Ok, here we go, not very good at these types of reviews so please bear with me.
Let me start off by saying I wasn't in the country 4 hrs. and I was lying in a young ladies bed being orally abused and it was fantastic.
Had been picked up at the airport and transferred to my hotel, had put my luggage in my room and saw a store across the street so went to see if I could get some bottled water....never made it.
Hadn't made it to the corner when I heard " Hola", I turned and saw a very beautiful girl looking and smiling at me. Asked me where I was from, how long I had been there, etc. etc. then asked if I wanted to come to her casa {home} where of all things I first met her mother, brother before retiring to her room. Stayed a couple of hours before returning to my hotel with wonderful thoughts of how this vacation was going to be.
Day 2 , jumped in a cab to take me to town so I could walk the streets of old Havana and see the sights. I must admit that in all my travels I have never seen so many tourists in one area. Another thing, everywhere I went, the whole week I was there, you couldn't walk a block without hearing those words "HOLA" and finding someone looking to love you..
Now I must admit I think I got conned... Had a guy come up to me saying hello "You remember me, I am a guard at your hotel" I should have clued in where he said "what hotel you at?" followed by "Yes that's where I work and you don't recognize me because I am out of uniform". I never saw him again LOL, Anyways ended up taking me to buy some cigars from the factory that a few people where allowed to sell but only one day a month, because they where allowing people to own their own business now. Found out later it was BS but it led to my second encounter.. Guy took me to a door, inside a small room with some different sizes of Cohiba cigar boxes and another beautiful 20 something year old young lady who seemed all business at first. Turned down the first offer of three cigars for $40 and again at $30 and turned and walked out saying thanks but no thanks. Got about 10 steps away when she chased me down and said "$25" at which point I said ok and went back. During the transaction my new found friend asked if I wanted to go see the festival that was to start soon and at the same time asked if the young lady would like to go too?? to which she looked at me , smiled, turned around completely and asked if I like.. Ended up the 4 of us, my guard friend had his wife with him, in a restaurant out of the eyes of the police where after everyone eat and drank and I was informed no one had money I got stuck with a $150 bill. From here we walked to a casa where he got me a room for $25 to which the young counter lady and myself retired for a couple of hours. I had to give her a few seconds to leave first, her to go one way , me the other. Door emptied right onto a high traffic street.
I can tell you all this, at least in the Havana area, yes some of the girls are paranoid of the cops, but only it seemed in certain areas, some walked arm in arm with me or if we were indoors out of street view. One girl, more than one, rode with me in cabs but would not go to close to my hotel out of fear.
Another impression that I had, that girls **** I should say a lady friend of mine } were not allowed up to your room in the hotels, this thought being destroyed night 4 when returning to the hotel around midnight. As I strolled across the lobby toward the elevators I noticed a few young, well dressed ladies sitting about and particularly the one giving me the finger wave saying those magical words "HOLA". So being me I had to go over to say "HOLA" lol..
We chatted a few minutes before she came right out and asked me if I'd like her to come to my room, course being still an innocent young fool I said OH NO we aren't allowed to do that... to which she said Don't worry, got up, went over and talked to the guard, in front of everyone, came back, sat down and said "OK, lets go".
Asked how much, I thought she had said $15 for the guard and 100 for her, I said no to which she dropped her price to 70 and I said ok. Off we went, got in the elevator, get off at my floor walk past a small hall leading to the service elevator and there is the guard, walk around the corner whereas the lady asked for the guards money, handed her the 15$, she looks at me and said no no, 50$. At this point I was so tired and thinking it was a bad idea all around, took my 15 back said sorry but that I was going to bed, she dropped her price to 50 but I continued on my way.
Days 3 & 4 I did the tourist thing, A day in the Vinales Valley, went cave walking, took a boat part way through an underground river way, did the city tour and saw my first cannon fired off
Also a special thanks to those who PMed me with info, and if you read this Senor Draper, you were absolutely correct, the patio at Hotel Nacional is a sight to behold, I also stayed and watched the live show there at the Parisian Cabaret. I also did as you said after seeing it by cab, and not walking the Malecon and all its garish lure.
Day 5. I am informed of a couple of restaurants a couple of blocks away from the hotel located between 4 commercial buildings with connecting walkways, I stroll down and as walking about I hear it again "HOLA", sat down all off one beer, a deal was struck, away we go to her house where first I had to meet her mother, brother and a sister....it's funny really because at no time was I nervous, just went along with it, said hello, hello, hello and smiling before retiring to her room.
