General Info

[Uncle Volodya]

I found a new place to stay this time since my usual apt was not available. This time I stayed at the Focsa, that's the tall building that takes a whole block on 17th and M.



The thing about this building for you mongers that would want to stay here is that the chicas have to show their ID at the desk downstairs, so for most of you that would not work.

In case someone wants the owner info HMU and I'll send you his contact. Each room goes for $35 a night and is a complete apt with living room, kitchen bathroom and like I said an amazing view.


Mondo.

Sounds great. Thanks for sharing the info. I know the location and the view must be amazing. But with the ID hassle were you able to find girls that would go up to your room? It'd be a pity not to make full use of that view.

[Mondo707]

Hey,

Just got back from Cuba late last week and thought I post some info for you lucky bastards headed that way, LOL.

I found a new place to stay this time since my usual apt was not available. This time I stayed at the Focsa, that's the tall building that takes a whole block on 17th and M.

Owner was pretty cool, we arranged things thru WhatsApp and he sent me photos of the joint. Usually I travel solo but this time a guy I know here when I told him I was headed to Cuba asked me to if he could tag along and we made it over as a team.

The place is a 2 bedroom apt with share bath and is pretty decent for Cuba, located on the 15th floor with an amazing view of Hotel Nacional and beyond the sea and Morro castle. Seems a lot of USA mongers or maybe not, have cancelled trips since El Trompo put put a warning about Cuba travel.

Anyway, when we finally got to the apt and started to settle the rent I asked him if any exchange for CUC's was available and without hesitation he told us he could get us 96 CUC! For a 100 USD which is almost par since every country charges a 3% commission when exchanging foreign currency.

The thing about this building for you mongers that would want to stay here is that the chicas have to show their ID at the desk downstairs, so for most of you that would not work.

In case someone wants the owner info HMU and I'll send you his contact. Each room goes for $35 a night and is a complete apt with living room, kitchen bathroom and like I said an amazing view.

One other observation about the exchange rate into CUC's that the owner mentioned was that there is a rumor going around about the Gov finally making a decision to go back to one single currency. And that single currency would be the CUP or peso cubano not the CUC so he said a lot of people are nervous about having to explain to the Gov when exchanging their CUC for CUP where those came from, I think you get it, right?

Mondo.

[Tavares]

Cuba is a prison island, a place where the government owns everything including the people. You can call Castro "El Presidente all you want Kafka, I call it a dictatorship.

Yes it is a dictatorship of course but the successor (Diaz-Canel) and his generation of party apparatchiks can't wait to throw themselves in the arms of the USA.

But they will have to as long as Raul and what is left of the compaeros from Sierra Maestra are still alive and kicking.

[GrownMan1]

Namaste.


Another great thing about Cuba that you didn't mention is that you never (in my experience at least) run into a chica with silicone boobs or ass.

I also love this about the Cubanas. The only body jobs ever seen was on the LBs and Cuba has it share.

[Ty Down]

He is actually not a dictator. Maybe your girl should have explained Cubsn government a little better.

Cuba is a prison island, a place where the government owns everything including the people. You can call Castro "El Presidente all you want Kafka, I call it a dictatorship.

[Kafka]

I just returned home from Havana a couple weeks ago, my girl was telling me that the Castro's are on their way out and the new Dictator of Cuba (can't remember his name) is a hard core commie. The crack down on prostitution is going to be severe in the coming year she was telling me. 30 years in prison with no chance of parole, 30 years hard time. Period.

She told me that many girls will not be coming to Havana anymore, out of shear terror of being arrested and going to jail, including her. So I will be visiting other areas of Cuba in the future, I've already been over about half the Island, mostly Santa Clara, Ciego de Avlia, Cayo Coco areas.

The most striking thing I noticed this last trip, was the fact that I did not hear or see any Castro propaganda on the TV, what a relief from previous trips.

On a positive note, I did find a couple good restaurants this last trip. Decameron and Dona Juna. Both in Havana, outside of Havana, good luck finding anything edible.

Thanks for the report Namaste!! Good stuff.

He is actually not a dictator. Maybe your girl should have explained Cubsn government a little better.

[Ty Down]

I just returned home from Havana a couple weeks ago, my girl was telling me that the Castro's are on their way out and the new Dictator of Cuba (can't remember his name) is a hard core commie. The crack down on prostitution is going to be severe in the coming year she was telling me. 30 years in prison with no chance of parole, 30 years hard time. Period.

