My report will cover the week that I was lucky enough to travel to Cuba before the entire county is covered with McDonald's and Starbucks. I have reviewed a lot of the discos and freelancer spots before so I wont go into to much detail in those areas.

My journey started in Tijuana, where I took a flight to Mexico CIty with a connector flight to Havana. As I arrived in the airport in Mexico City, I had to get a Mexican tourist visa because I forgot to get one in TJ. Please get one at the border before you go or you will be waiting in ridiculous lines in Mexico.

Once in Havana, I went past customs to the front of a Immigration agent who was pretty decent looking and she asked if I could meet her and her friends later at a club. I declined but she stamped my tourist card and off I went. Their are many touts trying to get you to overpay for a taxi ride. Go to the front of the airport and look for a meter taxi. You can negotiate $10 to get you into town.

It is very important that you have an address of a hotel as it is required on your tourist card. You can find most casa particulares through you taxi driver for the first night an then check around afterwards. Check out the places thoroughly before you pay because many places are nice but in a shitty area or in a great area but the place is run down. I recommend getting a place in Miramar because many of the top discos are there and the area is much nicer. You will spend a little more for taxi rides for discos in Havana but being away from the mess of Havana is worth it.

If you do not speak Spanish, you will be in for a tough time as very few girls speak a word of English. If you are fairly fluent in Spanish (as I am), you will have a much better time with the chicas. I think 4 or 5 days in Havana is enough time. One thing you will definately notice about Havana as you arrive into town is that the city looks like the remnants of a nuclear war. One of the most dilapidated cities I have ever seen, maybe even worse then Pnom Penh, Cambodia.

The following gives a low down of the good and the bad of Havana, to give you some perspective.

THE GOOD:

• You will see some of the most beautiful mulattas and black girls on the planet. Some of the guerras are quite attratvie as well.
• There is an excellent ratio of guys to girls and the the girls at the discos are sweet and friendly. The discos are modern and the music is excellent.
• The girls charge very little compared to other latin nations if you want cute girls. The gorgeous chicas will ask for a lot more money (relatively speaking) because other tourists will pay this amount. Do not be shocked if some of the hotter chicas will ask for $100 for short time. Always negotiate if possible.
• There is a small beach called Playas Del Este that is very nice and relaxing. There are also some hot black chicas working there..But watch out for the huge police presence.
• The police are there to protect the tourist but they also know that you dont want your new gf to go to jail so they will ask for bribes. It is not nearly as bad as Mexico.
• Staying with a family at a casa particular is a great experience as you will see Cuba from different eyes and they will fix you up with their friends.

• Jineteros (hustlers) are fucking everywhere. No one is there to be your friend and everyone is trying to get money from you. If a Haitian-looking guy approaches you, he is trying to sell you something. Avoid these worhless fucks at all times. After a couple of days, this minor annoyance will get you pissed. At least 40-50 guys will approach you daily, sometimes 3 or 4 at a time. By the end of the trip, I realized that the only way to deal with them is to act like they dont exist. Telling them to fuck off will only encourage them.
• Taxis are necessary and are nearly as expensive as the U.S. Most taxi drivers are jinteros as well but they are usually more honest and will be patient with you.
• The prices at discos are outrageous. Entry fees for most places are $20 and you might have to pay for your chica as well. The drinks are equally expensive. Try going to El Chevere, where $10 entry fee gives you all you can drink and the chicas are hot. The other alternative is Club Ipanema, where the entry fee is $12, which includes drinks.
• Competitiion amongst young Italian guys is fierce. They are like locusts and will get the hot young mulattas and negritas fast if you dont jump at your chance early. I am usually one of the youngest mongers in the club but most of the mongers here were in their mid-twenties and were carrying boatloads of dollars.
• The police presence makes you uneasy and you have to be careful how you approach these chicas or they will be carted off.
• The food is the worst in the world. There are some decent restaurants but they are extremely expensive and the quality is much lower than other mongering destinations.
• There is very little to do during the day, other than fucking. There are some great places to sight see in Havana Vieja but that fun ends after the third day.

Blazers, great report.

Tell me about the Mex. Tourist Visa. What is it? You said you can get it in TJ, but where? I'm a U.S. citizen and am wondering if this is in lieu of the passport (b/c of the travel restrictions) or in addition to the passport?

It is in addition to the passport and can be obtained at ports of entry into the Mexico from U.S. or at major airports.

I was considering going to Cuba but after that description of high prices, leeches and police hassles....I'll pass!

OK, you now have stamped in your passport that you left Mexico via D.F. and magically reappeared one week later, as Cuba does not stamp entry or exit stamps on an American passport. Where did you go? When you turn in your passport for reissue, how do you explain the one week gap?

just curious.

Any island nation that accepts a US drivers license as tourist entree.

You don't have to make sense, you just have to stay with the story.

I never said I used drivers license as a tourist entry....They asked to see it on my way out...not sure why but they did. You need a passport but they will not stamp it.

"OK, you now have stamped in your passport that you left Mexico via D.F. and magically reappeared one week later, as Cuba does not stamp entry or exit stamps on an American passport. Where did you go? When you turn in your passport for reissue, how do you explain the one week gap?
"

My old passports were densely filled with stamps, that no one could even discern entry or exit stamps of many countries.

You are confused. They did not stamp my passport in Mexico....they only give you a tourist visa card to fill out coming in and out.

Cityudude,
Good point, I'm planning to fly from Toronto, since it's only a couple hour drive from home, but how to deal with the passport stamp issue: stamped in Canada, but no return?
How bout it seasoned mongers, ideas, ANYONE?