Feedback on sundry issues

Just back some comments on issues raised by other posters or myself recently:

- MONEY CHANGE AT HAV AIRPORT
The rate at the Cadeca in the arrival lounge is about 0.5% worse than at the Cadecas in town.
Best rates for Euros at Banco Metrolpolitano.

- MARINA HEMINGWAY
Access to the outer channel edge of the marina is now blocked.
They have a 'marine playground' next to 'Papa's Disco' at the end of the middle channel: you can swim, rent a (basic) double kayak, have a drink etc.; lots of Cubans around, did not see any foreigners (this was during the week); you've got to like latin music of all varieties, as this is blaring constantly; entrance CUC 3.- which includes a soft drink; beach chaiselongues are 2,- extra.

- CLUB HABANA
This (relatively) posh beach club about 1 mile east of Marina Hemingway was supposed to let in non-members for CUC 10.-/day; I had heard lots of positive comments and went, only to discover that the entrance guards make exceptions if you want to bring a cute cubana: suddenly it was 'members or their invitees only'.

- GOING OUT TO A DANCE CLUB WITH A CUBANA AND NO MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
I've heard from reliable sources that the 'LACRA' = virtue police (lol) is getting very aggressive in pursuing cubanas at place like the 2 casas de la musica, cafe cantante etc.; I've seen myself how they wheeled off one girl right from the table at which she was sitting with her novio. My sources advise all cubanas in this situation to dress conservatively (e.g. long pants, not too revealing tops etc.) to avoid being classified as jineteras; my girl did this and we did not encounter any problems.

- CALLING OUTSIDE
At the Melia Habana opposite the Centro Comercial in Miramar they sell phone cards in denominations of 5,- and 10,- CUC that allow you to call the US from any street/private/local phone at any time; cost about CUC 2,-/minute (more for Europe).

- INTERNET ACCESS
At the same hotel I found the fastest and most efficient internet access so far in La Habana + professional/courteous service; open 8:30 - 20:00; rates at CUC 3.-/30 min. - 5.-/hr were better than at the Isabela.

- STAYING AT A CP WITH A CUBANA
To protect your girl from the dangerous entry as an 'acompanante' into the official register, ask the casa owners to just note her details from her carta de identitad: in any case they want the information more for their own safety in case some item in the house should 'go missing'.

Thanks gray - useful up to date info. In terms of the differing exchange rates 0.5% is negligible unless you are changing millions which presumably you were not!
Cheers
john

Yup, thanks a million.

The 0.5% difference in exchange reflected my own experience -- definitely making it not worth shopping around. Thanks for the great info.

Regarding Club Habana, can you provide more information on that? Where is that in relation to Vedado/Habana Centro? Is it on a sandy beach?

Thanks for the info.

John - by changing Euro 2000 at a downtown CadecaI saved about CUC 100, which I rather spend on a dinner in pleasant company than on subsidising the commies.

Sorry folks - just discovered my mistake, of course I saved only CUC 10,- - just woke up...

#3
Club Habana is a new developement directly on the beach with all amenities, incl. restaurants/gym/sauna/jacuzzis etc.
I just saw it from the outside as they didn't let me in, but it sure looked nice. My friends say it's really great, nice sand beach, clean and safe. It's in Siboney, about a 25 minute drive west on 5ta avenida from Vedado passing Miramar and actually not far from the commandante's compound.

I went to the airport cadeca and a downtown bank in Havana last october on the same day...my receipts were identical and were from the Banco Popular de Ahorras and the rate was also identical....I did this experiment just to check rumors of lower rates at the airport.....with currencies changing values daily, this is the only way to really check.
As for your comment on "to protect your girl..........." My understanding is that as long as your girl hasn't shown up on the register with other yumas, there's no problem and I'd suggest if she's afraid to register with you its either because she doesn't feel you have a long term commitment and she doesn't want her name in the register with you because she won't be able to register with someone else in the future, or, she's already been registered with someone else and doesn' want to get picked up for jinitiendo. As for the casa owner, if he doesn't register your girl and immigration should drop by and catch him, at the very least he will lose his license.....I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend what you have suggested.

#7
You checked the exchange rate situation last October, I checked 5 days ago (on the same day of course) - no further comment.
Who said that it was my girl's idea not getting registered? I know Cuba since 96 and a thing or 2 about the idiosyncrasies of that place - it's always A LOT safer for a reputable (or any) girl to NOT get registered ANYWHERE as having been involved in ANYTHING having to do with foreigners. You're free to take my advice or discard it. While casa owners in all likelihood are better judges of any risks they're taking than you.

BTW, the word is 'jineteando' (free advice on how to improve your Cuban-Spanish).

I have been to Club Havana 3 times, and yes, it is very very nice. You have to either be a member, or have the abililty to talk your way in and there is an entrance fee, but I do not know the amount as I have always been able to get in without paying.

#9
My friends (who've been in a couple of times) tell me the "visitor's fee" is CUC 10.-/person.

