Anything Current about Cuba?

[Mavica]

I'm thinking of traveling from Tampa, FL to Santiago de Cuba, or Havana for a long weekend in August.  Does any reader have current, recent information about USA residents traveling to Cuba?  Thank you.

[floridarob]

I'm going in August for 5 days 18-23.... Havana

[Mavica]

This would be a first-ever visit to Cuba for me.  A mid-August birthday present. Easy flights out of Tampa. The dark side of Santiago ... calls out to me. 😁 But I'm open to visiting Havana, alternatively.  What do I know?  Nothing, about Cuba.  I've been looking for / at independent-entry casas particulares independentes in both destinations.  Suggestions?  Thanks!

[floridarob]

Never been to Santiago, no real desire to.....not really looking forward to Havana either, just I want to see some old friends before either of us die.

They've told me not to come, that the shelves are bare....but there is no limit on food and medicine you can bring now, so I'll bring what I think I'll need with plenty to share.

I had a bf there years ago for a long time, I was infatuated with him, but he died awhile ago in a swimming accident, hit his head on a rock and drowned in a river. I'm still in touch with his best friend, so he might come to keep me company. He's not gay, but after a few drinks, he'll fuck any hole....thank goodness.

[Tomtravel]

I was in Cuba 4-5 years ago and the mood is somehow pessimistic depressive - daily struggle to get food (“there are eggs in shop x, we must hurry there”), authorities removing satellite attennas (illegal to watch noncuban channels) - they cost a fortune in Cuba; Havana looks mostly like it was bombarded a week ago (crumbling houses, no maintenance in 50 years). Yes the center is nice with some fancy hotels and nice restaurants. Cars are wrecks but still super expensive, not available for all (gov. restrictions on cars import and ownership). TV news were like Soviet Union Vremja. Offices of Revolution Guards or something like that everywhere in the city. All in all, daily life was pretty awful - prison like. Luckily, many cubans have relatives and friends in US, who send dollars to survive.

Good looking guys, I remember I was in one small bar or coffeshop and said to the barmen I look for a male company, he introduced me immediately a very handsome (pay/straight) guy)). If you are able to ignore the Cuban daily life and focus only on the guys, maybe it could be a nice trip.

[floridarob]

1 hour ago, Tomtravel said:

maybe it could be a nice trip.

hit and miss, we always joke that the best guys have already made it out by marriage or by raft.  If you do go, always get their ID card, if they know you have their info, less likely they'll do anything wrong. Big problems for them if a tourists reports them for stealing or anything like that.... 

[Mavica]

Thank you for the comments, floridarob and Tomtravel.

For the past couple of days, I've been doing a deep dive into current information for Havana and Santiago, Cuba generally.  Descriptions I'm reading in traveler trip reports and a couple I've viewed on youtube align with what floridarob has recently been told by his contacts there.

Maybe I'll go, maybe not.  I'll continue to digest comments here, and elsewhere.

Thank you.

[Tomtravel]

I did not engage too much with the guys actually. The casa particular were not always very private, lots of eyes anyhow following a tourist, i was not sure whats the official policy and inofficial practices of police regarding sex and most importantly: desperation was lurking on the streets - not very sexy atmosphere.
 

I witnessed one fun action outside Havana. I was in one seaside village, very nice beach and superstylish gin bar, expensive. Two barmen were extremly hot young guys. Two young girls from Europe were flirting with the guys, who closed the bar around 10 and they all soon splashed to the sea. There were sufficient light to see that one bar guy was fucking the girl in the sea). Young people have always fun!

Havana Iberostar hotel is very nice. And Hemingway home and Pilar are must to visit! If the museum is closed, just bribe the guards (group of 4 we paid i think 30 usd). Beaches in Cuba are nice.

[tm_nyc]

2 hours ago, Tomtravel said:

I was in Cuba 4-5 years ago and the mood is somehow pessimistic depressive

Agree.  I was in Havana, back in May 2017.  Beautiful weather & lots to see but the poverty, food shortages, etc were depressing.  There was something oppressive about the police presence, too. There was a small hustler scene in the Parque Central & I would expect that it survives!

