Cuba has changed
- Thread starter danmand
- Start date
It's getting real bad there now ... I'm in daily communication with a friend in Holguin and his entire house is in quarantine because they all acquired the virus. I asked about vaccinations and he just laughed ... according to the folks at John Hopkins University only 30-40% of the population have received one shot of the Cuban vaccine.
Is there something difficult with starting a new post asking for Venezuelan info?
Are things open now? Is there any food to eat? How would you get there and where can you stay?
A lot of questions, but I'm interested in going again for the cigars and.....
We are planning towards the end of the month as well. Will share details upon return
I have been here for almost 2 weeks now, near Guanabo 20km est of Havana. There is food and booze but you have to pay with a credit card. They are MLS store for Cuban with foreign currency in their card.
If you buy in a normal Cuban store with Cuban pesos a can of beer will cost you aroud 7 can $. and a cola 5 can $.. Cuban are in need for foreing currency but not much US $ , So you will get more rthan twice the money in the street compare to the bank.
So the trick is to pay in Pesos : Girls, taxi, restaurants ,bars and discos and if possible casa. The mask is mandatory everywhere.
If you buy in a normal Cuban store with Cuban pesos a can of beer will cost you aroud 7 can $. and a cola 5 can $.. Cuban are in need for foreing currency but not much US $ , So you will get more rthan twice the money in the street compare to the bank.
So the trick is to pay in Pesos : Girls, taxi, restaurants ,bars and discos and if possible casa. The mask is mandatory everywhere.
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7 dollars for a Crystal or Buccanero??? You're definitely going to the wrong store.
As the Cuban government discontinued the use of the CUC in the summer, the only option for local currency is the Cuban peso. Cubans do have an option to purchase goods at the "MLS" store, however, the prices are calculated in U.S. currency.
I'm hoping to visit Holguin at the start of February since direct flights from YOW-HOG start with Sunwing. COVID cases have dropped dramatically to an average of 150 new cases a day compared to the end of August's number that approached 10,000 a day which to me means that their homegrown vaccines are working.
It is true that black market currency exchanges are much better than going to the bank, however, one must be very careful with them as there are scammers hiding around each corner.
Thanks for the update Diqtator!
I paid 31.50 US $ a case of 24 Crystsl beer in a MLS store, what i am saying is if you buy a beer anywhere else the price will be at least 3 times more. Beer in Club are 200 pesos.
A Cuban with no access to foreign currency will pay at least 3 of 4 times the real value. Cuban with family in other countries put euros or Canadian dollars on their card and buy stiuff in MLS store.
They keep some and sell the rest with a large profit.
Just got back from Cuba
We were initially offered 50CUP per USD which we were happy with initially. Then we were able to negotiate and got 45CUP per CAD which was better. USD can go upto 6-pesos. Negotiate negotiate negotiate
Canned beer is available in stores or outdoor stalls for 110 to 140 CUP depending on location
Not to wax too longingly over the "good old days", but Cuba is an awful place to go now. Food is dogshit. Sure, you can hunt around for something good but count on being slopped like a pig with gruel.
AThe Cubans see us as nothing more than marks to grab as much as they can. It is a distasteful game. The P4P scene is wayyy too cat and mouse for me anymore. And I WANT to love it.
Glad I went the 20 times I did. Just not the last 3 times. Never agin, too many other great places in the world that have not been spoiled.
AThe Cubans see us as nothing more than marks to grab as much as they can. It is a distasteful game. The P4P scene is wayyy too cat and mouse for me anymore. And I WANT to love it.
Glad I went the 20 times I did. Just not the last 3 times. Never agin, too many other great places in the world that have not been spoiled.
This is generally true but at one of the main tourist hotels I stayed at for a few nights before moving over to a casa particular, the doorman was actually telling me that he can arrange for girls to come up to my hotel room if he was 'taken' care of. So for the right tips, much is possible in Cuba.
Have done that close to 10 years ago in Havana and Varadero...
At the time at least, the Cuban girl accompanying me had to sign up with the hotel with an ID and that's it...
Even had a 3some with 2 Cuban girls...Know a bit of Spanish... one of them was so tight, heard her saying "me duele" (hurts me...) so I had to go easy on her, was too big for her ...Knowing some Spanish is a plus.
And contrary to what I read above they are not all black...
At the time at least, the Cuban girl accompanying me had to sign up with the hotel with an ID and that's it...
Even had a 3some with 2 Cuban girls...Know a bit of Spanish... one of them was so tight, heard her saying "me duele" (hurts me...) so I had to go easy on her, was too big for her ...Knowing some Spanish is a plus.
And contrary to what I read above they are not all black...
