Quote: Huge Bear @ April 22 2009, 6:57 PM BSTCuba's unique. I first went over there from Jamaica several years ago - the Canadians had just put a lot of money in to rebuild the airport, almost certainly cocking a snook at the US. No Starbucks or Pizza Hut or any other of the capitalist strongholds, but the buildings and infrastucture were crumbling pretty badly...
You get hassled a lot in Jamaica for money ("no I don't want a taxi/pedalo/hair braided/weed") and the same in Cuba so the girlfriend (who'd been before) and I naturally put the barriers up. Strangely enough it turned out that a lot of people simply wanted to talk to us, and just by inviting them to eat with us we had some totally amazing conversations.
When we flew back to Jamaica we made a lot of American friends in Negril, and to a person they were supremely jealous that we'd been. ("what's it like? what's it like?")
Oh yeah, and there really are street musicians on almost every corner.
The one thing that every other visitor we met in Cuba said was "we're here before Castro dies". And it's true the Americans can't wait to go. I heard some of them use the back door (Canada) to enter the country.
We stay at the Comodoro bungalows in Havana. It's very unhotely (!) and it's a short bus ride to the city.
Quote: Huge Bear @ April 22 2009, 7:17 PM BSTYou have to spend at least one night at one of the "grand" old hotels, the Inglaterra or Sevilla. And try and ignore the fact the plumbing's a bit wonky...
Really? you're the third person to tell me that. I'll look into it. 
I'm flattered Soots, but I'm already spoken for!
