Recent reports have inspired me to see for myself if the scene in Havana has deteriorated as far as others suggest. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Havana-hating might be inspired by a preference for a very specific kind of guy. My own tastes run to well-hung, muscular, mulatto bottoms. I will be sure to report back on my findings. So far, PlanetRomeo has set me up to have a very good time. We shall see. 

when are you going back?

3 hours ago, JAYBLK said:

Recent reports have inspired me to see for myself if the scene in Havana has deteriorated as far as others suggest. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Havana-hating might be inspired by a preference for a very specific kind of guy. My own tastes run to well-hung, muscular, mulatto bottoms. I will be sure to report back on my findings. So far, PlanetRomeo has set me up to have a very good time. We shall see. 

I had a wonderful time in Havana when I went in January. I suppose it would depend on what one's expectations are. I always hang with locals and I appreciate the Afro-Cuban gente.

None of us in our small group had issues with booking dates each day, if that was going to be your next question.

6 hours ago, JAYBLK said:

Recent reports have inspired me to see for myself if the scene in Havana has deteriorated as far as others suggest. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Havana-hating might be inspired by a preference for a very specific kind of guy. My own tastes run to well-hung, muscular, mulatto bottoms. I will be sure to report back on my findings. So far, PlanetRomeo has set me up to have a very good time. We shall see. 

My Brit acquaintance was recently in Habana; he spent a lot of time at Parque Central where he and his amigo picked up guys.  If I'd stayed my dates-- I would have joined them in their quests!

53 minutes ago, axiom2001 said:

If I'd stayed my dates-- I would have joined them in their quests!

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be a Merry Christmas.

6 hours ago, SolaceSoul said:

I had a wonderful time in Havana when I went in January. I suppose it would depend on what one's expectations are. I always hang with locals and I appreciate the Afro-Cuban gente.

None of us in our small group had issues with booking dates each day, if that was going to be your next question.

That wasnt going to be my next question. But, now it is. Where did you find success solace? What were pricing expectations like?

And the communication strategies, as I understand wifi is relatively inaccessible?

19 minutes ago, JAYBLK said:

That wasnt going to be my next question. But, now it is. Where did you find success solace? What were pricing expectations like?

I had success all over -- at the clubs, the restaurants, the bars next to the clubs, the boys outside the club that couldn't afford to get in, the Malecon boardwalk, the parks, cruising down the market street, the beach, then boys introduced me to their friends. Prices were negotiable. No one I met turned down 20. The average Cuban income is $5 a week.

24 minutes ago, bobbalino said:

And the communication strategies, as I understand wifi is relatively inaccessible?

My plan is to get a sim card with a local telephone number as soon as I get there. SMS will be the primary communication venue. There is available wifi in certain locations including hotels. I will try to make do with that. I will let you know how it works out.

2 minutes ago, bobbalino said:

And the communication strategies, as I understand wifi is relatively inaccessible?

There's been spotty wifi for about a year now. You'll see all the people acting like zombies in the wifi spots in public squares.

8 hours ago, floridarob said:

when are you going back?

Week of 4/17

SolaceSoul, this might be handled via a group PM thread, as 30,000 registrants here do not necessarily warrant access to some of your "trade secrets". I had remembered you were Cuba-bound and had been contemplating requesting a report through someone's eyes in a good head on shoulders. 

Thanks, SolaceSoul ... our msgs collided in the ether.

Zombies, hahaha ... cut-rate Walking Dead footage.

The people in general are poor, for as mentioned above, the monthly salary is a mere and incomprehensible wage of $20 US plus a card for basic goods.  Many individuals who have a university degree stop doing what their profession calls for and go into the "private sector--" renting rooms in apartments for $25 - $30 per night (and including breakfast)-- depending on the facility itself, (casa particular)  opening up their homes into restaurants (paladors) driving taxis, being tour guides with a company, etc.   But from all of the adversitites undergone throughout the 50+ years of the US embargo, the people have been quite resilient.

I found the fee requested by some of the guys to be from $20 - $30 CUCs, the currency used by tourists.  To avoid being assessed a fee of 15% on dollars that are exchanged to CUCs-- buy Euros and exchange.  That's what I did in March of 2017.  In 2015 I took Canadian dollars to exchange.

Also, guys-- take bars of soap (hotel toiietries) and toothbrushes and paste, disposal razors, and other basics to give to the guys.  A local, who was suppose to have been my guide, a guy who worked in a lab at a hospital relayed to me that many basic items that Cubans have to purchase are expensive.  Because we failed to meet (He would have received $30CUC's from me for guiding me throughout Havana for a day.)--I wired him some money and sent him a package, for he'd returned to Habana a day or two prior to our established meeting.   I hope to return in 2018 to meet my British amigo after doing a 15 day tour.  I also plan to meet and experience Habana with Yuriel.

On 4/12/2017 at 2:43 PM, JAYBLK said:

Week of 4/17

I do hope you'll report back regarding lodging, restaurants, your "sexcreational" activities, and any other valuable snippets for future travelers as well as to those men who've been there previously.  I always learn of places to go, events in which to partake, etc...

On 4/12/2017 at 12:40 PM, SolaceSoul said:

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be a Merry Christmas.

 

When I turned on Scruff in Havana, my phone nearly exploded.

13 hours ago, Thumper1 said:

When I turned on Scruff in Havana, my phone nearly exploded.

Really? I just searched Havana on Scruff with no filters and I didn't find that many people. I mean, I found a lot of people, but many of them were 100+ miles away in Key West...

This was in February, but yes.