Havana

Routard,

All chicas at the Malecon and at La Rampa are (semi-)professionals. Mind you!

The police knows them all. They have to pay the police. With money or with services. Remember: as you said the (secret) police in Cuna is very efficient. Everybody gives information of everybody through the CDR's. I have even been told that there are chicas working for the secret police. Authorities know everything.

If chicas and pimps do not pay the police they will be deported. Have you ever seen the police trucks on La Rampa filling with pimps and chicas?

For the girls waiting ouside disco's like oasis: I don't find them very appealing. Very young (18 yrs), anorexic and tons of mascara.

By the way there are two "Casas the Musica" in Havana. One near the centre (I believe in Galiano) and one in Miramar (the suburb as you call it). The one in Miramar is a bit more sofisticated.

Don't ever pay more then 25-30 CUC! The girls will find you a fool if you do!
Best prices I did get at the Malecon were $15 for 2 hours and $30 for a whole night (until 10:00).

By the way whatever you do: no drugs!!! and no chicas < 18 yr (check their carnet's).

[QUOTE=Routard]Cuba is for the afficianados, the real latina lovers. If your only Spanish words are "Olla chica, cuanto es?", better head for nearby DR. There is no open prostitution, the stories of Cuban veterans about street workers on the Malecon and brothels in Old Havana are past. There is only amateur action, you need to speak Spanish, have some feeling for latin culture, and some salsa dancing skills. Any chica can learn you dance Dominican Merengue or Bachata, Reaggeaton won't even need to be teached (very natural for all mongerers), but the Cuban Salsa needs at least a good year of lessons before daring to go on the dance floor. Yes, Cuba needs some efforts to fully enjoy it![/QUOTE]EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT REPORT!!! I was in Cuba earlier this year and I agree with many of your perceptive observations and experiences.

Having a car in Havana is very important; however, the rates are 3-4x what one would pay in the United States. You mentioned purchasing a car/flight package before arrival and I was wondering which services/airlines/travel packages offer this service, and which countries do they fly out of.


Thanks so much,
Helpmann :)

Routard,

Exceptional report. It was much needed for the newer mongers. Very well done, in fact you have re-invigorated my wanting to make another trip! I do miss my Havana chicas!

Thanks once again,

Regards, Havanaman

Except by night time around the Clubs, the Chicas on La Rampa appeared to me as being in their vast majority innocent teenagers going to see a movie at Yara and take an ice cream at the Coppelia. None of these chicas tried obviously to get in contact with me. And if I made the first step, they where mostly (happily) surprised, and never answered me by giving their price.

On the Malecon, the people having fun there tend to be older and less shy, and are used to get in contact with the tourists. They will easily start conversation and ask a tip to the tourists walking along. The Malecon is simply the main meeting place for people in Havana, including with tourists.

Yes it's very easy to score with any of those chicas, yes you will always have to pay something at the end, but are they pro?

May be was I in a romantic mood due to that unique Havana atmosphere. Architecture, cars, music, the cigars, the kindness of the people, the revolutionary propaganda, like Fidel, nothing has changed since the 60'. It's like being in a movie, and reality is easily lost.

Yes, I'm a dreamer. But still, it's undenyable that the Cuban scene is way much amateur than the DR, where the main problem is to get rid of a Chica than to find one. I remembered the DR where I couldn't stay in a bar more than 30 sec without a barrakuda starting to rub her ass on my dick on a Reggaeton rythm.

It's may be just a matter what anybody believe about the meaning of pro, semi and amateur.

Thanks for your reactions

Thank you very much for the update on Havana. When were you there and how many times have you been?

I prefer the semi-pro action and find the women of Cuba intoxicating!

How about that disco at the end of the Malecon near Johnnys called La CCh-something". You know the place, it looks like a castle/fort.

Oh, and anyone know of a casa with a pool?

My friend and I will be going to Cuba (starting in Havana) and wondered if anyone had any recommendations for a driver that was a) reliable b) affordable and c) knowledgeable about sights and chicas.

Thanks in advance.

JPF

Please check your PM for details of driver...

Regards, HM

Havana and other towns can be extremely intoxicating if you actually take time out and just look around. You find houses falling down and think "no one could live there" only to see a beautiful girl/woman coming out of it, looking absolutely stunning and happy. Some of them would take your breath away, they are exteremely friendly but not all of them are chicas!!

Cuban people are very friendly and not all of them will beg for money, I met one man with a 7-year old boy one day and we just got talking, met him a day later when just walking around Havana and asked him how his son was, only to be told he was very ill, then his wife called to him home and he invited me to his house where his child was in bed, they genuinely had no money for medicines and the medicines were not free!! I got him some stuff from the chemist and gave him some Paracetamol I had and they were so grateful it was unbelievable.

Two days later when I was on my way to the airport I saw them walking along the Malecon. This is my main memory of Havana.

So spend time getting to know a few Cubans!! They have nothing but yet they are so genuine.

Definitely a place to go back to time and time again, but don't forget to give as well as take!

Guys out there what is written in TENNIS - report is real lovely cuba !

These people deserve to be treated as Tennis does. My own experiances since 2002 are matching totally.

havanna i.m.o.does not have the best chica - scene in cuba for me.

Cienfuego was best so far, but most owners of casas particulares ask for carnet so the girls stay out of your rooms , better to rent a whole apartment / house.

I am looking forward to be back in Nov / Dec to enjoy Cuban live!

Yours,

Dr. Lover

A lot of the girls seemed more like semipros than hardcore pros. You will probably have a better time with the semipros anyways. Best thing about Cuba is the safety issue and the worse is the food imho.

[QUOTE=Your Dog]A lot of the girls seemed more like semipros than hardcore pros. You will probably have a better time with the semipros anyways. Best thing about Cuba is the safety issue and the worse is the food imho.[/QUOTE]I'll have to agree there. I was out till 4am every night drunk as a skunk and I never felt uneasy or threatened all my time there. And the food was horrible IMO. I'm not a picky person, I just couldn't get used to some of their foods. I found my self at the "Del Mar" I think was the name. It's a seafood fast food sorta joint on the Malecon by Vedado. I thought it was pretty good. it's by a flee market for those that wanna grab some battered fish and fries sometimes.

What's the going rate on Casas now that they gone to the CUC permanently?

15- 25? What's your take on it, for those that have gone recently?

Thanks.

The casa particular owners charge in CUC the same amount that they were charging in USD so basically there has been in increase in cost. I don't know when you were last there but the range you indicated is low, particularly in Havana.

[QUOTE=Cubiche]The casa particular owners charge in CUC the same amount that they were charging in USD so basically there has been in increase in cost. I don't know when you were last there but the range you indicated is low, particularly in Havana. [/QUOTE]25 CUC isn't low. It's about $30 U. S. I was there just last year and I payed $25 a night for a decent apartment. 1 bedroom, 2 living rooms (one like a little den with a TV and the other formal), furnised balcony (3 or 4 chairs & a kitchen table. I got that apartment through [url]http://www.cubaccommodation.com[/url] a pretty good site. Looking at the listings now, they're listed at 25CUC and above. Which is a bit higher than the last time but definately isn't too low. But those aren't the final prices, as you can still negotiate with them. 15CUC translated to about $20 which was attainable last year. I wouldn't reccomend paying more than $30 for an apartment in Havana unless it's like really really gorgeous.

Can someone please tell me the current restrictions on sending money to Cuba? Thanks!