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Hermanolobo
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The Portuguese romantic is desperate to get back to the roof top restaurant
and meet his love, The singer. I could say she is excellent but they are all
excellent ! Such is the music scene in Havana and probably the rest of Cuba.
Being Portuguese he is even more late than I am which takes some going !
He dashed up to see her but I stayed in the Plaza de Armas to watch a
theatre group on stilts making music and fun with Arab instruments ! Art,
music and theatre just seems to be a way of life here. Since the revolution
the literacy went from 10-15% for the average Cuban digging dirt in a field
to way up to 90% ! That is quite an achievement, poor as church mice they
may be but they are well educated, it is all free. A Venezuelan I met at the
Marina claimed Cuba has the best medical service in the whole of Latin
America ! Imagine what it would be like if there were no US embargo on
modern drugs ? The Cubans have just sent a large medical team to Sri
Lanka to help the Tsunami victims. This is not the first time I have come
across Cuban doctors and nurses doing a good job in a remote part of the
World for very little financial gain. Who has got it right ? The rich doctors
playing golf on a fancy golf course between by-pass operations or the Cubans?
That is a question you will have to ask yourself depending what is important
to you ?
I come out of the lift and a young Cuban with passable English jokes with
me. I am late and the Portuguese is late. The singer says,”What about the
tobaccos you asked for ?” ………Whoops Que memoria tengo !
Mr ‘smoothie’ in the lift turns out to be my contact for Cohibas !
Are they genuine ? What way I have of knowing ? I haven’t puffed a
Cuban cigar since Moscow in 1981 ! Nice lady, this is about trust, a word
that seems to be going out of use ?
OK I’ll risk it for a biscuit. I give him half in crisp five pound notes and the
rest in convertible Pesos. He is unsure. Maybe they are genuine ones from
the factory? He goes away and seems impressed at the pound’s value. I buy
25 Esplendidos and 25 Exquisitos. He has the old story about working in
the factory but what the hell? I trust the singer who is a lovely lady and the
Portuguese who is a lucky man. He who is lucky and dares wins? Some
British military in a well known pub near Waterloo are waiting on a couple
of ‘Tobaccos’ (cigars). I owe them !
It is Saturday. Back to the Marina Hemingway for a relax, wash and brush up.
Earlier in the day I picked up a flyer about the Buena Vista Social Club
playing in the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. The Portuguese and his love agree
to meet me there later.
Breezing into the Hotel Nacional I begin to think I can see the ghost of
Sinatra sitting in one of the seats there? What a place !
I take my place in the middle of the tables and watch the stage. I order
a couple of Mojitos (now my favourite drink). Things are already in fine
swing, fantastic ! But where are the loving couple?
Never mind the Mojitos and music are both sublime.
Most of them look too young to be original ‘Buena Vista’ stars but no
matter, they are superb ! Such talent, such musical skill ! There is one
youngish black chap on the bass who also sings. The man is a complete
genius !
A platinum blond on the table to my right is making copious notes at
the musical experience. This young lady has style, class. She looks
either Canadian or American. I doubt whether a European would be
so keen to keep a journal? She drinks one Mojito and plenty of water,
style and class, pure class!
I am joined by the two love birds and enjoy more Mojitos while puffing
on my Cohiba (got to get into the spirit of things?)
What a wonderful concert ! I find it difficult to keep still in my seat.
Then Mr ‘Golden Sticks’ gets up from the audience and does his thing
with the drums. Now this MUST be one of the originals as he is way
older than even myself ! I ponder that to be old and ‘cool’ is no bad
thing.
At the end I think, well that was great. Then the singer introduces me
to the Older and Younger ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ ! We have a
great chat for a while. She seems to know every musician in Havana ?
Great !
After we go to a bar near the hotel. The singer knows more people and
I am offered another ‘bargain’ cigar. Banana leaves ?
I meet a spectacular young black girl but there is nowhere to take her !
The Marina’s security is absolute. When I know the system I will find
a way to take Ms Brown Sugar somewhere but at the moment I am
not into a quick ‘pop’. This is not Thailand and I am unsure about
places to be and taxis that may not arrive.
I am beginning to think that Cuba is a place to learn about. For me
not a place for the quick sexual fix. It could be but with the
general level of good education the benefits could come by taking
one’s time although I have heard otherwise !
Next …How I got ripped off for 250 baht - equivalent !
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:33 am on Feb. 8, 2005
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ringthebells
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enjoyed those, herm. keep em cumming.
rtb
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:23 am on Feb. 8, 2005
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Hermanolobo
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Quote: from Smegma on 5:42 pm on Feb. 8, 2005
Comodoro?
The Comodoro discoteque has closed.
'Macumba' and the 'House of Music' are the places to go at the moment.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 7:01 am on Feb. 8, 2005
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Abrak
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Hermanlobo,
Great report.
I was there 18 months ago with a mate of mine.
1. We are both blond and clearly tourists
2. We speak no spanish
We were there for 4 days and it was a nightmare.
1. As you say expensive (especially as everyone is supposed to live on US$10 a month)
2. We were constantly watched by the police
3. Girls were not allowed to fratanise with us in public
4. Girls were not allowed into nightclubs unaccompanied
5. It was illegal to take girls back to your hotel room
6. Hotels were totally run down
7. Nightclubs were limited (very expensive) and closed at 2.00am
We definitely got the impression that if you looked spanish, spoke spanish and knew what you were doing, there was fun to be had but for your average guy, it was a nightmare.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:09 am on Feb. 8, 2005
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Hermanolobo
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Quote: from Abrak on 7:03 pm on Feb. 8, 2005
Hermanolobo,
Great report.
