NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, if all goes according to plan I shall soon be gracing La Habana with my presence. That's right, TAI is going to Cuba. Assuming I'm staying in Havana, what would you, those of you who have been to Cuba, recommend I do/see?

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For those who haven't been to Cuba, where was the most unique/uncommon/strangest/weirdest place you have been and why? Tell a story.
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Where did you stay when you went to Cuba? What was it like? What things did you do that you loved, that you hated? What would you warn about?

I don't know if I'll make it out of Havana into other cities, but if I did, where/what would you recommend?

Call it an educational experience, I want to see what Cuba is like, firsthand, before that kind of unique, if unfree and totalitarian society ceases to exist due to the well needed reform and restructure that is [eventually] coming.

I am prepared to acknowledge that most of what I'll see is a government facade designed to cover my eyes to the true, extreme poverty that the vast majority of Cubans live in.

http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/ifim/country_list/media/cu-map.gif

expect it to look like the 50's

has anyone posting here been there ?

has anyone posting here been there ?
Off the top of my head I beleive, eh, that Italian Risotto (sp :p ) and that Venezuelan girl (forgot her name) have been there.

Plus I actually met up with Nanatsu (just lunch, nobody get any funny ideas :p) the other day and when I told her about this trip, I'm 99% certain she told me, that she too has been to Cuba.

expect it to look like the 50's
Yeah, I'm sure it will be very bizarre. Like stepping back in time.

Edited to make the thread more inclusive.

A bunch of my friends went there. Uh... the booze is cheap and if you're totally inept with women your odds with women don't really increase because you're in Cuba.

has anyone posting here been there ?

I seem to remember Neesika posting about her trip there.

A bunch of my friends went there. Uh... the booze is cheap and if you're totally inept with women your odds with women don't really increase because you're in Cuba.
Booze will be 100% enjoyed during the trip. I won't be looking for any prostitutes, if that's what you meant. I could never do that. Too gross, to be honest.

It's on my to-go list. Probably do most of the Caribbean when I do South America.

For those who haven't been to Cuba, where was the most unique/uncommon/strangest/weirdest place you have been and why? Tell a story.

Well, I've been to Yugoslavia back in mid-'80s. I also stayed in Sarajevo, wonderful place, with the muezzin calling for prayer while the catholics' bells rang for mass and the orthodox were chanting in the street during a funeral. It was all so light-hearthed, with a matter-of-fact actitude that it actually broke my hearth when they started killing each other in few years.

Also, during the same trip, I stopped at an inn in Kosovo, landlorded by an Albanian family. It was... like being brought all of a sudden in a painting of the mid-1800 about the London slums. Urgh.

Off the top of my head I beleive, eh, that Italian Risotto (sp :p ) and that Venezuelan girl (forgot her name) have been there.


It's Risottia, and nope, I've never been to Cuba, nor I'm very interested in it. Nasty tropical place. Nonono. I'm all for cold places - I'm planning a bike trip from Copenhagen to Stockholm, next year hopefully.

I hear Guantanamo is nice this time of year

Booze will be 100% enjoyed during the trip. I won't be looking for any prostitutes, if that's what you meant. I could never do that. Too gross, to be honest.

I didn't mean prostitutes. I meant women in general.

Cuba is interesting because there is obviously not as much poverty as in many other Latin American nations. You don't get people coming and begging or trying to sell something at your car window at every intersection. The cars are beautiful. The beaches around Havana, unless they've had sand shipped in, are mostly coral or someother thing that really cuts your feet. I advise wearing flip flops in the water anyway, due to the sea urchins.

There isn't as many street vendors as in the rest of Latin America, but like a lot of the rest of Latin America, there are many young people. They were odd in that they had the most polarised opinions about la revolucion. The sharpest criticisms and most fervent support for the government came form the youth.

Weirdest thing would have been the street musician with the oil barrel. An old skinny mulatto with a big rusty oil drum came to a plaza where I was sitting and proceeded to spin the barrel on the ground. The percussion of the tiny flaws in the pavement hitting the tiny flaws inthe rusted carapace creating a weird humming reminiscent of steel drum music, modulated by the speed and angle with which he spun it.

