the yellow-orange bubble scooters or the bicycle rickshaws.

They do not have meters and are way over priced for the distance you travel.

END OF PART 3

PART 4

TIP#5 Do not eat at "The Bearded Ones" restaurants (Gov owned restaurants).

As a general rule, the food taste like SHIT. When possible eat at Paladars (privately owned restaurants). I've got a good list of Paladars that is a bit long to post here. Email me if you are interested in a few of the names and addresses. B747 plumber@hotmail.com. The best info I've seen on HAV and Paladars was in the June 2001 issue of CigarAficionado. You should be able to get a back issue at www.cigaraficionado.

TIP#6 Do not pay the Crooked Security Bastards, who work at the hotels, $50 to get your Chica to your room.

If it is your first time to HAV, stay in a hotel (email me for the names and #s of a couple of real jewels) the fiirst night and then spend the next day looking at the casa particulars (rooms in private houses) that you found the info about here on the net. Do a search. There are at least half-a-dozen sites that show pictures, give addresses and #s.

END OF PART 4

PART 5

TIP#7 Do not buy cigars for $25 from someone off the street. You will get F***ED!

I have friends who have bought these cigars. They found all kinds of things rolled inside the cigar wrappers such as banana leaves, rope ect. I've gone through about six guys before I started to get a steady supply of good cigars. I've been dealing with the same guy the last couple of years. I know for a fact that he would not want me to post his name and # here. Email me for that info at B747plumber@hotmail.com. Speaking of cigars, on a previous post Sexxx69 asked about the price of Cohiba Esplendidos. They are $383.75 in one of "The Bearded One's" stores. Also, speaking of cigars, email me for the name of a guy who builds and sells Humidors. He speaks english and also has some rooms for rent.

END OF PART 5

PART 6

Now for the Chicas. Sorry to hear that Johnnie's Club Rio and the Comodoro Disco have been shut down. They were some of my best "fishing holes". I've found Macumba to be expensive and some what plastic. It will cost you about $10, depending on where you are staying, each way to and from Macumba. Money better spent else where. After saying that- I've gotten some real nice stuff from Macumba.

TIP#8 Going to or coming from Macumba by-way-of 5 Ave, DO NOT stop for Jineteras.

You will find something between their legs you hadn't bargined for! During the day is OK. Enough said.

TIP#9 Go see the fashion show at La Masion.

About 10 minutes after the fashion part of the show is over, the "stage door" is on the side walk out front. Find something you like during the show, ask the waiter her name, and then work a deal out front. In my past experiences, I have found that these girls do not speak much english. Maybe they are less educated. I'm not sure. Some very good looking ladies. Does anyone else have any info about other fashion shows and "stage doors" in HAV? How about at the Tropicana or the caberat at the National Hotel?

END OF PART 6

PART 7

TIP#10 Do not expect to take nude pictures of the girls in HAV like you would in other parts of the world.

"The Bearded One" has the girls worried that they will go to jail. Speaking of that, how about an email from the guy who posted the pictures under Cuba ( B747plumber@hotmail.com).
Someone on a previos post asked about domestic travel. Try
www.nashtravel.com/domestic.html for schedules and prices.

How about it, Havanaman/ ConorOC/ Sman, would you care to trade some #'s? I've got a tag-team pair of non- pro 7s and a 9 that appears to maybe have some Chinese in her family tree for one of your 9's or 10's? Also, can someone post some good info about Isle of Youth? I might plan a trip there in the future.
Will post more soon.

Peterman-

Wow, what a great post to read before I leave on my trip in October.

Thanks for posting the info.

qxguy

Peterman,

thanks for the 411....especially the tip on the passport, that's clever!

Peterman,

Your Havana post is an instant classic.

Have you considered a career writing? How about "My Life as a successful HobbyMan" ?

At any rate...thank you sir.

And Jackson.........YOU DA MAN. I tried other boards...some for pay....but this is one is the best I've seen.....and free.

Rickster

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Peterman

Thanks Peterman...great post...

You covered Havana very well, so there is not that much to add but some slight enhancements and clarifications...

