03-09-2007, 12:04 PM
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#1
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Organ Donator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beastly Muck
Posts: 13,136
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I had wanted to launch a thread on my jaunt to Cuba last week, replete with all manner of spectacular pics out the yinyang, but some piece of shit stole my camera outside Havana Stadium after a beisbol game. (Sancti SpÃ*ritus defeated Havana City in ten innings or crisp, error-free ball. Beer-free, too, unfortunately. In fact there was very little vending at all.)
People are pretty great -- curious, friendly, and everybody with access to cigars somehow. Religion isn't taken very seriously, with or without the revolution. Santeria is widely practiced, which is no more goofy than Catholicism (in fact it owes much to that Mother of Superstitions).
I especially like the billboards. One, using just pictures rebus-like, posed the equation: Bush + Luis Posada Carriles = Hitler.
Anyway, Havana was pretty frigging cool, thieving little bastards notwithstanding.
My lungs are clogged with cigar tar (for a change).
Edit (the pic I took was better!):
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La propriété, c'est le vol ...
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03-09-2007, 01:05 PM
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#2
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Guest
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Sorry about your camera Phil, glad to hear you had a good time :)
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03-09-2007, 01:16 PM
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#3
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Guest
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Quote:
Philboid Studge wrote
I had wanted to launch a thread on my jaunt to Cuba last week, replete with all manner of spectacular pics out the yinyang, but some piece of shit stole my camera outside Havana Stadium after a beisbol game. (Sancti SpÃ*ritus defeated Havana City in ten innings or crisp, error-free ball. Beer-free, too, unfortunately. In fact there was very little vending at all.)
People are pretty great -- curious, friendly, and everybody with access to cigars somehow. Religion isn't taken very seriously, with or without the revolution. Santeria is widely practiced, which is no more goofy than Catholicism (in fact it owes much to that Mother of Superstitions).
I especially like the billboards. One, using just pictures rebus-like, posed the equation: Bush + Luis Posada Carriles = Hitler.
Anyway, Havana was pretty frigging cool, thieving little bastards notwithstanding.
My lungs are clogged with cigar tar (for a change).
Edit (the pic I took was better!):
http://i17.tinypic.com/40nvu40.jpg
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I had a girlfriend in Panama that practiced a form of Santeria and she would put an upside down broom against the door at night when we went to bed. I asked her what it was for and she told me it would keep evil out. I showed her my 9mm and told her she could leave the broom in the closet. :lol:
BTW - she still put the broom there every night.
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03-09-2007, 01:26 PM
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#4
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Guest
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Did you go to Cuba via some other country, I'm guessing?
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03-09-2007, 01:48 PM
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#5
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Organ Donator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beastly Muck
Posts: 13,136
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Bahamas.
A Merkin can arrange -- and prepay -- for an entire trip via a travel agent in Canada.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
La propriété, c'est le vol ...
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03-09-2007, 02:07 PM
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#6
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Obsessed Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: 3rd notch in the bible belt
Posts: 1,342
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There's a bill in the US Senate right now that will ease travel restrictions on Americans who want to go to Cuba. I don't know if they've tried to pass something like this before, though. There seems to be more and more support all the time for ending the embargo.
Christian: One who believes that the New Testament is a divinely inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his neighbor. - Ambrose Bierce
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03-09-2007, 02:25 PM
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#7
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I Live Here
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: prick up your ears
Posts: 20,553
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but the embatrgo is just starting to work.......
You can always turn tricks for a few extra bucks. If looks are an issue, there's the glory hole option, but don't expect more than ... tips.
~ Philiboid Studge
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03-09-2007, 02:27 PM
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#8
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Stinkin' Mod
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Britland
Posts: 13,616
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....no rush then ?.......
Stop the Holy See men!
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03-09-2007, 03:56 PM
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#9
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Guest
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Quote:
Philboid Studge wrote
Bahamas.
A Merkin can arrange -- and prepay -- for an entire trip via a travel agent in Canada.
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Wouldn't your American passport will reveal that you traveled to Cuba? And if the Cuban government stamped your American passport, would you have any fines from the American government or you're clear?
I'm asking you this because my partner is American Citizen and she wants to visit Cuba but she's heard some where that if the American government sees that her passport has been stamped by the Cuban government she would be fined $ 5,000.00 dlls.
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03-09-2007, 04:19 PM
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#10
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Guest
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I heard that they won't stamp your passport if you go through canada, but it's a bit out of the way for her, I'm guessing.
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03-09-2007, 05:01 PM
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#11
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Mistress Monster Mod'rator Spy
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The North Coast
Posts: 15,428
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But right across the lake from me! :D
"I do not intend to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death."
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
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03-09-2007, 11:52 PM
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#12
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Guest
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The US government restricting citizen travel…yup, it’s the land of the free.
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03-10-2007, 07:13 AM
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#13
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Organ Donator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beastly Muck
Posts: 13,136
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Quote:
HomoCyclist wrote
Quote:
Philboid Studge wrote
Bahamas.
A Merkin can arrange -- and prepay -- for an entire trip via a travel agent in Canada.
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Wouldn't your American passport will reveal that you traveled to Cuba? And if the Cuban government stamped your American passport, would you have any fines from the American government or you're clear?
I'm asking you this because my partner is American Citizen and she wants to visit Cuba but she's heard some where that if the American government sees that her passport has been stamped by the Cuban government she would be fined $ 5,000.00 dlls.
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They don't stamp US passports. (They give you a separate tourist visa that you hand in when you leave.)
I've heard that the fines (and even prison time) are theoretically possible, but even the US customs agents sort of turn a blind eye to it. There's about 20,000 Merkins who visit Cuba every year, most of them illegally.
The difficulties in Cuba for Merkins is more about $$. You can't use US-issued credit or ATM cards. It used to be the case that dollars were accepted everywhere, but El Jefe passed a decree in 2004 that makes tourists use 'convertible' pesos (CUC). The exchange rate is ostensibly $1 = 1 CUC, but the motherfuckers take 20% right off the top when you exhange.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
La propriété, c'est le vol ...
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03-10-2007, 07:24 AM
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#14
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Organ Donator
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beastly Muck
Posts: 13,136
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Quote:
GodlessHeathen wrote
There's a bill in the US Senate right now that will ease travel restrictions on Americans who want to go to Cuba. I don't know if they've tried to pass something like this before, though. There seems to be more and more support all the time for ending the embargo.
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Yes and no, my Godless friend. Monkey Boy actually tightened restrictions on travel a few years back (and Castro responded with the 20% reaming on the exhange rate, see above). The House of Reps is now considering a bill which would restore the freedom to travel to Cuba (HR 654 currently w/ 76 co-sponsors). I don't know if the senate is involved yet; if you know of any such thing, pls lemme know. I'm writing about this right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
La propriété, c'est le vol ...
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03-10-2007, 08:16 AM
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#15
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Guest
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Quote:
PinkFlamingo wrote
I heard that they won't stamp your passport if you go through canada, but it's a bit out of the way for her, I'm guessing.
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Thanks for the info, PF!
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