Day 6. This I wish I had done on evening 1, Got up at my hotel and since I had booked a half day tour that afternoon decided to walk down to the water front. My hotel was located water front but not in an area with a beach, it was like coral or sharp lava rock, you had to be careful even walking in shoes, I get near the water, a few people sitting around, A lady over the way waves, her friend gets up and wanders over to me and there it is "HOLA" I got to admit, a lot, and I mean a lot Of the Cuban women are beautiful but if this girl had of asked me to marry her I would have said yes..she was flawless, f**k, I was in love... I went over to meet what turned out to be her mother and brother. After we trying talking for a while she walked be to the roadway as I had explained I had a tour to go on but that I would be back by 6 and she said she would be here waiting.
Did my thing and did return at 6, waited till about 6:20 and was about to leave and here she comes..OMFG!!! she had changed into daisy duke shorts and a loose fitting top....again I was in love. This was also the first girl I was with that seemed to have no fear of the cops, after talking a bit, I wanted to grab a bite but she wanted me to come right away to her house and we walked with her holding right onto me up tp the hotel where we got in a cab to her place. This is where I find in amazing, we go up to her apartment and here is the brother and his girlfriend, the mother and two other kids that are her sisters, the kids are looking at me, mother, brother shake my hand, ask what music I would like to hear, some fruit, and to come sit on the balcony to see their pigeons. We sat around a couple of hrs. before everyone seemed to disappear and I was invited to her room. When this girl stood naked in front of me that night I could have died and gone to heaven for I had seen an angel. And together for the next hour was the best time I can remember in a long time...
She asked after if I would spend the night there with her, I said no, she asked if she could come spend the night with me, I said no. I kick my ass now...
Now this is something I will never forget............. She had called a cab for me and I asked if we could go sit outside in the front, it was cooler. There was a concrete slab that her mother and her uncle were sitting, I shook the uncles hand and sat down beside the mother to say goodbye, mother turns to me looks me in the eye and said "HOW WAS SHE" :faint: I just about died... looked her in the eye and said "GOOD" to which we both had a big laugh.
I returned to the hotel that night, never to venture far again and the next day spent 9 friggen hrs at the airport but thats another story.
All in all, had a wonderful time, would I return, only if I can't find another country to explore.....
My advice... go at least once, there is no other place like this........
Let me start off by saying I wasn't in the country 4 hrs. and I was lying in a young ladies bed being orally abused and it was fantastic.
Had been picked up at the airport and transferred to my hotel, had put my luggage in my room and saw a store across the street so went to see if I could get some bottled water....never made it.
Hadn't made it to the corner when I heard " Hola", I turned and saw a very beautiful girl looking and smiling at me. Asked me where I was from, how long I had been there, etc. etc. then asked if I wanted to come to her casa {home} where of all things I first met her mother, brother before retiring to her room. Stayed a couple of hours before returning to my hotel with wonderful thoughts of how this vacation was going to be.
Day 2 , jumped in a cab to take me to town so I could walk the streets of old Havana and see the sights. I must admit that in all my travels I have never seen so many tourists in one area. Another thing, everywhere I went, the whole week I was there, you couldn't walk a block without hearing those words "HOLA" and finding someone looking to love you..
Now I must admit I think I got conned... Had a guy come up to me saying hello "You remember me, I am a guard at your hotel" I should have clued in where he said "what hotel you at?" followed by "Yes that's where I work and you don't recognize me because I am out of uniform". I never saw him again LOL, Anyways ended up taking me to buy some cigars from the factory that a few people where allowed to sell but only one day a month, because they where allowing people to own their own business now. Found out later it was BS but it led to my second encounter.. Guy took me to a door, inside a small room with some different sizes of Cohiba cigar boxes and another beautiful 20 something year old young lady who seemed all business at first. Turned down the first offer of three cigars for $40 and again at $30 and turned and walked out saying thanks but no thanks. Got about 10 steps away when she chased me down and said "$25" at which point I said ok and went back. During the transaction my new found friend asked if I wanted to go see the festival that was to start soon and at the same time asked if the young lady would like to go too?? to which she looked at me , smiled, turned around completely and asked if I like.. Ended up the 4 of us, my guard friend had his wife with him, in a restaurant out of the eyes of the police where after everyone eat and drank and I was informed no one had money I got stuck with a $150 bill. From here we walked to a casa where he got me a room for $25 to which the young counter lady and myself retired for a couple of hours. I had to give her a few seconds to leave first, her to go one way , me the other. Door emptied right onto a high traffic street.