She told me that many girls will not be coming to Havana anymore, out of shear terror of being arrested and going to jail, including her. So I will be visiting other areas of Cuba in the future, I've already been over about half the Island, mostly Santa Clara, Ciego de Avlia, Cayo Coco areas.

The most striking thing I noticed this last trip, was the fact that I did not hear or see any Castro propaganda on the TV, what a relief from previous trips.

On a positive note, I did find a couple good restaurants this last trip. Decameron and Dona Juna. Both in Havana, outside of Havana, good luck finding anything edible.

Thanks for the report Namaste!! Good stuff.

[Combo]

Namaste.

Nice rundown. A few comments. -- There is plenty of violence in Cuba. It's just that as a tourist, you won't be the object of it. I've been to some concerts in Havana where there have been multiple stabbings. I'm talking vicious shit. But this was far away from the tourist areas. And it was Cubans attacking Cubans. But if a Cubano attacks a tourist, they are fucked. They will go to jail a long time with no due process.

Also Cuba has a long history of chicas selling their bodies for money. You could almost say it's ingrained in the populace. When I first went in the 90's, the police allowed it and hookers were all over you as a male visitor. While it was illegal, the people were starving for hard currency and they made a decision to allow us to spend money on the girls. Around 2000 Castro started the crackdowns arresting girls. So nowadays, you don't see a similar dynamic to Brasil, Colombia, CR, and other locations where this hobby is legal. But it's very much there and there are plenty of hard-core chicas. I think you're correct that you find sweeter girls outside Havana. The sweet girls from the provinces used to flood into Havana to work. However, the government is now very restrictive on this, so if you want to find the small-town girls you need to get out of the City.

Another great thing about Cuba that you didn't mention is that you never (in my experience at least) run into a chica with silicone boobs or ass.

[Mr Gogo]

Great report Nam, best one in a long time. Good job.

[NamasteParis]

I just come back from a 3-weeks journey in Cuba. 4 days in La Habana, 5 days in Santiago, and 11 days in Trinidad.
I'm frequent traveller to Africa, Thailand, Philippines, and RepDom. My overall feeling is that Cuba is better for tourism or culture than for our prefered sport.

PROS:

* Cuba is the safest place of the world. No violence, no bad shouting, no street delinquance or groups of young thugs / junkies harassing you. You can bring your computer under your arm at the wifi spots without any concern. Nobody will grab it. I noticed that when people leave their house (at Santiago and Trinidad), they just leave the door open. When I mean open, it's not just unlocked, it IS open! Often times it happened that I called my neighboors by the open door, and nobody was there!
This apparent safety must be due to several factors, such as local people genuinely peaceful, strong police presence, and no disturbing immigrants / minority. In Cuba, you only see Cubans and tourists.

* People are not polluted by internet / smartphones yet. Hence a strong oral communication. A country where the chicas still use their phones to call (when they have a phone.) and not to send messages! Can you believe it? This strong oral communication environment reminded me Africa 30 years ago. Thus, a charming and more 'humanity'in the relationships.

* Chicas are not spoiled by massive sex tourism yet. At La Habana, the game is starting, but in the province, girls are still looking for real love, or serious relationship. I very seldom saw hardcore pros in Cuba, such like you can find everywhere in Sosua. It's not obvious whether a girl would take money as a gift, or as an offense. The game of pretended seduction is still there, even with a pro at La Rampa, "mio & tuyo" or "Up & down" clubs (La Habana).

* Very easy to approach people (and chicas). As Cuban people are very talkative, you can come straight to somebody and discuss of whatever. You will always be answered with a smile. Flirting in the street is part of Cuban life. When crossing a girl, just say "Oye Mami!" and the discussion begins! Collect phone numbers, or fix an appointment when she has no phone, and that's it!

* Cuban chicas often have big boobs, and a fit body. Dancing salsa and not eating french fries must help. Some morenas have light eyes.

* Some basic values are still considered better than money there. Such as 'family', 'unity', 'truth' and 'WORK'. If you want to impress your chica, don't give her money, but tell her instead that you have to work till late tonight, and you'll be suprised by her answer: she will tell you that she loves so much hardworking men, and she's sorry to disturb you, and she will take care of you after your work and so on. Jajaja.

* If you leave Cuban way, life is not expensive. Sleeping in a casa can be done around 15-20 USD / night for a very decent one.
Complete breakfast is 5 USD. And you can eat at Cuban restaurants (I mean where the Cuban people eat) for 4 USD (a big plate of rice + chicken + smashed yam or fried bananas, plus 'flan' dessert). These places are not indicated from outside, so you need to talk to Cuban people to know where these canteens are. Same for bakery. It just behind a normal door that you would never open without knowing it! There really is a Cuba for tourists (the one that you see), and an underground one for Cubans. In such places, local pesos CUP are used, but you can still pay in CUC (1 CUC = 24 or 25 CUP). If you are lucky enough to get the 3 CUP red bill with Che Guevara, keep it. It is said to bring luck!

