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« Last edited by Yuey on December 24, 2019, 03:49:02 AM »

Author Topic: Cuba Master Thread  (Read 69453 times)

Online Something Fishy

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #180 on: August 15, 2016, 02:18:33 AM »
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Offline yitzyul

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #181 on: August 22, 2016, 11:44:47 PM »
If anyone is interested I have $190 Cuc available for a swap for USD. That will save you the 10% USD penalty.

PM if you need!

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #182 on: September 27, 2016, 11:47:08 PM »
Trip report is live
How did you hook up such a sweet ride? Thinking of going in January...

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Re: cuba master thread
« Reply #183 on: September 27, 2016, 11:48:34 PM »
How did you hook up such a sweet ride? Thinking of going in January...

Email Elvis at noe72@nauta.cu. We hired him to take us to Vinales for the day and were very happy. Very fun guy.
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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #184 on: September 28, 2016, 12:42:26 AM »
If anyone is interested I have $190 Cuc available for a swap for USD. That will save you the 10% USD penalty.

PM if you need!
How did you and SF both leave the country with extra money?!?! By the time we left we were totally strapped for cash. We clearly weren't used to how much of a cash society Cuba really is.

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #185 on: September 28, 2016, 01:10:47 AM »
How did you and SF both leave the country with extra money?!?! By the time we left we were totally strapped for cash. We clearly weren't used to how much of a cash society Cuba really is.

There supposedly is a 25CUC departure tax which could only be paid in cash, so we each put that amount aside. We were never made to pay any tax in the end, so we came home with 75CUC between us.
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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #186 on: September 30, 2016, 01:01:47 AM »
There supposedly is a 25CUC departure tax which could only be paid in cash, so we each put that amount aside. We were never made to pay any tax in the end, so we came home with 75CUC between us.
I guess we were lucky there was no tax :) We did have minimal USD we could have always changed in a pinch.




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Re: cuba master thread
« Reply #187 on: November 07, 2016, 12:50:42 PM »
Hi! I am going to Havana with a friend next month- I saw Something Fishy's post suggesting Elvis as a tour guide for Vinales and emailed him, but his responses are very short, and it's been a week and I don't have much more info than when i started :)  I inquired about a tour, and he replied simply "ok".  Then I asked the price and was told 150CUC- unsure if that's for 2 or 1.  Would you be so kind as to give a little more detail about Elvis and the tour?  Did he meet you somewhere in Havana?  Was he reliable?  How did you stay in contact once you arrived in Cuba?  Thanks so much!!

Email Elvis at noe72@nauta.cu. We hired him to take us to Vinales for the day and were very happy. Very fun guy.

Plus he drives a smashing '53 Dodge.

You won't find too many cars that use a dipstick and a hole in the trunk to gauge fuel, but have a dash-mounted TV .

Now as far as Trinidad, are you sure you want to do that? Personally, I would recommend Vinales instead. Aside from being closer to Havana, it's radically different as well. Trinidad is lovely, but is still quite similar to Havana. Old cars, colorful buildings, and the like. Sure there's more of a country feel and the cobblestones add a unique charm, but it's not a world apart. Vinales on the other hand is 180 degrees from Havana. Rural, more oxen and donkeys than cars, stunning little towns and farmhouses, and astonishing natural beauty (see above picture).

Trinidad is a different flavor of Havana; Vinales is a completely different world.

Think about it.

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Re: cuba master thread
« Reply #188 on: November 07, 2016, 12:59:49 PM »
Hi! I am going to Havana with a friend next month- I saw Something Fishy's post suggesting Elvis as a tour guide for Vinales and emailed him, but his responses are very short, and it's been a week and I don't have much more info than when i started :)  I inquired about a tour, and he replied simply "ok".  Then I asked the price and was told 150CUC- unsure if that's for 2 or 1.  Would you be so kind as to give a little more detail about Elvis and the tour?  Did he meet you somewhere in Havana?  Was he reliable?  How did you stay in contact once you arrived in Cuba?  Thanks so much!!

He's not a tour guide, he's a taxi driver who happens to know his way around Vinales. But he won't give you lectures about the history or whatnot, he'll just drive you to interesting spots. (In fact he was more interested in pointing out pretty ladies as we drove along, and couldn't for the life of him understand why we were taking pictures of the scenery instead .)

150CUC sounds about right, we paid 120 but what with tourism exploding it makes sense that the price went up. We paid for his time and car, not per person.