And the government facade is also worth a visit. They have ice cream.

Get an all-expenses paid trip and you'll have nothing you'll really need to buy, and plenty to enjoy. Beautiful weather and a beautiful country.

Well, if all goes according to plan I shall soon be gracing La Habana with my presence. That's right, TAI is going to Cuba. Assuming I'm staying in Havana, what would you, those of you who have been to Cuba, recommend I do/see?

----------------------------------------------------------------
For those who haven't been to Cuba, where was the most unique/uncommon/strangest/weirdest place you have been and why? Tell a story.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Where did you stay when you went to Cuba? What was it like? What things did you do that you loved, that you hated? What would you warn about?

I don't know if I'll make it out of Havana into other cities, but if I did, where/what would you recommend?

Call it an educational experience, I want to see what Cuba is like, firsthand, before that kind of unique, if unfree and totalitarian society ceases to exist due to the well needed reform and restructure that is [eventually] coming.

I am prepared to acknowledge that most of what I'll see is a government facade designed to cover my eyes to the true, extreme poverty that the vast majority of Cubans live in.




Ugh. TAI in Cuba. There is something so, so wrong about that. How's your Spanish? You already go loaded with preconceptions...being able to talk to people in their language would help.

Don't stay in Havana. It's a tourist trap, and relatively expensive in comparison to other areas. My favourite place to start out is Matanzas, which is just a way outside of Varadero. Get a casa particular...stay out of the resort hotels where the food is shit and the tourists are shittier. Pick up a Lonely Planet guide if you want phone numbers/rates.

Personally, I like the other side of the island. Santiago de Cuba is awesome, and I recommend it far beyond Havana. If you don't want to go that far, trek across to Trinidad...it's absolutely beautiful. If you're at all musical, this is the place to go to get some really amazing instruments.

Get used to eating lots of pork, and seafood. Enjoy the old vehicles, and the short shorts :D Drink lots of rum, talk to people, hang out. One thing that suprised me was how welcoming Cubans are to USians. I expected them to be somewhat bitter and annoyed with yanks, but then again, the only ones who go to Cuba tend not to be the giant assholes.

Take a bag of clothes you don't want with you. They will find loving homes.

Well, I've been to Yugoslavia back in mid-'80s. I also stayed in Sarajevo, wonderful place, with the muezzin calling for prayer while the catholics' bells rang for mass and the orthodox were chanting in the street during a funeral. It was all so light-hearthed, with a matter-of-fact actitude that it actually broke my hearth when they started killing each other in few years.

Also, during the same trip, I stopped at an inn in Kosovo, landlorded by an Albanian family. It was... like being brought all of a sudden in a painting of the mid-1800 about the London slums. Urgh.
That sounds fascinating. Have you any pictures? One of my friends I've met from Switzerland is from an Kosovoalbaner family. She has quite some interesting things to say about the region.

It's Risottia, and nope, I've never been to Cuba, nor I'm very interested in it. Nasty tropical place. Nonono. I'm all for cold places - I'm planning a bike trip from Copenhagen to Stockholm, next year hopefully.
Sorry about the name. :tongue: Also, I could have sworn you had been to Cuba. Weird. Are you planning on doing that bike ride in winter!?

Where else are you planning on going? I see that you are a travelling person.:)

I didn't mean prostitutes. I meant women in general.
Ah. In that case, I don't know. I didn't think it would be any different, hooking up with a Cuban girl, then it would be like anywhere? Do Cuban girls have some sort of reputation that I'm unaware of?

Cuba is interesting because there is obviously not as much poverty as in many other Latin American nations.
Actually, I've heard the opposite by people who have been there. (Some members of my family too, actually) They said that Cuban poverty is horrible, everywhere and you see so many young girls who are prostitutes in order to make money (due to poverty on the island) that its disgusting.

You don't get people coming and begging or trying to sell something at your car window at every intersection. The cars are beautiful. The beaches around Havana, unless they've had sand shipped in, are mostly coral or someother thing that really cuts your feet. I advise wearing flip flops in the water anyway, due to the sea urchins.
Hmm, interesting. Sandals noted.