1. Taxi's and Coco cabs. There are three kinds of taxis (4 actually if you include the Coco).

Hotel taxis - Very expensive, waiting out side the nice hotels and airport to take your money.

Taxis you call on the telephone - There prices are more reasonable.

Non hotel taxis - They cruise the streets and you pay in dollars. About the same as the telephone taxis but sometimes they will turn off the meter and you can save a few bucks.

Coco;s- they're really fun but they can end up costing as much as a taxi. The trick with the Coco's is to set a price before getting in.

Peso taxis - There are incredible CHEAP and usually are more like buses, picking up cubas here and there....Sometimes if you hail them, get in and they realize you aren't a cuba they will ask you to leave....but sometimes they won't...and sometimes they will drive you around for dollars...they are taking a risk to pick some dollars...you aren't taking any risk, as the tourist is king in cuba. Some of these taxis are vintage 50 American cars and really fun to ride in.

Casa particular - They are hard to find in Havana - I think they are technically illegal in havana although quite common in other parts like Cienfuegos and Trinidad. You have a slightly better chance of getting a chica into a casa than a hotel (bribe required), but casas are highly regulated and immigration comes each week to check the register. All guests - including a chica - must register. The problem is that the girls are reluctant to register, since they don't want the police to put their ID in the computer and the owner of the casa doesn't want to allow an unregistered guests in to his place and risk losing his license to operate.

Private apartments - the best bet, with a private entrance, for about $25/night. Here you can take a chica, no problem but they are illegal and hard to find...in fact you really have to know a Cuba very well to find one. I did, so was able to take chicas back to my place.

The costs: in the really nice clubs in Havana the quoted prices start at $100 and go down...for all night....In Cienfuegos the prices can be as little as $20, even $10 for short stay. Then there are the SW's and the prices are negotiable there, about the same as anywhere in Cuba, very little

And there are the amateurs - really all the action is amateur - but it's not so easy to pick up a girl in Cuba...if a girls is talking with a foreigner the police might find this of interest...and you don't want to attract the interest of the police in Cuba, as they can do what they want.

In general there is no real organized hobby in cuba...the police really do keep in under control...it's more that the girls are dying to meet foreigners - out of genuine interest (curiousity) and possibly a bit of money. ..any money is good, since the average monthly salary is between $10 to $20...

If you are going to Cuba for the hobby it's really the wrong reason, as there are far easier places.

If you are going to Cuba because you are interested in the country and want to see it before it surely changes in some way after the death of the "bearded one" I highly recommend it, as it's a fascinating place to visit- beautiful old homes, nice beaches, very friendly and intelligent people, great music scene....

The problem with the hobby in Cuba is that it changed radically around 1995 but many people haven't caught up with how it is NOW.

From say 1992-1995 when the Russians pulled out and the economy started to go toward the dollar there were prostitutes EVERYWHERE....as the country was in worse shape then probably even Argentina now. It was the only way to survive. You would go to a place like Veradado beach and the streets would be lined with young girls that had traveled there from all over the island...

And of course that attracted the pauncy middle aged middle class Italian sex tourists who took full advantage. It was really out of hand....and frankly the economy needed less of this type of tourism and more the big chain all inclusive vacation tourists, with some family vacationers in the mix.

Also it was very bad for the society, as it was so extreme...with only the girls feeding their families...so the "bearded one" really cracked down, with massive sweeps, sending the over 18's to jail and the under 18's back to their families or should I say, the families were notified their girls were hooking and told to pick them up and take them home.

So that's a little history on the hobby there....it can be fun but really requires some good street smarts and a knowledge of Spanish is essential to know how it works and understand the "cat and mouse" game that exists.

PS
That was a really good suggestion from Peterman about two US passports, as they do stamp the passports sometimes, contrary to popular opinion...and there is a very small risk of a serious fine for an American traveling to Cuba although that may change, as the Congress as approved travel to Cuba and now the Senate must vote but of course Bush will veto any bill to appease his supporters in Miami.