I was there 18 months ago with a mate of mine.
1. We are both blond and clearly tourists
2. We speak no spanish
We were there for 4 days and it was a nightmare.
1. As you say expensive (especially as everyone is supposed to live on US$10 a month)
2. We were constantly watched by the police
3. Girls were not allowed to fratanise with us in public
4. Girls were not allowed into nightclubs unaccompanied
5. It was illegal to take girls back to your hotel room
6. Hotels were totally run down
7. Nightclubs were limited (very expensive) and closed at 2.00am
We definitely got the impression that if you looked spanish, spoke spanish and knew what you were doing, there was fun to be had but for your average guy, it was a nightmare.
Abrak,
I am not blond but going grey.
I look Northern European
My friend looked Cuban. (Latin) He understood Spanish and I speak it poorly but found out I understood it better than I thought.
In reply to your second points.
1) Not as expensive as I was led to believe.
2) The police watched the Cubans but seemed not bothered with tourists.
3) I chatted to the women in public.
3a) Only the men who were dodgy seemed concerned about the police. Walking down the street called Opispo with a couple of members of the band (guitars strapped to their backs) I had no problems.
4) The same.
5) Probably impossible.
6) Some, but the Marina where I stayed (friendly staff) and the what looked newly renovated Ambros Mundos looked fine. Staff in the Ambros Mundos were surly and grumpy, apparently they like free spending Americans to go there. Which is at the moment not possible.
7) I only went to the 'House of Music' - it was abit like the 'Forum' in London. The music was incredible - so professional.
UNESCO has just given Cuba a lot of money to smarten up Havana (La Habana Vieja). I got the strong impression they were making the place ready for an expected tourist influx. I got the impression by watching police actions they wanted the place to have a safe reputation for the family tourist. They seem to be following a similar policy to Chairman Thaksin. Safe and friendly for package family tourists to spend money. Discouragement for the P4P merchants.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:36 am on Feb. 8, 2005
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BigDUSA
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Marina claimed Cuba has the best medical service in the whole of Latin
America ! Imagine what it would be like if there were no US embargo on modern drugs ?
Cuba can buy all modern drugs from Canada/EU. Our trade embargo mainly impacts American companies as Cuba can get what they need from other countries. Cuba just doesn't have the money to pay for it.
Once again great reports from Cuba.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:56 am on Feb. 8, 2005
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Smegma
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There are ways around. But not easy and a pain in the ass. Girls prefer obvious tourists. They think that anyone speaking Spanish will pay less. I went with a friend that spoke no Spanish.
We solved the hotel problem by renting a small apartment near the hotel from a family that moved out for those few days. We slept at the hotel but used the apartment when we had girls. I do not remember how much we paid them, but it was like US$15 per day. I felt guilty for a moment for making the family move out so that we could use their house for sex. I had second thoughts, but the local acquaintance who was internediating the deal swore that they were very happy due to the extra income. The lady came every day to check if we had used the place and clean it. We never gave her a certain date when we were moving out. She would know by finding out the payment on a table.
When you go into a nightclub it is common to be approached by girls that ask you for the favor to escort them in -as like Abrak says they are not allowed to go by themselves. Once inside they go their way. One time we were approached by two very ugly girls who asked us if they could be next to us. They were so ugly we were not keen, but they pleaded saying that some police officers were going in and they would detain any woman alone. WTF!! I couldn't believe it. We said ok, and it came to be true. Coupld of guys were walking around and picked about 3 girls. Once they were gone the girls said thanks and moved away.
Locals are discouraged from interacting with tourists. A tourist guide I had was stopped twice to show papers he was a real licensed guide. In the beaches it is most obvious, the locals can not go to the area that is just in front of the hotels; you see the areas where the locals are packed, and then patches with few people (in front of the hotels).
Hermano, you mention how tasty the chicken is. There is a famous recipe there for smoked chicken: pollo a la rumayor. It is very tasty. But the chicken is injected with some additive before cooking it. I do not remember the name. But it is something banned in most western countries.
BTW, best place to buy good Cuban cigars is Spain. In the airport duty-free many are sold cheaper than in Cuba. Of course, there is nothing like the feeling of buying them there.
In summary, I didn't find Cuba as fun as I was hoping. Interesting, but not that fun. It seems that prior to the 1999 new anti-prostitution laws, it used to be much more fun and easier fo single men to get into P4P action.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:57 am on Feb. 8, 2005
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Ronnie Raygun
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Is the Cafe Cantante below the Teatro Nacional still around? Had loads of working girls when I was there a few years back.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 11:49 am on Feb. 8, 2005
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Hermanolobo
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Quote: from Ronnie Raygun on 11:43 pm on Feb. 8, 2005
Is the Cafe Cantante below the Teatro Nacional still around? Had loads of working girls when I was there a few years back.
"Presently one of the most hip music venues in Havana, Café Cantante includes a restaurant, bar and cafeteria, which offer a selection of light meals, cocktails and local and imported drinks. This is certainly a place that fills with music and colour in the evenings, with performances by new young Cuban bands, who present a mix of dance tunes, songs and boleros. The place is fashionable among both locals and tourists, who fill the café until closing time. Admission costs USD 10 which includes one drink. Every Thursday the “Sonando Duro Peña (“Sounding Loud Music Club) is held at 4pm, where you can see popular local bands perform."
I went looking for it without much success since I went to the wrong place ! I went to the theatre next to The Capitolio. No wonder nobody new where Cantante is !
I shall relate the story in my next post in my next post !
'Cafe Catante' a good excuse to return to Cuba ?
Brother Wolf
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:08 pm on Feb. 8, 2005
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