There isn't as many street vendors as in the rest of Latin America, but like a lot of the rest of Latin America, there are many young people. They were odd in that they had the most polarised opinions about la revolucion. The sharpest criticisms and most fervent support for the government came form the youth.
I've heard there are some street vendors selling foods (pizza and ice cream and stuff) and that it's ridiculously cheap. Exactly how far do the dollar/pound/euro get you in Cuba?

Weirdest thing would have been the street musician with the oil barrel. An old skinny mulatto with a big rusty oil drum came to a plaza where I was sitting and proceeded to spin the barrel on the ground. The percussion of the tiny flaws in the pavement hitting the tiny flaws inthe rusted carapace creating a weird humming reminiscent of steel drum music, modulated by the speed and angle with which he spun it.
Sounds cool.:)

And the government facade is also worth a visit. They have ice cream.
I am going to visit the revolutionary museums and all that stuff . . . because I shouldn't visit the country without, but I will be grinding my teeth the whole time. :rolleyes:

Get an all-expenses paid trip and you'll have nothing you'll really need to buy, and plenty to enjoy. Beautiful weather and a beautiful country.
Have you been then?

Have you been then?
Aye, in Santiago de Cuba. Great place. Anyway, must dash, I've a bus to catch, I'm sure Neesika can fill you in about it.

Actually, I've heard the opposite by people who have been there. (Some members of my family too, actually) They said that Cuban poverty is horrible, everywhere and you see so many young girls who are prostitutes in order to make money (due to poverty on the island) that its disgusting.


...

No.

When you've seen not even the slums of Lima, or La Paz, there is no possible way anyone with a shred of intellectual honesty can compare it to Cuba.

No one lives it up rich in Cuba...everyone is poor compared to us there...but there also isn't that weird dichotomy of gated communities with pristine mansions and then slums hugging the hills as though the houses are tumbling down them...and you don't need to worry about being knifed to death in an alley for your cheap watch or sneakers, nor do you have street kids running around half naked, playing with a rag ball.

By the way, the whole ** ** in the title of your threads always makes me think of OceanDrive :D

...

Actually, I've heard the opposite by people who have been there. (Some members of my family too, actually) They said that Cuban poverty is horrible, everywhere and you see so many young girls who are prostitutes in order to make money (due to poverty on the island) that its disgusting.


....

There is a lot of prostitution and poverty. Just not in comparison with the rest of Latin America. It is a developing nation, after all. If you've never been to the developin world before, Cuban poverty must look awful, but if you've been downwind of the slums outside Guadalajara, you would know that the Cuban experience with poverty is not as bad.

There is a lot of prostitution and poverty. Just not in comparison with the rest of Latin America. It is a developing nation, after all. If you've never been to the developin world before, Cuban poverty must look awful, but if you've been downwind of the slums outside Guadalajara, you would know that the Cuban experience with poverty is not as bad.

This.

Also, I think part of it is that you can't escape it the way you can in other parts of Latin America. You really can avoid seeing any nasty poverty if you stay in certain areas in most Latin American cities. In Cuba it's just all around, but it doesn't dip below a certain point. People just get into this bad habit of comparing Cuba to the US or Canada, and I don't quite understand that.

Ugh. TAI in Cuba. There is something so, so wrong about that.
Don't hate. :p I am simply finding out for myself how Cuba is. I won't lie, seeing this kind of stuff will be weird:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lozinho/266243384/

How's your Spanish? You already go loaded with preconceptions...being able to talk to people in their language would help.
Spanish is fine, I'm not worried. I did just fine in Spain, Dominican and Mexico. Not to mention Miami. :rolleyes::p

Don't stay in Havana. It's a tourist trap, and relatively expensive in comparison to other areas. My favourite place to start out is Matanzas, which is just a way outside of Varadero. Get a casa particular...stay out of the resort hotels where the food is shit and the tourists are shittier. Pick up a Lonely Planet guide if you want phone numbers/rates.
I already am planning on staying in Havana, and I realize its a government set up tourist trap, but I still want to see it. Good call on the casa particular, I actually wanted to do that, as then I'd be giving money to a Cuban person ( = good) instead of the government ( = bad), but I don't think I can, because I've heard that you are not allowed into the country without a hotel reservation. Maybe this only applies for Americans? I like other tourists, it's interesting to meet people from around the world. I have heard bad things about the food, though.

