Welcome to Omgili,
Omgili ( Oh My God I Love It ;) is a search engine for discussions. With Omgili you can find answers and solutions, debates, discussions, personal experiences, opinions and more... To learn more about Omgili click here.
This is a complete preview of the discussion as it was indexed by Omgili crawlers. Use this preview if the original discussion is unavailable.
Click here to view the original discussion.
 |
|
 |
|
Traveling to Cuba: Looking for Tips & Advice - travel Discussion Forum
My wife and I are seriously considering traveling to Cuba early next year.
Having spoken to friends with European passports who have done it -- it sounds fabulous, a bit like going back in time.
We've decided that the time to see Cuba is now -- before the US trade embargo ends and American commerce invades.
The point is to see it now, with the old 1960's and 1970's vehicles still cluttering up the streets, and before Havana is a melange of American fast-food joints, Starbucks, and possibly, the return of the American casinos.
My wife is Japanese and would be going with a Japanese passport.
I would be going with an American passport.
I know we'd have to travel there via Canada or some other country for a connecting flight, but beyond that, I'd like to get some tips, especially from other Americans who may have done this trip already.
Are there any Yanks here who have ventured to Cuba for a vacation?
What are your tips?
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Isn't it illegal for you to do this, however tempting it is?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There is a loophole which Canadian travel companies are able to exploit.
The embargo actually only forbids the spending of American dollars in Cuba -- either through trade or, even potentially, tourism.
It does not actually outlaw travel to Cuba.
There are Canadian tour companies which allow you to cash in your American dollars for Canadian dollars -- thus you are not spending any American dollars at all in Cuba, you're spending Canadian dollars.
Actually, you could probably do this with any currency -- we could convert to Euros or Yen before we go.
Funny thing -- I mentioned this to an American friend at dinner last night who suprised me by telling me he did thus just a few years ago.
He and his girlfriend traveled to Havana via Vancouver BC, and converted all of their spending money into Canadian dollars before they went -- hence, no laws are broken.
The Cuban authorities don't even stamp your passport, because they don't want to create problems for other potential American tourists and want to encourage tourism to the island.
Besides, being told where you can and can't go seems rather authoritarian to me.
If the Cubans have no problem with hosting us, I rather resent my own government telling me, East German style, that I can't go.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OH FANTASTIC, J. ESPRESSO!!!
THANK YOU! My wife is from the UK and we'd like to do this for the very same reasons you'd like to, but I didn't want to break the law, however inane it is!
I have a friend who used to sing with a musical group and wasn't able to go with the group on one of the last "cultural exchanges" before the "previous administration" cracked down on such organized visits.
What a lost opportunity!
Are you trying to find out things useful to individual travel vs.
The sort of organized group travel with whichmost Americans would be familiar.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You will be getting a temporary stamped paper instead of a stamp on your U.S.
Passport. The flight to Cuba will be overpriced, way overpriced if you left from Mexico.
And realize, Cuba has been catering to non-U.S.
And "unofficial" U.S.
Visitors for years- you will still be somewhat isolated in "all-inclusive" type hotels and run into typical tourist traps.
I believe you have every right to educate yourselves about the place, but too often the quaintness begins to look like plain old poverty.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, I think those are all wise points.
I live in the Seattle area, so going to Vancouver would be easy.
I suppose it would be interesting to see a place where the '60's never arrived...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
...on the other hand...
Perhaps it would be like standing around looking at a car wreck...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I highly recommend this trip, however, I feel that I must warn you that converting US dollars to some other currency does not circumvent the law.
The law applies to all who live and work within US jurisdiction, and it makes illegal the spending of any money (regardless of form or currency) that was earned under US jurisdiction.
This applies to both foreigners living and working in the US, as well as US citizens who have earned money abroad.
The only case where it may not apply is to a long-term ex-pat who is exempt from US income tax.
Technically, the only legal way around this is to have the entire trip financed by a foreign benefactor who has earned all of their income outside of US jurisdiction.
That said, the trip is worth it, both for the awe and the civil disobedience aspect of it.
I do recommend converting US dollars to Euros anyway;
Several years ago the Cuban government decided to impose a tax on the exchange of US dollars--you get around this by bringing your money in a foreign currency.
Other than that, the tips depend of what kind of vacation you want.
If you want a luxury beach vacation, there certainly are resorts etc.
That cater to foreigners.
If you want to experience Cuban life, this is not the way to go.
Some Cubans are licensed to rent rooms in their homes ("casa particular");
These cost around 25 US dollars per night and are the way to go if you want to experience Cuban life and culture (the trip I recommend;
The people are amazing).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It sounds fabulous??
What's your idea of fabulous?
And it's not like going back in time.
It will be like going back to the land where time forgot.
If pre-1958 Cuba was still around you would see the most beautiful and abundant island ever possible.
But sadly today you will see nothing but the confines of your tourist trap.
Which will make Cuba look like heaven.
But if your smart you'll realize you're in a trap.
If you managed to make it out on your own, and you can.
You'll quickly see the true poverty stricken ghetto Cuba, Castro is so proud of today.
So if your point is to see it "now" all you will see is a country destroyed by a dictator.
And I think you mean to see all the cars from the '50's and '40's (American) Any cars from the '60's and '70's would be Russian made.
But seeing as your post is very anti-Capitalist.
Of course you would love a communist country where you have no rights.
If you were a rich and famous American actor like Sean Penn, or Danny Glover or Jack Nicholson.
You'd fall in love with it too.
Because you can have all the drugs and underage girls you want.
And the USA will never know about it.
(s !)
I'm not trying to bash on your dream trip.
I'm just sad to see so many people being so naive about countries like Cuba.
I am Cuban and love my culture.
But the people got what they deserved.
And today their children have to suffer through it.
I have to suffer knowing that my Cuba doesn't exist anymore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frankly, every citizen of every country besides the US can openly visit and spend their money.
How open and free of the U.S gov't is that?
I'm not trying to bash on your nightmare trip ;) You could be right, but slandering "rich and famous American actors" and accusing people of anti-capitalist freedom-hating does not help your cause.
The vocal Anti-Castro exiles have done nothing but help entrench Castro, and perhaps you deserve that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nothing could illuminate what's happened in America over the last decade or so than this thread.
One guy wants to know some practical information about going to a place that many people, for whatever reason, consider interesting.
After a few exchanges, some right-wing knuckle-dragger chimes in and starts in with a chorus of ad hominems, directed at both irrelevent public figures and thread participants.
There should be some place one can have an intellegent, polite discussion without Fox News rearing its ugly head.
I have no illusions about Castro or Communism, but the Francoites in Miami conveniently leave out what a horrible, horrible pit Cuba was under Batista and how there was zero chance in anything changing for most Cubans otherwise.
A dictator, ANY dictator, is going to crush any Western, liberal, moderate opposition in a heartbeat.
That's why only the cockroaches survive and prosper in a dictatorship.
You didn't think the League of Women Voters was going to have tea with Batista and politely ask him to please stop sucking the blood out of the country for himself, the US mafia, and his landowning cronies, did you?
I'm not a fool.
I know the Cuban government parks the Candadians in self-contained resorts a million miles from anywhere where they won't see any random Cubans, and God forbid, any random Cubans won't see them.
I also know the average Cuban is better off now than under Batista and THAT's the only relevent comparison, not how well they would or would not be in a free, capitalist state governed by the rule of law.
Because I want to see one of the last places that hasn't been "Cancun-ed" doesn't make me stupid and it doesn't make me in any sense of the word un-American.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Www.hereishavana.wordpress.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|