As many of you know by now, I am going to be visiting Cuba from 25 to 31 December. My reservations are confirmed, and I'm ready to go!

This is my first mongering trip, and I am trying to absorb as much information as possible. Naturally, I have a whole bunch of questions and would appreciate some help. In particular, I wanted to share my budget with you so that you could point out any unrealistic elements.

I am hoping to spend less than $2,000 on my trip, not counting airfare and two day hotel package. Here's about what I expect to spend. You will notice that I made some outrageously pessimistic assumptions; remember that I am concentrating on not running out of cash.

Accomodations - Due to the holiday season, I feel costs are a bit unpredictable. Information here says about $35/night for a casa. However, rumors of a Casa crackdown make me want to budget $110/night (the package rate for additional nights) just in case. Obviously this can go to chicas or something else if the rumors are wrong. I have two nights pre-booked at the Telegrafo, so $110/night for the remaining four nights runs me $440.

Bribes - If I stick with the hotel, I have to pay $15-30 per day for bribes to the guards. This would cost me from $90 to $180 if rumors are correct. This is an extreme worst case scenerio since I expect to go to a casa after the two days.

Chicas - If I samples 2-3 chicas a day at $40, that would be $80-120 per day. I think it's likely that I would wind up finding one I really liked and sticking with her, in which case I would spend only about $40/day (but see caveat, below). So the range is pretty wide, and the only way to budget is to bring enough for the worst (or best, depending on your inclination) case. That's $120/day x 6 days = $720.

I'm inclined to be pretty inflexible on price. I'd say it helps that I'm more hung up on enthusiasm than raw beauty; give me DonGringo's BTG with her talent and enthusiasm and I'd probably never look at another girl :-).

Chica Tips/Cab Fare - $10/chica? This would be $10-30/day, or a maximum of $180.

A guide - $35/day seems to have been mentioned x 6 days = $210. I'd love to find a chica who would be my guide, but I'm noticing conflicting reports on how many English-speaking chicas there are.

Car Rental - I think I will use my guide's vehicle or walk around for most of the trip. However, I might want to explore the island (and pick up less hardened chicas). This implies a car rental for around $70/day plus a $200 deposit. I'll probably use the money I save by going to a casa instead of the hotel on car rental; if I don't get a casa, I simply won't rent a car. If I do a 3 day car rental, that's $210, or $410 with the deposit.

Misc, food, stuff, etc, $50/day or $300. Is that too little? It might be if I have to feed my guide and chica. Any recommendations on this item?

Internet access - how much is it if I have my own computer? Can I simply hook up my laptop to their Ethernet? I would like to budget, say, an hour a day so I can upload my trip report and pictures.

Total $2,030 worst case (2,440 with a three day car rental and staying at a hotel, a very unlikely scenerio). I'm thinking it's safe to round this down to $2,000, since in practice I think it's very unlikely I'll stay at the hotel for more than two days, and therefore my hotel and bribes budget would go way down.

I also suspect I won't meet the three chica per day maximum, especially since they tend to stay around if you like them. Of course if they do, gifts would enter the picture - in that scenerio, how much should I budget for gifts?

Related to this budget, I know that I should have a "grab bag" for the chicas, as DonGringo has done. Any suggestions as to what should be in it and how much I should spend would be appreciated. I was checking out the lingerie at the store DonGringo recommended, and a lot of it seemed to be more expensive than the regular Chica charge! Also, what sizes are best to bring? Are most of the chicas "small"?

Is it possible to sneak in a Cuba guidebook, or does this make the US customs inspectors nervous? Or do I simply sneak it into Cuba and not take it out? Are any souveniers of my trip (other than digital photos) safe to take out? It seems like if my bag is inspected in Mexico, and Cuban stuff falls out of it, I could get in trouble.

I have a professional grade MiniDV camcorder that might make me appear to be a professional journalist. It looks like this: http://www.canondv.com/xl1s/index.html. Note that it's large, about two feet long.

On the one hand, it creates great quality video, and I would love to take some chica video with high-quality color. On the other hand, it might make the Cuban government suspicious of my intentions. Should I buy a more touristy camera, or would it be safe to take my regular camera?

How many carry-on bags are allowed on the Cubana flight? If I take my fancy video camera, it needs to be in its own carry-on, with my laptop in the other and my digital camera around my neck. Will this be a problem? Could I ship the camera carry-on by paying extra? If it has to be checked, that's disaster since I know it wouldn't survive typical airline baggage handling.

My professional-grade digital still camera looks like an ordinary 35mm SLR, so I don't think it would attract much attention, even though in reality it's gut-bustingly expensive.