CONS:

* prostitution is illegal, and police is everywhere where tourists are to enforce this prohibition. When talking to a chica, I several time was stopped in my discussion by 2 policemen, asking the girl what she was doing. They completly ignored me, as if I was invisible. You as a foreigner would never be ennoyed. But the girl might be, and may go to jail! If you want to experience Cuban sex, never book in a hotel. Local girls would NEVER been allowed there (unless you checked-in with her). You should book a casa particular, and a 'indepediente' one, so you don't have to cross the salon with all the family to get to your room. Let me explain you the registration process. ANY guest entering the casa must be registered, whatever nationality or relative it might be. So if you bring a chica there (of course, you asked the casa owner before booking if local guests are accepted), she must present her ID, and be registered in the guest logbook. Sometimes, in the independant casas, the logbook is in your room and you are the one to fulfill this duty.
This logbook is later controlled by the police. They cross the information of all casas, and if a girl is present too often at different places, she is caught and goes to jail. You understand now why so many chicas do NOT want to be registered. You should know also that if the guests are not registered, and police knows it, the casa owner loses its casa license, and business is over. So it's serious matter!
The chica game is therefore quite complicated in Cuba. As long as you spend the day together, go to the beach, and so on, Cuban chicas are just the best GFE in the world. But when time to sleep together is coming, it's always a headache in Cuba. Don't plan 'Todo la noche' there, it's almost impossible, except if you are involved in a 'serious' relationship of several days or weeks. When you want to do the deed, it's for 2 hours, at times when nobody is there to see you going in and out of the casa, or at casas that the girl knows (family's or friend's).
When you wake up in Sosua, or Bangkok, or Angeles City, you don't wonder if you'll fuck a girl of your taste tonight. You know you will, even if it is already 9 pm, and you smile all day long. In Cuba, the game is not as easy. My overall impression is that Cuba is not a monger playground, but rather a paradise for those looking for a good 'novia' or serious relationship. And this is not for tourists, but rather for people living there, or spending at least several months. It may take some time to find a gem.
Even though it's easy to approach girls, several times some 'normal' girls made me feel like they don't want to talk to me long time, as they were afraid to be seen talking with a foreigner.

* Food quality is quite low. I've never been sick though. No fruit abundance, and they are not sweet. Pineapple there just tastes like a raw potatoe! Cuban people don't like fruits anyway. Do you know that Cuba needs to import fruits to answer the tourist demand? That's crazy.
The cookers need to be trained also. Even at "recommended" restaurants, the food is no more than a 'standard' quality found in the US or Europe. The pizzas or ham and cheese sandwich that you can find everywhere (and very often that's all you can find!) are just uneatable.

La Habana:
I've been everywhere for chicas, thanks to this forum, and also some friends living there.
Best place for me was La Rampa (calle 23 at El Vedado), near the hotel St Johns and La Gruta disco.
Stunners can be had for 30 CUC LT. You need to know a bedroom where you can go without the registration problem.
If you want to dance salsa, and meet chicas, I would recommend the salon 1830, open air and facing the sea. Very good bands.
Some FL can be found at the bars Mio & Tuyo, and Up & Down. But no atmosphere, chicas are not smiling, and moody. Few exception though, you need to check every night.
Problem with La Habana, is the distance from one place to another. Be prepared to have a lot of small bills and time to spend in the taxi!
All the other places recommended in this forum were absolutely useless: Club La Red, Malecon, Casa de la musica Miramar, Salon Rojo, Habana Caf,. The only place I missed unfortunately was Don Cangrejo.
I didn't like La Habana so much. Very polluted by cars. Very noisy. Dirty. 2 days are enough!