Personally, I like the other side of the island. Santiago de Cuba is awesome, and I recommend it far beyond Havana. If you don't want to go that far, trek across to Trinidad...it's absolutely beautiful. If you're at all musical, this is the place to go to get some really amazing instruments.
How is the train system? How long does it take to get to Santiago? Probably a bit far, but Trinidad may be an option. Doesn't seem that far. Assuming I will otherwise be spending all my time in and around Havana, would you really recommend a trip to Trinidad? What is there to do/see there exactly?

Get used to eating lots of pork, and seafood. Enjoy the old vehicles, and the short shorts :D Drink lots of rum, talk to people, hang out.
Plan on it. I've actually heard a saying that, "the best Cuban food is in Miami." Because Cuba is too poor to have, in general, good quality food.

One thing that suprised me was how welcoming Cubans are to USians. I expected them to be somewhat bitter and annoyed with yanks, but then again, the only ones who go to Cuba tend not to be the giant assholes.
Is that your way of calling me 'not a giant asshole?' Awww:p
Take a bag of clothes you don't want with you. They will find loving homes.
I may do that, actually. That sounds rather nice. How can I give those out if I'm in Havana, actually? Is there a certain place to go? My grandma used to do that when she would go visit the Soviet Union. It would be tradition of me to do the same. :p

...

No.

When you've seen not even the slums of Lima, or La Paz, there is no possible way anyone with a shred of intellectual honesty can compare it to Cuba.

No one lives it up rich in Cuba...everyone is poor compared to us there...but there also isn't that weird dichotomy of gated communities with pristine mansions and then slums hugging the hills as though the houses are tumbling down them...and you don't need to worry about being knifed to death in an alley for your cheap watch or sneakers, nor do you have street kids running around half naked, playing with a rag ball.
Yeah, well I'll see. I've been to Dominican Republic by the way and it's exactly that way, with the gated communities with pristine mansions and then slums hugging the hills and so.

By the way, the whole ** ** in the title of your threads always makes me think of OceanDrive :D
I did this first before he did ## ## :p
There is a lot of prostitution and poverty. Just not in comparison with the rest of Latin America. It is a developing nation, after all. If you've never been to the developin world before, Cuban poverty must look awful, but if you've been downwind of the slums outside Guadalajara, you would know that the Cuban experience with poverty is not as bad.
Hmm. I generally don't go hanging out in Latin slums, though. I've never beento Guadalajara. Anyway, I'll soon find out I guess.
This.

Also, I think part of it is that you can't escape it the way you can in other parts of Latin America. You really can avoid seeing any nasty poverty if you stay in certain areas in most Latin American cities. In Cuba it's just all around, but it doesn't dip below a certain point. People just get into this bad habit of comparing Cuba to the US or Canada, and I don't quite understand that.
Walking around Havana at night. It seems like I'll probably be staying in central Havana, as close to the center as I can get. Safe? Also, how's the night life?

The night life is awesome, if you like salsa. Cuba likes its tourists, and pampers them. Lots of good music, lots of dancing. Lots of rum. By the way, it's not cheap.

Don't hate. :p I am simply finding out for myself how Cuba is. I won't lie, seeing this kind of stuff will be weird:

Spanish is fine, I'm not worried. I did just fine in Spain, Dominican and Mexico. Not to mention Miami. :rolleyes::p Ahhh, good. No really. I just think a lot is lost on a person who is travelling in a country whose language he doesn't speak. Considering your political interests, you'll have a great chance to see the disparate views. As GoG pointed out, you'll get a fairly wide varience of opinion, mostly generational in nature. It's very cool to talk to younger people beyond just 'what do you think about Castro', and into, 'where do you see Cuba in 10 years? 30? 50?'


