homintern wrote:

guyforguy wrote:

being loud and obnoxious is a big no no

I knew there must be a reason why so few Americans went there

The reason is that it is illegal.
The Cubans would love to see us, and pretty soon things will open up and we will overrun the island with McDonalds and fat asses.

From the Yara to the Malecon in Vedado the boys / men are cruising about from the late afternoon.
The smokey / brightly lit Palmares cafe gets busy up to about 11.
The crowd moves down to the Malecon after 11 and stays busy until 6 AM.
The first two photos are of boys swimming off the Maelcon in Vedado.
The second two is the crowd that swims in Havana Veija (Old Havana).
Many different shapes, sizes, colours....something for everyone.
Can't tell you much more, or the fat asses might start their pre-invasion now.

Surfcrest

Thaiquila wrote:

The Cubans would love to see us, and pretty soon things will open up and we will overrun the island with McDonalds and fat asses.

How sad for the Cubans. Friends who have been there tell me how refreshing it is to be in a country so free of American kitch, and for that matter, Americans. I hope the Cubans will hold onto their rich culture and heritage long after Fidel has gone.

homintern is on your IGNORE list.

Cuba and especially Havana is rich in culture, especially with the Arts.

In Cuba, education, health care and housing are provided to everyone.
Ration cards are also issued so that everyone has access to subsidized rations of the basic household necessities for food.
Salaries range from about 250 - 650 Pesos Nationales per month and the conversion is 26 Pesos Nationales to one Peso Convertable or CUC.
To purchase anything beyond the basics in food, including many items we
take for granted (Shampoo / Conditioner / Soap / Shoes / Jeans one must save
what ever Pesos Nationales he / she can, convert to CUC to be able to purchase an item that isn’t part of their basic monthly rations.
.
One young Cuban man explained to us, as he purchased a 1.5 litre bottle of Orange Soda
that to him “To enjoy "the good life" Cubans must supplement their income.
This encourages a system where people can profit at what they do best.
Art, be it music / dance / creative can be the most profitable for the very best.
For example a painter on the Paseo can sell you a painting for 250$ CUC.
Multiply that by 26 and you can see how much he / she earned in respect to
some average salaries of 250 (government restaurant worker) to 650 (surgeon /
specialist) would earn per month.
The best of the best philosophy certainly applies to “rent” men as well.
From selling peanuts / begging to tourists to renting rooms / apartments, most
are supplementing their incomes both legally and illegally.

The Cubans make a sacrifice each time they break down and buy something American over the black market. With the embargo, these items cost far more than their equivalent value in the US. This in addition to the Cuban tax of 11.5% on anything American, especially the dollar.

Undoubtedly, the biggest change to the Cuban way of life would probably be a decision in the US about the embargo once Fidel is gone.
The Venezuelans could become a problem if the Cubans improve their relationship with the US. Similarly so the Cuban system would collapse if State educated professionals bolted to the US for US wage rates.
Cubans are all educated people and it appears as though they are aware what the source of their despair is and at how important their social structure is.
Their resilience over the past 47 years must be commended.
I, for one, hope post-Fidel change is minimal and of course positive.
The country is beautiful and Havana amazing.

Surfcrest

homintern wrote:

Aunty wrote:

I hope the Cubans will hold onto their rich culture and heritage long after Fidel has gone.

It's worked for the Nw Zlndrs under Comrade Helen (Cluck)

I see my stalker is back. Yawn. Darling we'd noticed you'd gone, can't say you were missed.

homintern is on your IGNORE list.

Nice photos, nice post (as usual) Surfcrest.
Much appreciated.
Cuba looks to be a fascinating place to visit for inquisitive gays.

Thanks for your kind words once again IwanUK.

Cuba is an ideal destination for gay men, particularly
for bottoms that crave a well endowed man. I brought
my Chinese boyfreind that thought he had died and gone
to heaven.

The only challenge, as I mentioned before was the language
barrier. I spend most my time off the beaten track, so perhaps
my experiences were different from others.

Surfcrest

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB153/index.htm

Merry Christmas Cedric

Surfcrest

Wow,  seems like we americans are really taking the hits.  Not all of it deserved but I have to agree we have a habit of sticking our noses where they don't belong.  Still we are decent hard working individuals.  I have never agreed with the embargo on cuba and when I worked in miami, had several cuban friends.  They are indeed a nice friendly people and I look forward to the day I can visit there legally.  They have suffered long enough and we have only added to their suffering.