Cuba... Off the bucket list... For all the wrong reasons.

[atavist]

Just got this message from a friend who is currently in Cuba... From here report I think we are making it off the desirable ports list.
.....


Communism is interesting, but for watching it outside, not to be inside. I don't know was USSR regime similar to cuban. But if it was i'm glad that i was born after it crashed.

Yes, people here equal. But they equally poor. All their activities are watched by Big Brother. And they can't leave their country without permission. Nevertheless they are very kind, honest and credulous here. And always try to earn money with the help of tourists. Comparing to the locals even backpackers here are millioners. What is very sad. And internet here extremely expensive. 6-8$ per one hour of slow access!

To be a tourist here is very expensive. Government trying to get from foreigners as much as possible. Locals can't host anyone. It's forbidden. So couchsurfing is not working here. It's also not allowed to camp in their amazing mountains (i tryed, but was kicked out by police. People from neighbour village saw me and called them). And they don't provide paying campsites. The only place where tourist can stay is hotel (there are no hostels) for 50-150$ per night or private houses with permission to lease a room. In last u can stay for 15-25 per night. With or without breakfast. It depends on how u're good in bargaining. I stayed for 15 without. But the place is good. With conditioner, fridge, fen, private shower, tv and two beds. If i travel with someone i'll be able to share price and stay for 7-10. But unfortunately i'm as they say here ”solo”. So i had to pay for one useless bad also.

Also in Cuba they use two kinds of money: cheap peso for locals (1$=24 peso) and CUC (equivalent of $). Government tries to make all foreigners use only cuc. For example, cubans pay for bus from Havana to Cienfuegos 58 peso, tourist 50 cuc. But i can travel with locals in hitch trucks, equipped for people transportation, for peso (50 peso per 300 km), cause police don't pay attention on them.

Also food. There are supermarkets with cuc price and bazaars for peso.

So for me it's too expensive. That's why i booked a flight to Mexico on Saturday. And i gonna wait u there. I tryed to find ships or ferries to other Carribean islands. But for cubans it's forbidden to leave their country by ocean, cause of usa embargo (that's why also all plains that fly to Jamaica or whatever make a circle in sky round Cuba, what makes price for ticket there expensive than to Cancun). And all foreign ship and yacht will be in cuban ports not earlier than november-december. I visited all of them in person.