Going to Cuba

[guido911]

Need some top notch medical care so I am taking a cruise to Cuba.  Two days in Havana. Very interested in going to this place.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Need some top notch medical care so I am taking a cruise to Cuba.  Two days in Havana. Very interested in going to this place.

I see your ship is coming into port to pick you up........

[guido911]

I see your ship is coming into port to pick you up........

Bwahahaha....

[cannon_fodder]

Need some top notch medical care so I am taking a cruise to Cuba.  Two days in Havana. Very interested in going to this place.

I had a friend just get back from a week in Cuba.  She said it was awesome.  I think getting over there before it becomes "just" another tourist island is probably the way to go... just to go and see something different.

[CRZ]

My wife and I are heading there on Norwegian in June.  We can't wait to see Havana before the Starbucks and Diamond Internationals pop up like the rest of the cruise ports in the Caribbean. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

Need some top notch medical care so I am taking a cruise to Cuba.   Two days in Havana. Very interested in going to this place.

Sounds like a lot of fun!  Be sure to post pics about all the old cars!   Would love to do the "Rick Steve's tour"!

One of the kids is talking about it for later this year...would love to go along with.  Well, except for the cruise part - I just wanna fly in and back out.  With a little detour to St. Thomas, maybe...


Rick Steves guide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GYOUawe5wg

[guido911]

My wife and I are heading there on Norwegian in June.  We can't wait to see Havana before the Starbucks and Diamond Internationals pop up like the rest of the cruise ports in the Caribbean. 

Keep us posted on your vacation. I'm very interested in excursions and want to see.

[guido911]

Okay. Did this thing.

Positives:

People are wonderful, and very interested in Americans. Cuban police and immigration officers were terrific. Tourists were from all over the world. Saw Revolution square (counted out my 22 for 22 under Che's nose)

Negatives:

Food sucks. Poverty is awful. Infrastructure needs lots of improvement. Not enviro-friendly. Communism is massive fail.

Interesting things:

Truly Cuba is stuck in time. Still refer to the post Batista-era as "revolutionary". People get monthly rations and housing is structured around the extended family (something about gparents/parents/kids share homes and homes are passed down). Lots of crappy Lada cars, and, yep, all those vintage U.S. 1950s cars (original engines replaced with "modern" engines).

[heironymouspasparagus]

Okay. Did this thing.

Positives:

People are wonderful, and very interested in Americans. Cuban police and immigration officers were terrific. Tourists were from all over the world. Saw Revolution square (counted out my 22 for 22 under Che's nose)

Negatives:

Food sucks. Poverty is awful. Infrastructure needs lots of improvement. Not enviro-friendly. Communism is massive fail.

Interesting things:

Truly Cuba is stuck in time. Still refer to the post Batista-era as "revolutionary". People get monthly rations and housing is structured around the extended family (something about gparents/parents/kids share homes and homes are passed down). Lots of crappy Lada cars, and, yep, all those vintage U.S. 1950s cars (original engines replaced with "modern" engines).

Some family just got back on Saturday - they loved it!  Same descriptions.  Just like Rick Steves said....

Also, it ain't communism any more than any other tin-horn dictatorship.

[Conan71]

Okay. Did this thing.

Positives:

People are wonderful, and very interested in Americans. Cuban police and immigration officers were terrific. Tourists were from all over the world. Saw Revolution square (counted out my 22 for 22 under Che's nose)

Negatives:

Food sucks. Poverty is awful. Infrastructure needs lots of improvement. Not enviro-friendly. Communism is massive fail.

Interesting things:

Truly Cuba is stuck in time. Still refer to the post Batista-era as "revolutionary". People get monthly rations and housing is structured around the extended family (something about gparents/parents/kids share homes and homes are passed down). Lots of crappy Lada cars, and, yep, all those vintage U.S. 1950s cars (original engines replaced with "modern" engines).

Interesting the food sucks.  I've always thought favorably of Caribbean food and assumed Cuba would be pretty much like anywhere else down there.

Hopefully as tourism blossoms there will be an uptick in prosperity.

[guido911]

Interesting the food sucks.  I've always thought favorably of Caribbean food and assumed Cuba would be pretty much like anywhere else down there.

Hopefully as tourism blossoms there will be an uptick in prosperity.

That last sentence is exactly what I'm praying for for those people. One of the things I was worried about was hoping to be coming to "touristy". It needs to become a  less impoverished, brainwashed city first. But I will say this again, I really loved the Cuban people.

As for the food, I also thought it would be loaded with flavor.  We ate at a high end restaurant but everything was way way under seasoned and overcooked. Thankfully someone we knew from Australia brought salt.  I was later told by some folks from Miami that if you want real flavorful Cuban food your best bet is in little Havana.

[heironymouspasparagus]

That last sentence is exactly what I'm praying for for those people. One of the things I was worried about was hoping to be coming to "touristy". It needs to become a  less impoverished, brainwashed city first. But I will say this again, I really loved the Cuban people.

As for the food, I also thought it would be loaded with flavor.  We ate at a high end restaurant but everything was way way under seasoned and overcooked. Thankfully someone we knew from Australia brought salt.  I was later told by some folks from Miami then if you want real flavorful Cuban food your best bet is in little Havana.

Americanized Cuban food.

We eat out with friends from time to time and the consensus on some of the places we go is that they are too bland.  Two in particular I like but never get to go to because of this.  And it is because they are using real foods, spices, peppers, etc to make the food - without the massive overdose of salt and MSG (and various sugars!) that replaces real flavors at so many places.   I try to talk about the difference between real flavors and the subtlety that should be there versus the salt-blast approach.  Futile effort.   'Murican's want extreme salt enhanced flavor!

[guido911]

Americanized Cuban food.

We eat out with friends from time to time and the consensus on some of the places we go is that they are too bland.  Two in particular I like but never get to go to because of this.  And it is because they are using real foods, spices, peppers, etc to make the food - without the massive overdose of salt and MSG (and various sugars!) that replaces real flavors at so many places.   I try to talk about the difference between real flavors and the subtlety that should be there versus the salt-blast approach.  Futile effort.   'Murican's want extreme salt enhanced flavor!

I spent a small fortune on culinary training years back. This was not a regional or misunderstood thing. It was just bad flavor.  And regardless how properly seasoned something is. Burnt food is burnt food

[heironymouspasparagus]

I spent a small fortune on culinary training years back. This was not a regional or misunderstood thing. It was just bad flavor.  And regardless how properly seasoned something is. Burnt food is burnt food

That is for sure!!

The one place I heard feedback on was Cabernet Parisienne.  Was said to be ok food, but not amazing.  No comment on show.  And they were pre-warned not to eat the local food or water....no one sick so far.