Santiago:
The flight with the Cubana airways from La Habana was 5 hours late. So if you plan to fly with Cubana, be prepared to spend the day at the airport. I heard people with flight canceled.
Santiago is much nicer than La Habana. Streets are very clean, and some main streets are pedestrian only. At night, they even have some color lighting on the buildings, just like at Christmas time.
The beaches are dumps. BueyCabon and Siboney. Noisy with young Cuban people hanging screaming low quality loudspeakers, People throwing garbage everywhere, cans and plastic bags on the beach and floating in the sea. There are even pigs on the beach, to eat all this shit! So don't plan to go to the Santiago's beach, you'll be horrified.
For chicas, go at daytime at the 'Boulevard', a place named by the restaurant there (don't go to the restaurant, not good.). There are several bar terraces along the plaza de Dolores, with a square. Lot of chicas strolling there. "Oye mami!" and here she is, sitting at your table. ST can be free (but beach + restaurant) to 15 CUC. That's what I've paid.
Same in the Parque Cespedes (wifi spot, so plenty of chicas) and the overlooking terrace of the Casagranda Hotel, where you can enjoy a drink on a table, and work with your laptop with wifi.
At night, Claqueta, and Casa de Trova, near the same Parque Cespedes. Bar disco San Pauli at the top of the pedestrian main street.
All the other places were time wasting: Palmares, Disco Las Americas, La parillada, San Pedro, Santiago caf.

Trinidad.
What a lovely city! From a tourist point of view, the place to be, and stay!
The city is very clean, most of the streets are pedestrian. Very charming colonial style everywhere. Charming people.
Concerts of salsa all day long at different places, but all near to each other. The stairs of Casa de la Musica are a good place to sip a mojito, listen to live salsa, and enjoy wifi (well, when it works.).
Trinidad offers plenty of good restaurants, places to visit, and a very nice beach! Take a colletive taxi to the beach (8 CUC per car one way, so 2 CUC if you are 4 people, just wait few minutes there for other people going to the beach), at the corner of Cubatur. I don't recommend to take the 5 CUC bus, because it rides a long tour where nothing interesting can be seen, and takes 30 mn to reach the beach, instead of 10 mn with taxi. Beach is great: no dogs, no loud music, white sand, umbrellas and chairs (2 CUC / day), very clean, nice sea. A little Varadero. Sea is flat so good for kids too. DO TAKE mosquito spray, because after 5:30pm, sand fleas will ruin your hoilydays! (they call them jejenes)
A restaurant on the beach (at the middle) has decent food with correct prices.
At night, places to go are Casa de la Musica, Casa de la Trova, El Palenque, El Rincon de la salsa. Chicas are there to dance and listen to the band. Police presence is strong, and chica's fear also. If you want to spend some time with her, you should go to the swimming pool (and the rooms) of the hotel Las Cuevas, or same at Ma Dolores, a ranch few km in the countryside of Trinidad. This latter is frequented mostly by Cubans.

Telephone and internet:
Internet is present only at some wifi points in the cities. Mostly squares. Forget about the wifi points at the hotels, because they sell you cards at a worse price, and they will work ONLY at this hotel, and no other places.
You need to buy internet cards (1 h = 1 CUC) at the ETECSA agencies. The queue can be long, and average waiting time is 30 mn. There are always 2 lines (right and left of the entrance door): one for internet, one for phone line. So ask for the good one as soon as you arrive.
To use internet, go to a wifi point (easy to know as there are always plenty of people on their phone around), and switch on wifi. A login screen should appear. Simply enter your login and password shown on your ETECSA card, and it should work. Sometimes, it takes 10 tries to work!
A trick for phone calls: if you want to call someone with HIS credit, and not yours, dial the number with *99.
For example, you have no more credit, but want to call someone or just ring him.
His phone number is 53411234.
Call *9953411234, and he will be the one to pay!
The phone number displayed on his phone will be yours, but with 99 added at the begining and at the end.
So if someone calls you with a number beginning and ending with 99, you should be aware that you'll be the one to pay. The 99 is not a Cubacell bug!
When you record a contact on your phone, you should always add the same number with 99 added before and after the number, so that your phone can recognize who is calling you with such a collect call. My 2 cents.

[Mondo707]

Hey y'all.

This post is directed mainly to those of you that are into the Salsa / Timba scene.

I am posting early since I know travel arrangements need to be made well in advance.

This year's fest will take place on 2/21 thru 2/24. The venue will the same, Parque Metropolitano.

There is a Facebook link below that has all the info on this event.

BTW, seems to me the after hours parties that follow the concerts are were the hotties will gather at.

In case anyone here is planning on going send me a PM.

Mondo.

https://es-la.facebook.com/FestivalDeLaSalsaEnCuba/

[Mondo707]

Hey,

Got this email today (below) and I'm posting for some of you who are not clear on individual travel.

Mondo.

New Regulations Maintain.

Independent Travel.

New rules governing travel were announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on November 9th. Essentially they were the same as had been announced in June, in conjunction with, but in contradiction to, President Trump's red hot anti-Cuba rhetoric. (see September newsletter).