I already am planning on staying in Havana, and I realize its a government set up tourist trap, but I still want to see it. Good call on the casa particular, I actually wanted to do that, as then I'd be giving money to a Cuban person ( = good) instead of the government ( = bad), but I don't think I can, because I've heard that you are not allowed into the country without a hotel reservation. Maybe this only applies for Americans? Usually when you travel overseas, you're expected to list the place you'll be staying. Cuba is a bit more strict, because it's illegal for you to stay in someone's house that isn't a licensed casa. They don't want you wandering around trying to find accomodations.

Havana is a great place to see, lots to do, for sure. You don't need to stay the whole time there though. I didn't care for any of the casas I stayed at in Havana...they of course tend to be smaller (more cramped) and the people are a bit less friendly simply because they have sooo many people coming through. One of the casas I stayed at was really bizarre though...it was stacked like a bunch of boxes...the main room/kitchen was this tiny square on the main floor, you go up the tiny stairs in the middle of the house and to your left was another small boxy room (one of the rooms for tourists), and further up one on the right, and so on. The family slept on the roof. It was creepy but interesting.

Right, point being. You can book a room in a casa before you go to Cuba, but if you're not comfortable with that, stay in a hotel for the first few days, then switch. Don't worry about it causing problems...when you stay at a casa particular, (a legal one) they have to report that you're there and report the income etc. They have to pay a flat monthly rate to operate as a casa particular, even if no one stays there, so it's a good thing to support with your yanky dollars :D Also a lot cheaper...average was about $25 a night, that was with a full breakfast, lunch and dinner.


I like other tourists, it's interesting to meet people from around the world. I have heard bad things about the food, though. For me it's all about the food...Cuba doesn't annoy me with its tourists the way I have been annoyed elsewhere...but then again I don't do resorts period. Lots of Germans in Cuba. Yeah, the food in the resorts is fucking awful. Reconstituted eggs and crap like that. This is why I suggest the casas...the food is amazing.


How is the train system? How long does it take to get to Santiago? Probably a bit far, but Trinidad may be an option. Doesn't seem that far. Assuming I will otherwise be spending all my time in and around Havana, would you really recommend a trip to Trinidad? What is there to do/see there exactly? The trains are good, pretty regular schedule and fairly cheap. But no, Santiago is massively far, don't bother if you're going to stay in Havana. Ditto with Trinidad. I liked Trinidad because it's absolutely gorgeous...out of all the places I saw, it had the nicest colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and because I'm a music fanatic, the amount of hand made string instruments there nearly caused me to faint. If that's not your thing, the distance isn't worth it.

You might want to make a trip to Varadero though. I do hate the resorts, but I have to admit the beach is stunning. It's also cool to see the old hotels down the strip...some of them look so freaking cold war Soviet, it's laughable. It's worth a day trip...go early in the morning, come back late at night. Exhausting, but nice.

I'd check out any shows in town; not the cheesy tourist places...there are some amazing theatres in Havana and they usually have some sort of symphonic delight or what have you for the 'regular' populace. I have been impressed every time. The quality of these shows is really stunning. Be prepared for the fact that in Cuba, there is one price for you, the tourist, and one price for Cubans. Cubans are subsidised...they get into these cultural shows for a fraction of the price you'll pay, but you'll still be paying less than $10.


Plan on it. I've actually heard a saying that, "the best Cuban food is in Miami." Because Cuba is too poor to have, in general, good quality food.
Again, another reason to go to the casas. The money you're paying will subsidise the meals, and they go all out. You can ask for beef, but don't bother, it's absolute shite. If you ask for something specific, they'll make it...but if you don't they'll give you a traditional meal and it will be awesome. Fuck I love Cuban food. Except for the 'tortillas' which are scrambled eggs cooked into a rubbery consistency.



Is that your way of calling me 'not a giant asshole?' Awww:p I left the implication that there are exceptions :p

I may do that, actually. That sounds rather nice. How can I give those out if I'm in Havana, actually? Is there a certain place to go? My grandma used to do that when she would go visit the Soviet Union. It would be tradition of me to do the same. :p

Ha, okay what you DON'T do is hand it out willy nilly in the street lol. You WILL get mobbed by hyper, excited people. I take kids clothes, toys and stuff usually, and I take them to local orphanages. Kids in the orphanages are taken care of pretty well...sometimes Cubans get a little annoyed that I do that because they figure it's allowing the State to skirt some of its duties...but no Cuban kids get many nice clothes or toys, so I figure damn, if anyone is going to have it, I know for sure these kids would appreciate it.