We didn't need to be in contact with him. We met him on the street, struck up a conversation, and made up to meet at the same spot at a given time. I suggest you make up a time and place to meet and hope he shows up. This is Cuba, things are more fluid here...

We found Elvis reliable, great fun, and very good at dispensing bribes to keep his passengers out of jail. But that story will have to wait .

ETA: Re. reliability - when we were done with Vinales we made up to have him take us to the airport at the end of our trip, but he never showed up. I don't know if that was a communication issue (maybe he came the wrong day?) or something else. So I wouldn't call him 100% reliable, I suppose...
« Last Edit: November 07, 2016, 01:20:04 PM by Something Fishy »
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Re: cuba master thread
« Reply #189 on: November 07, 2016, 02:17:30 PM »

150CUC sounds about right, we paid 120 but what with tourism exploding it makes sense that the price went up. We paid for his time and car, not per person.

ETA: Re. reliability - when we were done with Vinales we made up to have him take us to the airport at the end of our trip, but he never showed up. I don't know if that was a communication issue (maybe he came the wrong day?) or something else. So I wouldn't call him 100% reliable, I suppose...

Prices have gone up allot. There is hardly no email or internet service in Cuba, that's why he hardly responds. I actually got his phone number and he was a no show. The Casa I stayed in hooked me with a driver (who spoke limited English) (who brought along a "translator" friend for free) and I paid $180 CUC. IT was well worth it and I ended up using him 3 straight days. They were so funny and so much fun that they were the highlights of the trip and thanks to them we had a blast, that Im dying to go back. (I dont know if they work as a team or the friend just came because his car was broken, we did tip him as well). I might have their number but you can only really communicate with them once in Cuba.

I do have $190 CUC if you are interested.
Word of advice: Bring tons of CASH   

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #190 on: November 07, 2016, 02:20:42 PM »
There supposedly is a 25CUC departure tax which could only be paid in cash, so we each put that amount aside. We were never made to pay any tax in the end, so we came home with 75CUC between us.

It is now included in the price of the ticket. You only have to pay $25 tourist visa which the airline sell's you at the gate before departing. You do need medical insurance that specifys that they cover Cuba. Nobody stopped me to check, but well worth to have and was cheap.

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #191 on: November 07, 2016, 02:29:03 PM »
It is now included in the price of the ticket. You only have to pay $25 tourist visa which the airline sell's you at the gate before departing. You do need medical insurance that specifys that they cover Cuba. Nobody stopped me to check, but well worth to have and was cheap.

Interesting about the tax, good to know.
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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #192 on: November 07, 2016, 03:02:34 PM »
Just testing the waters here... Anyone interested in a photography workshop in December? Jetblue JFK-HAV is 3.5k miles each way.
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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #193 on: November 07, 2016, 11:13:33 PM »
Has anyone taken POM meals or the like recently?
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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #194 on: November 13, 2016, 01:53:20 AM »
Has anyone taken POM meals or the like recently?
I took, and had no problems. The Casa Lady warmed them up on the oven for me. Find out before you go if the place will have a microwave or oven. I found most had microwaves but ovens were far and few

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #195 on: November 13, 2016, 01:54:32 AM »
I took, and had no problems. The Casa Lady warmed them up on the oven for me. Find out before you go if the place will have a microwave or oven. I found most had microwaves but ovens were far and few

Awesome, thanks.

Did they x-ray your bags at the airport?
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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #196 on: November 13, 2016, 10:23:07 AM »
Awesome, thanks.

Did they x-ray your bags at the airport?
Nothing! they didn't even ask me for proof of medical. The only thing they said was "i shouldn't stamp your passport, right?".
I did arrive about 12 midnight so could be they were just tired

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #197 on: November 13, 2016, 10:36:18 AM »
BTW Im reading your TR which is excellent. I Just got add that times have been changing. I didn't experience anything that you have. No X-rays, soldiers, etc. I hardly even saw any police anywhere in Cuba. I stayed in a Case that was a bit rundown because I wanted one smack in the middle of old havana (across the capital) and it had spoty internet which was important (so I could iMessage the kids) and it was way better condition then the one your describing.

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #198 on: November 26, 2016, 01:35:19 PM »
Fidel Castro has died at 90.

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Re: Cuba Master Thread
« Reply #199 on: November 28, 2016, 09:24:26 AM »
Im going to be there for Fidel's levaya this week and through Shabbos. Anyone else around?
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