However the intervening absurdity of the removal of 60% of US and Cuban diplomats and the obligatory but unwarranted travel warning had no discernible impact on the new policy. (see October newsletter).

Senator Rubio had been pushing for termination of diplomatic relations justified by the mysterious hearing and health problems of US diplomats in Havana--fueling speculation that hard liners in Miami might have been the motive if not the cause of the problem. Failing to achieve a total roll-back of Obama Administration reforms, he blamed the largely symbolic character of the new regulations on "bureaucrats in the State Department who oppose the President's Cuba policy. ".

Rubio's voiced concern was that Ministry of Tourism companies Cubanacan and Gran Caribe had not been included in the ban on Americans doing business with army-linked companies, based on the specious logic that the Minister was a retired army colonel. (For that matter he should have included Havanatur, the largest Tourism Ministry affiliate serving the US market.).

Since Rubio seemed to endorse broader use of the general license category "Support for the Cuban People" in June, it is not surprising that it has been put forward as the new means to undertake independent travel to Cuba. "Support" provides exactly the same opportunity as the now discarded individual general license for people to people travel, except that private casas particulares are mandated over government owned hotels.

I analyze the new option in detail here. Based on the new regulations, FAQs, and this excerpt from the Treasury Department press release, it is clear enough:

"OFAC is requiring that each traveler under this travel category engage in a full-time schedule of activities that result in meaningful interaction with individuals in Cuba. Such activities must also enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people's independence from Cuban authorities. Renting a room in a private Cuban residence (casa particular), eating at privately owned Cuban restaurants (paladares), and shopping at privately owned stores run by self-employed Cubans (cuentapropistas) are examples of authorized activities; however, in order to meet the requirement of a full-time schedule, a traveler must engage in additional authorized Support for the Cuban People activities. ".

"Or" is the critical word. The rest is political boilerplate that has been part of all authorized travel. "Meaningful interactions" are in the eye of the beholder and his or her integrity. Traveling alone, or with friends or family offers at least as much opportunity for meaningful interactions as joining a guided group tour but with greater spontaneity, and certainly more than provided by fully authorized one or two day cruise packages.

Ambiguity is introduced by the final language after the semi-colon. Given the "or" construction, it seems clear that the "additional" beyond personal maintenance of eating, sleeping and buying is whatever full time meaningful interaction one in good conscience undertakes.

However, whether through confusion, intentional political obfuscation or economic self-interest, journalists and travel providers have created an urban myth that independent travel is no longer possible.

The bottom line is that it is not in the interest of Cubans or Americans, or of their governments, to undermine the kind of travel that generates the greatest people to people interaction and economic benefit to the emerging private sector.

--John McAuliff.

[Dickhead]

I'm glad US is cancelling flights to Cuba. Ever since US statted servicing 100's of flights to Cuba, we Canucks are getting gouged for flight tickets here from Canada to Cuba. I remember going to sunwing. Ca and under flights to Cuba I could choose at least 3 destinations at any month for $320 or leas roundtrip including tax. Now it is $500 minimim.

Perhaps you should contact the Department of Whimper and Snivel or just stay in Kannadda. That is some pretty rude shit, intentionally misspelling another country's name. And to the other gentleman from Canada, both people from the United States and from Canada are 'Americans,' as are people from about thirty other countries.

[Free2]

I'm glad US is cancelling flights to Cuba. Ever since US statted servicing 100's of flights to Cuba, we Canucks are getting gouged for flight tickets here from Canada to Cuba. I remember going to sunwing. Ca and under flights to Cuba I could choose at least 3 destinations at any month for $320 or leas roundtrip including tax. Now it is $500 minimim.

As much as I love my neighbours to the south, we will be very happy to have our Cuba back!! You Americans can go romp anywhere else, just leave us Canadians this 1 little paradise please. We freeze our asses off up here for 5 months a year. Have some compassion! LOL.

[RacShack]

I'm glad US is cancelling flights to Cuba. Ever since US statted servicing 100's of flights to Cuba, we Canucks are getting gouged for flight tickets here from Canada to Cuba. I remember going to sunwing. Ca and under flights to Cuba I could choose at least 3 destinations at any month for $320 or leas roundtrip including tax. Now it is $500 minimim.

What about your basically same exact post in 10-14-15 #638 was it the "Americans "then too? It's like saying Canadians aren't the most cheapest people in the world, no respect for any other country they travel to and act like " they "are back home! How's the Canadian dollar these days? Is it as strong as the "American dollar" ? Or is it so weak that you have to watch every and every looney you spend? Just curious!