I can tell you all this, at least in the Havana area, yes some of the girls are paranoid of the cops, but only it seemed in certain areas, some walked arm in arm with me or if we were indoors out of street view. One girl, more than one, rode with me in cabs but would not go to close to my hotel out of fear.
Another impression that I had, that girls **** I should say a lady friend of mine } were not allowed up to your room in the hotels, this thought being destroyed night 4 when returning to the hotel around midnight. As I strolled across the lobby toward the elevators I noticed a few young, well dressed ladies sitting about and particularly the one giving me the finger wave saying those magical words "HOLA". So being me I had to go over to say "HOLA" lol..
We chatted a few minutes before she came right out and asked me if I'd like her to come to my room, course being still an innocent young fool I said OH NO we aren't allowed to do that... to which she said Don't worry, got up, went over and talked to the guard, in front of everyone, came back, sat down and said "OK, lets go".
Asked how much, I thought she had said $15 for the guard and 100 for her, I said no to which she dropped her price to 70 and I said ok. Off we went, got in the elevator, get off at my floor walk past a small hall leading to the service elevator and there is the guard, walk around the corner whereas the lady asked for the guards money, handed her the 15$, she looks at me and said no no, 50$. At this point I was so tired and thinking it was a bad idea all around, took my 15 back said sorry but that I was going to bed, she dropped her price to 50 but I continued on my way.
Days 3 & 4 I did the tourist thing, A day in the Vinales Valley, went cave walking, took a boat part way through an underground river way, did the city tour and saw my first cannon fired off
Also a special thanks to those who PMed me with info, and if you read this Senor Draper, you were absolutely correct, the patio at Hotel Nacional is a sight to behold, I also stayed and watched the live show there at the Parisian Cabaret. I also did as you said after seeing it by cab, and not walking the Malecon and all its garish lure.
Day 5. I am informed of a couple of restaurants a couple of blocks away from the hotel located between 4 commercial buildings with connecting walkways, I stroll down and as walking about I hear it again "HOLA", sat down all off one beer, a deal was struck, away we go to her house where first I had to meet her mother, brother and a sister....it's funny really because at no time was I nervous, just went along with it, said hello, hello, hello and smiling before retiring to her room.
Day 6. This I wish I had done on evening 1, Got up at my hotel and since I had booked a half day tour that afternoon decided to walk down to the water front. My hotel was located water front but not in an area with a beach, it was like coral or sharp lava rock, you had to be careful even walking in shoes, I get near the water, a few people sitting around, A lady over the way waves, her friend gets up and wanders over to me and there it is "HOLA" I got to admit, a lot, and I mean a lot Of the Cuban women are beautiful but if this girl had of asked me to marry her I would have said yes..she was flawless, f**k, I was in love... I went over to meet what turned out to be her mother and brother. After we trying talking for a while she walked be to the roadway as I had explained I had a tour to go on but that I would be back by 6 and she said she would be here waiting.
Did my thing and did return at 6, waited till about 6:20 and was about to leave and here she comes..OMFG!!! she had changed into daisy duke shorts and a loose fitting top....again I was in love. This was also the first girl I was with that seemed to have no fear of the cops, after talking a bit, I wanted to grab a bite but she wanted me to come right away to her house and we walked with her holding right onto me up tp the hotel where we got in a cab to her place. This is where I find in amazing, we go up to her apartment and here is the brother and his girlfriend, the mother and two other kids that are her sisters, the kids are looking at me, mother, brother shake my hand, ask what music I would like to hear, some fruit, and to come sit on the balcony to see their pigeons. We sat around a couple of hrs. before everyone seemed to disappear and I was invited to her room. When this girl stood naked in front of me that night I could have died and gone to heaven for I had seen an angel. And together for the next hour was the best time I can remember in a long time...
She asked after if I would spend the night there with her, I said no, she asked if she could come spend the night with me, I said no. I kick my ass now...
Now this is something I will never forget............. She had called a cab for me and I asked if we could go sit outside in the front, it was cooler. There was a concrete slab that her mother and her uncle were sitting, I shook the uncles hand and sat down beside the mother to say goodbye, mother turns to me looks me in the eye and said "HOW WAS SHE" :faint: I just about died... looked her in the eye and said "GOOD" to which we both had a big laugh.
I returned to the hotel that night, never to venture far again and the next day spent 9 friggen hrs at the airport but thats another story.
All in all, had a wonderful time, would I return, only if I can't find another country to explore.....
My advice... go at least once, there is no other place like this........