[Mavica]

Quote

Well, I have been to Havana many, many times, and the last time I was there in January (2023), there was a whole gay parade basically around 3 am. As soon as we entered La Rampa from the Malecon, it was very obvious, especially the later it got. The crowd of gays did end once we made it up to Club VS. This may have been a 1 night thing, no idea. When we was in that area 2 nights later, no sight of gays, but this time we entered from the opposite end, and just went into Club VS.

The above remarks come from a trip report posted to a forum for straight guys traveling for sex.  Might mean something, or nothing.  

 
 

[Heba as-sa3udeya]

It means absolutly nothing 

[HikoChibaRiko]

I've been to Cuba a few years back.  Outside of the poverty, it is a was very exciting trip.  My goal wasn't primarily to get my rocks of but I did meet a guy from a park, he was very good looking but he wasn't quite it for me.  I'm in very good shape and can hold my own compared to him so I doubted he would have tried anything.  In hindsight I would have taken him to a temporary room instead of my place.

Cruising is alive and well.  I may go back one day for the sole purpose of pleasure, there are plenty of good looking men.  

[floridarob]

That's a few years back.....I'm going next week to bring some medicine to older people I know there. They've insisted I don't go because there's nothing on the shelves.....

My one way ticket to Boston from HAV was $106 usd and I used Copa miles to go there on United from Mexico......we'll see how it is.

Customs has also removed almost all limits on food and medicine that you can bring. There were weight and money limits before, now supposedly none, according to the Cuban aduana web page and what recent visitors in Mexico have told me.

[Heba as-sa3udeya]

So Floridarob how was it ?

[floridarob]

3 hours ago, Heba as-sa3udeya said:

So Floridarob how was it ?

Meh...Wouldn't make a special trip for the guys. If you've never been and want to see Cuba go, but don't expect a hopping night scene like years ago.

I ended up with a Cuban National League baseball player....he was hot and good in bed, with a big dick and and even bigger ego, lol

But the malecon and la Rampa were dead, nothing like before. Las Vegas gay bar was dead, even the Hotel Nacional and Habana Libre didn't have things in stock.....it's sad.

[Latbear4blk]

12 hours ago, floridarob said:

Meh...Wouldn't make a special trip for the guys. If you've never been and want to see Cuba go, but don't expect a hopping night scene like years ago.

I ended up with a Cuban National League baseball player....he was hot and good in bed, with a big dick and and even bigger ego, lol

But the malecon and la Rampa were dead, nothing like before. Las Vegas gay bar was dead, even the Hotel Nacional and Habana Libre didn't have things in stock.....it's sad.

Where did you find your baseball player? 

I am following in IG something that may be a cover-up for local high end escorts: https://www.instagram.com/mistercuba_oficial/

Of course, I have never been to Cuba, so I do not know what I am talking about.

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, Latbear4blk said:

Where did you find your baseball player? 

I am following in IG something that may be a cover-up for local high end escorts: https://www.instagram.com/mistercuba_oficial/

Of course, I have never been to Cuba, so I do not know what I am talking about.

What a great bunch of guys. Would be great if they escorted. I've only been to Cuba on business,  so not able to check the market! Vinapu might be interested  in them?

[floridarob]

3 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

Where did you find your baseball player? 

A mutual friend that I've known for years introduced us....we hung out for a couple of days, had fun.....

[xpaulo]

5 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

am following in IG

Wow!!!

[Latbear4blk]

12 minutes ago, xpaulo said:

Wow!!!

Hold your horses. They all may be straight married men not looking for escorting. 

Ojalá que no!

[xpaulo]

12 minutes ago, Latbear4blk said:

Hold your horses.

It didn't occur to me they might be available. I just think they're beautiful and probably hoping for modelling gigs.

[Heba as-sa3udeya]

They look so bland 

not the cuban men i’m dreaming about