If you get th stamp my suggestion is to mail your passport home and enter the US just with your drivers license. It will work and you will save yourself the anxiety...

Peterman had some good insight but may I add.....
Taxis- Get a flat rate. I paid $15 for all evening and night. Try to get driver that speaks english it can make a world of difference, one drive (Hector) took me to a great bar in old Havana that only charges $2.50 for the mojhito's that go for $5 in most places.

House of Music is the HOTTEST place right now. I mean real model types, expect to $100-200 for quaility

Also a good friend or driver can get you good deals on food. I paid $2 at a nice air conditioned place for a excellent cheese pizzi that can feed 2 people

I agree with most of what JamesBond says. His history is right too.

About finding a Casa P. - - the best bet to find the right casa suited to your needs is to know somebody local. I found a nice Casa P. - - private entrance - -thanks to some friends who have been visiting Havana for a decade. You must be careful about cold calling Casa P's, and you should know some spanish to understand what's going on.

In one form or another, women are plentiful in Havana. But . . . my experience with Cuban women is that they're not pros in any simple sense, but as JamesB points out amateurs. I've hardly ever traded money for sex up front, except under exceptional circumstances. More usually, money and/or gifts come later. I remember the days - - now no longer true - - when women would hang around the Habana Libre looking for tourists. You'd see plenty of them, having met and dallied with tourists, loaded up with trinkets from the gift shops surrounding the HL lobby and giggling with their girlfriends. They didn't want money, they wanted the consumer goods only available either in $ or in the dollar stores. My last trip this phenomenon had almost completely disappeared. In fact, the organized sex scene was really low key except for some tourist hotspots - - where the quality of sex and beauty was pretty low by any standards.

Cuban women are great . . .not just in bed but elsewhere as well. My advice - - as others have pointed out - - is to chat up the local women you meet in local contexts. Like anywhere else in the world. The difference is two-fold: Cubans want dollars and a shot at getting out of Cuba; and, Cubans are just generally more sensual and sexual than many other folks. The key to this kind of approach is to read the signals. Like other places, nightclubs are where men and women go to find some fun. But, my best experience has always been in much more mundane or common places. Take a bottle of rum to the Malecon, for instance, and you're bound to have a good time.

Going to Cuba for sex probably won't turn out to be as fulfilling as you might want. Going to Cuba for romance and adventure - - which might include sex - - is probably a better way to land at Jose Marti International.

Conor OC

Just wanted to respectfully disagree with a couple of things posted earlier and amen others. Or, better yet, add my observations. I am by no means an expert.
I have found there to be lots of casa particulars in HAV. Because I have never stayed anyplace other than HAV, while in Cuba, I have no way to judge, as far as #s go, how they compare with the ones in other parts of Cuba. I've stayed in about 8 different casas before I found a real SLEEPER. Now, I stay there exclusively. I just checked a few of the casa particular sites I know of on the net and there seems to be many casas. And, I don't think they would be advertising if they were not legal. Here is a partial list;

www.cuba-rentals.com
www.cubamall.com
www.casaparticular.com
www.cubabugettravel.com
www.webhavana.com
www.user.pandora.be/casaparticular/

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As far as Cuban only taxis (old yellow and black Russian cars) go, I've never even been able to get in one. I look like a fuckin tourist and on top of that my girlfriend could pass as a european. She has blond hair and has a fair complexion. So, they usually will not even stop for us. Also, I have rode in many old 50's vintage cars. Everyone wants $s so you can just flag them down and ask for a ride. Every damn one of them reaked of gasoline. Not sure why.
I do believe the current prices ($100-200) quoted for professional jineteras to be accurate. When I first started to go to HAV the prices were in the $20-40 bracket. The last time I was there (Nov 2001) the beginning prices I was hearing was $80. They do have great pussy, but, I have not found them to be gold plated! Get real girls! If these girls are not careful they will price themselfs completely out of the BALL GAME! A long time hobbist of Cuba once told me "back in the days immediately after the fall of the Soviet Union you could get laid for a bar of soap". Oh, how I long for those days to return!

END OF PART 2