Do chicas like being photographed during the sex, or is that a bad idea due to the Cuban government's views on prostitution? I'd love to do that because it would give me the best possible memories of my trip, even though I know that sort of things is frowned on here. (As you can probably tell by now, I'm a major-league photo/video buff).

I will be bringing MiniDV tapes - I think about ten would be a good number. (Each is about 90 minutes of video). Since I will be bringing my laptop, still picture storage is effectively unlimited.

Many thanks for all your help!

D

Read my trip report prologue and look to the section under Cuba for Jineteros and Chulos. Just be ready for some incredible looking mulattas and some lazy local men trying to get your money.

Your budget seems fine. If you play it right, you should come home with money to spare.

You can bring your Cuba guide book with you, just be sure to dump it and any other Cuban stuff you might have before re-entering the US.

As far as gifts go, I don't recommend newbies to give gifts. 9 out of 10 girls you'll be hooking up with are going to be pro's. Especially girls willing to get snuck into a state-run hotel! I don't care how innocent she seems, or whatever her story is, if she's with a middle-aged non-Spanish speaking Yuma, she's full-on pro. Especially if she was procurred by a "guide" or some other Cuban "friend". Your money is your gift. Gifts are never really actually gifts with these girls, they're just part of the negotiation. If you decide after being with her MORE THAN 24 HOURS that you want to buy her gifts, she'll take you shopping. Set yourself a strict $$$ limit if you do!

Regarding carrying your camera you should be fine. If you're over any limit, just work it out. Yes, a professional-looking case may attract attention at Cuban customs. All the more reason not to be loaded-down with women's panties and make-up! They are on the look-out for sex tourists these days especially those who might produce photos and videos to further promote Cuba as a sex tourism destination.

Maintain a low-profile!

About pictures: Video during sex is unlikely but for the right price, anything is possible. Please remember that prostitution is illegal in Cuba and that the chicas face up to 5 years in labor farm and loss of career, education and other privileges. What may be a fun momento to you may be a life-ruining piece of evidence against her. If you're planning on posting your pics or videos on the internet, ask the girls' permission first. If my advice regarding this isn't good enough for you, by all means consult with master videographer DonGringo for his opinion too.

You are correct that "pornography" is outlawed in Cuba. If you are caught producing pornography you will be deported and banned from ever returning. If under-aged girls or boys are involved, you could go to Cuban jail and be reported to US authorities as a child-sex criminal. The way people get busted is that the chicas, or their "guides", or their casa owners turn them in to the authorities.

I'm telling you this stuff so you go in with your eyes open. Havana is one of my favorite places in the Universe and I want everyone to have a great time there. My suggestion to you, especially since this is you first trip, is to concentrate on enjoying the place and having a great time, and not worry so much about collecting too many pics and videos. I hope you have a great trip and return happily for many more.

Davidd - talk about being prepared. Here's some answers:

Bribes-Whenever ANY cuban asks you for money for ANYTHING, offer him 50% of what he asks and be prepared to walk away. The $15-30 bribe amount you suggest is actually closer to what the girls should earn.

Tips-you can scale WAY back on that figure.

Guide - you can get a guide to help you for $5-10/day. The guides make kickbacks from casas they find you, etc...

Car Rental - IMHO this is a must, not an option. Consider making a reservation via a travel agent in Canada or you may not find any cars available.

Internet access - there is no ethernet access in cuba of which I am aware. Count on painfully slow telephone connections on older computers located in the hotel lobbys. As for your live action reports from Cuba + your multimedia intentions, a word of caution. Porn is illegal in Cuba. You might want to leave your laptop and your expensive video camera behind and take a much lower profile. Enjoy yourself while not making too big a production.

Gifts - not as important as you think, especially on your first trip.

Have a good time!

Don, you should see the collection of Cuba books I have collected - enough to stock a small library!

I have come to the conclusion that everyone who comes to Cuba has preconceptions, and only remembers the events matching them. I'm going to really try to have as neutral a perspective as possible. A lot of books seem to really strain to underemphasize the nasty facts of living under a dictatorship. I feel that, ironically enough, ClubHombre actually gives me the most accurate view of the country, since we have to face the bad aspects of Cuban life head on when we interact with the Chicas. Bet you never thought you were participating in such an educational resource!

I think you're right that the expensive video camera would attract far too much attention, especially in view of those laws against pornography. I'm a bit amazed they're so strict, considering that the chicas are such an attraction. I was mulling the idea of simply buying another, cheaper video camera and taking it with me. This would be, say, the $550-odd Canon ZR45 series. But it might still be too conspicuous when combined with my professional grade digital still camera. Considering the laws on pornography and the stakes for the Chicas, I'm surprised you (DonGringo) was able to get the video you got. Are topless photos not porn by the Cuban definition? They certainly manage to arouse :-).