Thanks for the updated information. I've been to Club Havana and Marina Hem. numerous times, but not at this time of year. I was always riding my bike, when I went to Club Havana, and never charged any entrance fee. Although when I was with Cuban friends, male or female, I did not try to enter, as my friends told me there would either be a charge, or they might be kept out. In any case, I prefer the area you describe at Maina Hemingway, although again, I've never been charged any entrance fee, and all cuban friends are welcome with me, or alone. Usually when I've been there, some of the people from the boats are having a drink--although most of them stay on their boats. Although I prefer M. Hemingway, if you like sand, Club Havana is where you'd want to go in that part of Havana.

graywolf, thanks for the money exchange update. It's nice to confirm that the post from a month claiming there was a 5% difference was either confused (or scammed) and that there's no appreciable change in the CADECA exchange rate policy.

Cheers,
Terry

PS I've been to the Havana Club several times. "Normal" Cubans had zero problems. Anyone with a whiff of Jinetera/Jinetero was bared from entry. It was 10 CUC for a day pass, and that included a couple of drinks, and a sandwich.

poshmcdoo, I have to agree with you that the op is putting everyone at risk by breaking the law except himself. The owner of the casa could lose his casa for a lousy $20 and/or be fined $2000 CUC and the girl, well don’t get me started on that. It’s not against the law for a Cuban to have a foreign boy/girlfriend. It is against the law to have more than one and the only way a policeman can confirm if she is in Havana legally is to find her name on a registry book with a good back-up story like we are going to the consulate this week for an interview to come to Canada. By having the girl register her name under his name each and every time is to build up a history of their relationship and ensure she doesn’t have multiple sex partners and if she is detained for a background check any lawyer fresh out of law school can ask the casa owner for the registry book with her name and the date going back to their first official encounter. Without that history of a relationship on record it wouldn’t take a judge more than a few minute to write prostitution on her file.

Can you imagine the conversation with the immigration officials to invite your novia to Canada for a visit? Let me see if I understand you posh, you say that you and the girl have been together in Cuba for the last 7 years but you don’t have any proof or anything in writing. Isn’t there a law the girl has to register her name in the book to stay in the casa with you? You ¡What!? You wanted to be a gentleman and protect her by keeping her name out of the computer? Do you mind repeating that again for my supervisor that it’s a LOT safer for a reputable (or any) girl to NOT get registered ANYWHERE as having been involved in ANYTHING having to do with foreigners? Jejeje. posh let’s call this a draw, application denied and we will just shed her name in the shedder so it doesn’t appear anywhere. Hold it posh, one of our investigators found her name on file in a registry book in a casa in Island of Youth but it’s with another tourist Wild_Bll lol

#13 + 7

FYG wise guys, the idea came from these particular casa owners, which are not the dumbest lot, given the place they live in and how they live - this is not the run of the mill CUC 35 dump you might be used to; they explained to me that this is their SOP and why.
But we (at least) are all free people so do as you please.

#12
For good order's sake I also heard on site that until quite recently an apparent part time scam at the money exchange of the Jose Marti arrival lounge apparently did go on - seems the employees had 2 sets oft conversion tables for display in their window (similar to the 2
menu scam in restaurants), and the difference to the 'real' rate seems to have indeed been a couple of %.

Rickie....as usual you have me completely dumbfounded....your entire first paragraph agrees with me and everything in it makes sense to me....the entire second paragraph runs off in the wild somewhere even to the point of my girl, who's part never came up in the conversation, and who is, as we speak, living with me as a permanent resident in Canada....pm me and I'll give you my phone number so you can call and confirm that....and she and I always registered in every casa we ever stayed at....that too is easy for immigration to check, and we currently are staying, when in Cuba, with the son of the owner of the casa where Wild Bill always stayed.
Gray wolf....as you point out, we are all free to do as we wish and if you can get away without registering your girl...go for it....stupid laws are made to be broken....just don't get caught....and its always easy to advocate breaking a law where if you do get caught, nothing happens to you.....if your casa owner and your girl are okay with it...its their risk.

Posh, I agreed with everything you wrote and only jesting as to an interesting conversation it would be if the op was in your shoe and wanted to invite his gf to Canada and she has never registered her name in the book. I offer you my sincere apologies if I offended you or your gf in anyway. It was not my intent and I have no reason to doubt you that she is in Canada.

Everyone is free to post their Cuban experience and how they handle the chica problems but I think it’s better for everyone to have the girl sign-in giving her a history of a relationship in case he wants to marry her or bring her out of Cuba. It’s like applying for a loan and don’t have a credit history.

It’s a urban legend that Cubans can’t be with a foreigner. They can and you proved that but to claim the casa owner prefers she doesn’t sign the book suggests something else. IMO $35 buys a pretty nice casa and nothing to sneeze at.

graywolf, sent you a pm.

#17
I didn't say that 'Cubans can’t be with a foreigner', only that it's a lot safer not to be seen doing so.
Depending on the Cuban's profession it would be quite detrimental to his/her career if the Cuban big brother ever cottoned on, e.g. if he/she is a (active) physician, scientist, dancer in a national group or similar. It's like coming out as a gay person in a US red state: you can do it, but it's better for your career if you don't.

I confirm the OP's statement concerning the rate differential at the airport Cadeca based on experience within the last week. This is a change from as recently as January. Sure, it's not the end of the world, but as an attitudinal thing it should be avoided. I resent being regarded as a cash cow to be milked at every possible opportunity.

Change the money you require for immediate expenses only at the airport and the rest at a bank!