My recent trip to Havana

[soloyo215]

Just wanted to share my thoughts on my recent trip to La Havana, Cuba.

First, the process of going was not as difficult as I thought. The "visa" that I'm supposed to get is just a tourist card that they didn't even ask for. I took it to and from Cuba and no one bother asking me for it. With AirBnB, now it's a lot easier to identify private places to stay that are not in the list of banned places by the American government. The one where I stayed was awesome, with more than what I was expecting (including the hot-looking manager of the property, and yes, I tried, but he said no).

Considering that it's a different culture, a different system and struggling in many ways, it was great seeing how the locals seem to be happy around and about. I went to the ballet, the theater, I was near a library, I enjoyed the stunning architecture of the city (even in bad shape). You can tell that once upon a time, Havana was a splendorous city.

I did get sun poisoned one day, but didn't care. Walking aournd the old city was incredible. Something that stroke me as intersting is that in spite of the poverty and crumbling architecture, there are several new hotels in construction, so there's this contradiction of the old and beaten down and the new.

Nightlife was awesome, the places to socialize were incredible. When it came to the "jineteros", there were a few that came in to me and my friend to "greet us", but nothing pushy. I had a great time, and of course, always conscious of personal and health safety. I felt relatively safe, but I took many precautions. No unsavory incidents (neither experienced nor witnessed).

[+ José Soplanucas]

Did you not hire any locals? Did you hook up for free with any locals?

[soloyo215]

39 minutes ago, José Soplanucas said:

Did you not hire any locals? Did you hook up for free with any locals?

Both. Was fun. Hiring can be tricky because the level of risk is high. I saw local classifieds advertising massages, but I noticed them whne I was about to return.

It's like in every poor country, risk is always there, it's a matter of how much and aht type of risk you are willing to take. The renters of privatew rooms do monitor who you bring, and ask for the ID of the person who comes with you to your room.

[+ José Soplanucas]

45 minutes ago, soloyo215 said:

Both. Was fun. Hiring can be tricky because the level of risk is high. I saw local classifieds advertising massages, but I noticed them whne I was about to return.

It's like in every poor country, risk is always there, it's a matter of how much and aht type of risk you are willing to take. The renters of privatew rooms do monitor who you bring, and ask for the ID of the person who comes with you to your room.

What do you mean by the level risk is high? I know a lot of people who hired and hooked up with no issues.

[soloyo215]

It's subjective. I feel at risk easier than others, I guess.

[BSR]

Interesting that you perceived the risk of hiring to be high.  It's been 20 years since I visited Cuba, but I remember our guide (I was there for my Canadian cousin's wedding, and part of our group package was a local we could go to for any questions or problems) told us that while one should always take the usual precautions, Cuba was extremely safe for tourists.

Because the regime so desperately needed the hard currency that tourists bring in, the penalties for harming or stealing from a tourist were quite severe.  Sure, ripoffs ran rampant, like charging foreigners 3x what a Cuban would pay, but that's common in any touristy spot and not really a crime.  But outright theft or worse, like assault, was extremely rare. 

Certainly a lot can change in 20 years, but the current regime is still as starved for hard currency as Fidel was 2 decades ago.

[+ José Soplanucas]

56 minutes ago, BSR said:

Interesting that you perceived the risk of hiring to be high.  It's been 20 years since I visited Cuba, but I remember our guide (I was there for my Canadian cousin's wedding, and part of our group package was a local we could go to for any questions or problems) told us that while one should always take the usual precautions, Cuba was extremely safe for tourists.

Because the regime so desperately needed the hard currency that tourists bring in, the penalties for harming or stealing from a tourist were quite severe.  Sure, ripoffs ran rampant, like charging foreigners 3x what a Cuban would pay, but that's common in any touristy spot and not really a crime.  But outright theft or worse, like assault, was extremely rare. 

Certainly a lot can change in 20 years, but the current regime is still as starved for hard currency as Fidel was 2 decades ago.

That is exactly why his comments confused me. Cuba is probably the safest country in Latam, if you are a tourist. 

[soloyo215]

So I didn't feel safe. I'm not going to say otherwise if that's how I felt. You want to force me to believe and feel something I don't?

Last time I checked, I am the one who chosses if something feels safe to me or not.

Am I on trial here?

Edited July 16 by soloyo215

[BSR]

1 hour ago, soloyo215 said:

So I didn't feel safe. I'm not going to say otherwise if that's how I felt. You want to force me to believe and feel something I don't?

Last time I checked, I am the one who chosses if something feels safe to me or not.

Am I on trial here?

I wasn't criticizing you nor dictating how you should feel.  I was just confused.  When you went, did you know about Cuba's severe penalties for stealing from or harming tourists?

[+ José Soplanucas]

1 hour ago, soloyo215 said:

Am I on trial here?

Not at all. Just get in my shoes as a reader. This is what you wrote:

9 hours ago, soloyo215 said:

Hiring can be tricky because the level of risk is high.

You did not write "because I felt unsafe". You seemed to be referring to some objective danger.

[Mustang]

On 7/16/2024 at 9:07 AM, soloyo215 said:

Just wanted to share my thoughts on my recent trip to La Havana, Cuba.

First, the process of going was not as difficult as I thought. The "visa" that I'm supposed to get is just a tourist card that they didn't even ask for. I took it to and from Cuba and no one bother asking me for it. With AirBnB, now it's a lot easier to identify private places to stay that are not in the list of banned places by the American government. The one where I stayed was awesome, with more than what I was expecting (including the hot-looking manager of the property, and yes, I tried, but he said no).

Considering that it's a different culture, a different system and struggling in many ways, it was great seeing how the locals seem to be happy around and about. I went to the ballet, the theater, I was near a library, I enjoyed the stunning architecture of the city (even in bad shape). You can tell that once upon a time, Havana was a splendorous city.

I did get sun poisoned one day, but didn't care. Walking aournd the old city was incredible. Something that stroke me as intersting is that in spite of the poverty and crumbling architecture, there are several new hotels in construction, so there's this contradiction of the old and beaten down and the new.

Nightlife was awesome, the places to socialize were incredible. When it came to the "jineteros", there were a few that came in to me and my friend to "greet us", but nothing pushy. I had a great time, and of course, always conscious of personal and health safety. I felt relatively safe, but I took many precautions. No unsavory incidents (neither experienced nor witnessed).

These are awesome!  Thabks for the pics and sharing your experiences. It's on my bucket list. If I actually decide to go I may hit you up for some recommendations 

[coriolis888]

On 7/16/2024 at 3:57 PM, soloyo215 said:

So I didn't feel safe. I'm not going to say otherwise if that's how I felt. You want to force me to believe and feel something I don't?

Last time I checked, I am the one who chosses if something feels safe to me or not.

Am I on trial here?

Thank you for your post. 

How you felt is an individual thing. 

You merely stated your reaction to how you felt while a tourist in Cuba. 

If we all reacted or felt the same about things or places, what a dull world this would be.

Thanks again.   

[Johnrom]

Yes. Thanks for sharing awesome pics and your experience.   Much appreciated !!