Don't just hand the clothes over wholesale to anyone...they'll sell them. Which I mean, okay fair enough, might be a good income, and maybe that's how you want to help. It's easier if you're at a casa, because most of the casas have employees who aren't very well off...I give most of my stuff to them....when the employers aren't paying attention. I gave a minnie mouse stuffy to a lady for her daughter once...she worked at a casa I stayed in at Playa Giron. The owner of the casa took the stuffy for herself. Fuck did that ever piss me off. The lady I'd given it to originally was SO upset because really, she was a lot poorer than the owner of the casa, and she'd been really excited about it. That taught me. I had a mickey mouse stuffy (shit people give my kids that they never play with) and I snuck it to her after. Sometimes you have to be hush hush.

Anyway, hope you enjoy your time there! When you get back, we can really go head to head about conditions there etc!

Walking around Havana at night. It seems like I'll probably be staying in central Havana, as close to the center as I can get. Safe? Also, how's the night life? Don't push it. Havana is a bit sketchy at night compared to other cities in Cuba. You probably won't be murdered, but yes, you could get robbed rather unpleasantly. Stay in a group is all, and listen to people. Again, this is why I like the casas...they have a vested interested in you not getting robbed etc, so they tend to be pretty frank with you about what is safe and what isn't.

The night life is awesome, if you like salsa. Cuba likes its tourists, and pampers them. Lots of good music, lots of dancing. Lots of rum. By the way, it's not cheap.

Havana is fucking expensive. I hated it. Bars full of fucking tourists. This is why I liked the bars the Cubans go to. Generally you pay a cover, for you it's about $10 - 15, for them, more like $3. If you ask people to take you out btw, it'd be polite if you paid for them. It's not expensive (for you) but it can be a big chunk of change for them. I don't mean paying for a big group...but you can usually find someone willing to take you to a decent bar. Anyway, you pay cover, and drinks after that are free. You want to go to these places. Beautiful, beautiful Cuban asses. Nuff said.

Will do. :) I'm checking out Varadero right now. Looks ridiculously beautiful and close enough to Havana. I'll try to make it there.

Question as towards money. American dollars (cash) work there but no credit cards? Is it better to bring Euros/Franks instead? Also, how far does our money get one there? What is the exchange rate like?

Don't push it. Havana is a bit sketchy at night compared to other cities in Cuba. You probably won't be murdered, but yes, you could get robbed rather unpleasantly. Stay in a group is all, and listen to people. Again, this is why I like the casas...they have a vested interested in you not getting robbed etc, so they tend to be pretty frank with you about what is safe and what isn't.
Noted.



Havana is fucking expensive. I hated it. Bars full of fucking tourists. This is why I liked the bars the Cubans go to. Generally you pay a cover, for you it's about $10 - 15, for them, more like $3. If you ask people to take you out btw, it'd be polite if you paid for them. It's not expensive (for you) but it can be a big chunk of change for them. I don't mean paying for a big group...but you can usually find someone willing to take you to a decent bar. Anyway, you pay cover, and drinks after that are free. You want to go to these places. Beautiful, beautiful Cuban asses. Nuff said.
After paying cover (even at a touristic bar) are all drinks free?!?!

Also, aren't there non-touristy bars in Havana as well? Would I be able to ask at the hotel where I can find a non-touristy bar, or would it be unlikely of them to help me because they want to keep tourists away from non-touristy Cuba?

Edit: I had no idea Havana was expensive, I thought it would be cheap. Fuck, lol.

Anyway, I'm going to the gym. I'll check back on this thread later.

Will do. :) I'm checking out Varadero right now. Looks ridiculously beautiful and close enough to Havana. I'll try to make it there.