I guess I should go to Rio if I want to create pornography. As I have said, the main reason I ruled out Rio was that getting a visa approved would have taken too much time (and therefore prevented me from making a trip at all). As a result, Brazil lost $2,000-odd in trip money for their $100 visa policy, which seems like a bad deal for them. On my next trip (sadly, probably this same time next year :-( ), it will be interesting to see if I go to Cuba again or try Rio. I have a feeling that my first mongering country will gain my loyalty, unless things change significantly there.

If I don't take my laptop computer, I won't be able to offload pictures from my digital still camera. My feeling is that I have to take the laptop because it's easy to hide the images on a laptop hard drive, as opposed to having them on an easily accessible memory card or MicroDrive.

For producing my trip report, I'm thinking I will write it daily but upload it only when I get back. Otherwise, nasty things could happen due to the public nature of Internet cafes. Pity, because it would have been interesting to get your feedback as I proceeded.

The tentative bribe amounts came from Sman's trip report, so I assume they are accurate. I guess what happened there is that they said "$10?" and he said "OK!" and so they figured they could say "$15?". So I must bear in mind that if I'm told "$10?" I should say "$5" and then they won't hassle me for more, since I am "in charge" at that point. Is this a good summary of the situation?

I liked DonGringo's gifts, but in view of the controversial chica situation, I think he is right, so I will not take gifts, other than (perhaps) a bit of household necessities like shampoo and the like.

Many thanks for all the help! I'm looking forward to being able to produce a top-quality report on my trip. As you might be able to tell, I love to write and take pictures, so hopefully I will have experiences to match!

D

Davidd
The hotel bribe thing is a controversial subject. The girls are possibly at more risk sneaking into a hotel, and are more than likely quite hardcore to behave in that fashion. A casa is definitely the best situation for sex with the chicas. That being said I like cable, TV room service, safes, easy access to hotel amenities like internet service, and is easier for my work to contact me, so I stay at a hotel. I also have a casa for sex in most cases.

My first trip to Cuba was for 2 days, so I didn't take the time to find a casa. My second trip hotel security offered to bring girls to my room, unsolicited by me. The only time I had girls in my hotel room with one exception, was late at night. Occasionally I would be watching TV late at night and think what the hell and call room service for a snack and a teenage beauty queen. I had to pay a bribe, plus the girls always wanted more money than the girls I found on my own, leading me to believe that they (the girls) also had to pay the guards. So in my opinion a casa is the best setup, unless you are not concerned about expense, then by all means get both.

Bribe amounts go down directly related to your ability to speak Spanish and your understanding of Cuban culture.

what is the leagal age to have sex in cuba....

Patay6969
The legal age of consent if you are not a Cuban citizen is 18, for Cubans it is 16.

thanks swan but i had heard from a friend who went to the philapines talking about a really hot 32 year old which he really meant two 16 yearolds.wondering if it was the same in cuba

Patay6969
Cuba isn't any place I would want to spend time in prison, and the law states for non Cuban citizens that the age of consent is 18. My advice would be sure to check the chicas identification to avoid problems. You will just have to make do with a 36 year old 18 + 18 in Cuba.

Always check id in Cuba and even then if she looks young , take a pass. As i understand it prisons in Cuba are awful and many prisoners are only able to survive because relatives bring them food. Remember you will get no help from the U.S. consulate.

somebody tell what the hell bbbj stands for. i know its some kind of blowjob.

BBBJ = Bare Back Blow Job (no condom)

thanks mr bill bare back is the only way to go.girls in tj rarely want to go bare back thats why i wont go to tj any more...........

Is anyone aware of consequences to bringing aspirin, tylenol, exedrin, in to Cuba? I mean $100 worth of OTC NSAID's (over the counter non-steroidal-anti- inflammatories).


Mger

I have been there four times and always taken a $10 worth of Tylonol for Mojito hangovers into there and never been questioned. Never been searched. $100 worth seems like a lot of hangovers expected

I figure that I would just give it out to friends as they don't have the stuff there.

mngr

warning, warning dont go to cuba if your passport is not in perfect condition i went last week and got sent back because they said my passport was not in perfect condition,tried getting a refund on my ticket to no avail.

somebody please tell me what happend to all the cuban reports.........

Please be more specific as to what "perfect condition" means. What was wrong with your passport? Was there a legitemate problem with it or did the Cuban customs just make a big deal out of a small detail. Please explain.

I'm heading down in less than two weeks. People act like travel to Cuba is super difficult. Besides sneaking in from another country so far doesn't seem to be that difficult. I keep hearing to bring a ton of extra money. Here is my budget and I hope I come back with some money but I doubt it.

Casa Particular apartment (13 nights) = $600

Rental Car (6 days; $60/day) = $360

Food/drinks: (13 days - $50 per day) = $650

Entrance to clubs: $300

Taxi's and exit fee tax: $250

Various tips/ etc.: $100

Guide to show me around (only 2 days max): $50

Cellphone usage: $250

Girls ($150 per day - 13 days) = $1,950
(expect to see at least 2-3 girls a day with an overnighter)

Daytrips/misc. other expenses: $300

Total = $4,810 for two weeks

Hopefully I come back with money. I figured those would be high end estimates.

Car rental is a low estimate - during the holidays it will likely cost you more, IF you can find a car

Chica estimate is high - only because I seriously doubt you will burn through 3/day. During 2 weeks there, at least ONE chica will pierce your corporate viel and manage to spend the entire day/night with you, which will bring your $150/day estimate down considerably. Remember, if you are with chicas short-time in Havana, $30-40 is PLENTY. Many will take $20.

Have fun brother. I'm glad you're finally gonna taste what fantasy island offers.

Speaking of fantasy island, why do I feel like Tattoo proclaiming "De Plane - De Plane!" whenever I learn of another veteran venturing to my playground?...

Agree with DG;

Car rental will be higher;
Casa should be $35-$40 per day;
Food/Drinks will probably be lower;
Clubs-$15 for high end, $5 for average;
$25 exit fee; $0 for taxis if you have a rental car;
Cell phone-knowing you...yeah, about right...LOL;
Girls-Never more than $40 for first session, probably less cause you will find one or two you will keep...he he he;
Day Trips-depends on how far. Gas is very expensive...Just remember to stop at all RR crossings (which are not very well marked but police are stationed at most);
13 days.....WOW amd I jealous!

Have a great trip buddy. It won't be your last!

Sandman

Hey amigos. Thanks for the tips. Well, the rental car is low budget because I don't plan on having one that long. Maybe maximum 5 days. I talked to my travel agent and she said she can find one. She is calling me back next week with confirmation. I was thinking about renting a Beemer for about $100 a day but that probably would draw too much attention and I want to be a little low key. One dude recommended it and said he got so many chicas that way.

The chica budget I know is way high. I don't intend to spend more than $40 a session and probably $20 or $30 on most. My Spanish is getting pretty good and I seem to have some good luck with latinas. I want to butterfly and I really hope I don't get tied down to one girl (even if it's just a few days). 13 days is a long time. I want to hit some normal clubs. I also want to do some model type girls. Thanks for all the advice Sandman and DonGringo.

Don't be afraid to rent the Beemer - you won't be too high profile.

GF,

Look forward to hanging out with you New Years Eve. You will find me cheap when it comes to P4P.

As far as car rentals go, I rented a car on a couple of occasions and hired a Cuban to drive me around. I prefer to find a driver with a decent car ( very few have nice cars) to drive me around for the following reasons.

1. If my driver speaks English I have a translator and driver all in one.

2. Car burglary is on the rise in Cuba and usually the car insurance does not cover the damage, so I would have to pay for whatever is missing or broken.

3. If you are in an accident ( say hit a cow or something) you cannot leave the country until fault is determined and reparations are made. No big deal if it is livestock, but if you hit a person or another car that could cost you a lot. And remember no leaving until the bill is paid.

4. I like to sit shotgun and search for chica’s without worrying about driving.

Just MHO

Max

Hey Max,

No worries amigo. I won't find you cheap regarding the P4P. Everyone is entitled to pay as little as they want to. I've never belittled anyone for paying what they think is fair or what they had game for. Several times in Rio I met up with hotties that I didn't pay anything in subsequent visits.

I'm hoping I spend very very little for the P4P scene. One thing about me though is I like hot girls and I'm willing to pay more for it. So if I see a hottie and she asks for $100 US of course I'll say no but I'll counter like $50. And you know what? I know that is above the $25 - $40 range that some have suggested but quality demands a higher price. No different than paying a shady lawyer with no skills $75 an hour vs. paying a high quality attorney $300 an hour. Of course hopefully they perform in the room. We'll see how it goes.

See you in Cuba.

GF,
I know exactly what you mean, I will pay whatever I need to for the right girl. But after living in the middle east fo a couple of years, I learned to like bargaining.

So half of the fun is getting a 10 for the price of a 5.

I going stir crazy, waiting to leave.

save some hotties for me.

Max