Question as towards money. American dollars (cash) work there but no credit cards? Is it better to bring Euros/Franks instead? Also, how far does our money get one there? What is the exchange rate like?

No no...no US dollars now. There are two forms of currency you'll find...the convertible peso, and the cuban peso. Once again, you need to get used to the idea that there is a price for you (convertibles) and a price for Cubans (pesos).

US dollars are penalised in a sense when you exchange them for convertibles...I think it's 10% they chip off. Then again, depending on exchange rates, it might be worth it for you to pay the charge, rather than convert your dollars to Euros, then to CUCs.

The convertible is about equivalent to the US dollar, at a one for one rate. BE CAREFUL. A major scam, one that is still quite effective, is to give you change in cuban pesos, so instead of getting like $5 in change, you're getting 5 cents. Also pay attention to the menus if you're eating out, to see which currency they're in. If it doesn't list it, ask...because the prices may be in Cuban pesos, but they'll charge you in CUCs. (though they'll usually slip you the 'tourist' menu, which is always more expensive and in CUCs) If you're with Cubans, you can often get away with paying in Cuban pesos, so it's somewhat worth it to get a bit of money converted into them.

Anyway, you can't get CUCs outside the country, you need to exchange once you're there. You can usually exchange at the airport for a slightly higher fee than elsewhere, or wait till you get to a bank. Don't don't don't let some dude convince you to exchange your money at a better rate on the street. Seriously, I don't know how people fall for that shit, but they do.

Credit cards...some will work, but only in some places, and if you're working with a US credit card, expect the 10% surcharge. Don't bother.

After paying cover (even at a touristic bar) are all drinks free?!?! Hell no :D It's mostly at the Cuban (not tourist) bars that they do this. The tourist bars will gouge you like crazy, just like they do at home.

Also, aren't there non-touristy bars in Havana as well? Would I be able to ask at the hotel where I can find a non-touristy bar, or would it be unlikely of them to help me because they want to keep tourists away from non-touristy Cuba?

Yes, there are non-touristy bars in Havana, but they sort of want to keep you in the tourist bars there. I had a hell of a time getting into a decent Cuban bar in Havana for that reason...they didn't want to let us in, but a friend insisted. We paid a bit of a bribe. As in most places in the world, anything can be negotiated. You might get lucky and have someone at the hotel guide you in the right direction to a non-tourist, cheap bar...but again, go with someone. Honestly, it doesn't hurt to say to someone working at the hotel, 'hey I want to go somewhere without many tourists tonight, do you mind showing me around?' Give him like $20 and he'll probably drive you there (or get a licensed friend to do so) etc. Be careful with that by the way...just like the casas, you aren't supposed to be in people's cars if those cars aren't licensed to carry tourists. All to avoid black market tourism. Anyway, people can get in trouble if they help you out and get caught, so keep that in mind.

Edit: I had no idea Havana was expensive, I thought it would be cheap. Fuck, lol.
Lol, not Havana. Cheap-ish, but they got your number...you got big bucks, and you'll be dishing them out.

That sounds fascinating. Have you any pictures? One of my friends I've met from Switzerland is from an Kosovoalbaner family. She has quite some interesting things to say about the region.
Nope, the pics are all at my parents' place. And on film.

Sorry about the name. :tongue: Nevermind, the reference is exactly to risotto! :D yum yum

Also, I could have sworn you had been to Cuba. Weird. Are you planning on doing that bike ride in winter!?
About Cuba, no way... also the flight costs a bit too much.
About the bike ride, nope, I'm planning it for late spring or late summer.


Where else are you planning on going? I see that you are a travelling person.:)

This year I'll have to limit my range, I've had some heavy expenses this spring (new car + new fridge, urgh!). If I can find a cheap offer, I have to go to London with my fiancee, she's never been there. Or I'll just go hiking in the Maritime Alps.
Another tour I'm looking forward to is Hungary and Slovakia. I've never been there, but I've been told wonders.

Well, I've never been to Cuba. But I've been to Ekaterinenburg, Russia in the middle of winter. That was quite awesome.

I've also been to Serbia, very interesting country as well. Nice people too, not at all as bad as I thought when I grew up in the '90s.