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 | Cuba Warnings or Dangers | Tips 1 - 10 of 143 |  |
 by LoriPori
Canadians should avoid driving. Road travel can be hazardous. Signs are scarce( I did not see one speed limit sign on our way to Havana). Bicycles, pedestrians ( especially hitchhikers), and horse-drawn carts use the middle of the road and do not readily give way to oncoming vehicles. Many vehicles are old and poorly maintained. Inoperable vehicles are often left on the road until repaired. Few roads are lit and and vehicles rarely have lights or reflectors. The National Highway which runs the length of the island is generally in good condition but other roads are generally poor.
So my advice to you, is to take a tour - don't drive yourself. Leave a Comment
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Exercise caution at all times, especially in tourist areas. Ensure personal belongings, passports and other travel documents are secure at all times. Avoid wearing jewellery or showing signs of affluence. Incidents should be reported to local police and victims should insist on receiving a copy of the report as police often only provide a slip of paper indicating that they took a statement on a certain date. In cases where a Canadian has been robbed of all identification and money, it is advisable to contact the Embassy of Canada before contacting the police in order to avoid being held in jail until your identity is confirmed and your solvency restored.
Tourists may be approached and offered black-market goods ( e.g. cigars ) or asked to change dollars for Cuban convertible pesos (CUC). Engaging in black-market transactions is illegal and can lead to difficulties with the Cuban authoritie. Never transport packages for strangers. Leave a Comment
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As public transportation is just about non-existant outside of Havana,(or perhaps too expensive or not dependable), people have to HITCH-HIKE to get anywhere. On our way to Havana, you could see just how much of a problem it is. On the highway, under every bridge, there were crowds of people looking for rides. Some even tried to wave down our tour bus. I've never seen anything like it. Women with small children and older folks, probably waiting for hours just to get a ride home.
You could also see folks walking along the sides of the narrow roads or some riding bicycles or horses and all sorts of horses pulling carts - unbelievable and so dangerous. Leave a Comment
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A friendly "Hey my friend!" "Amigo!" "English?" or questions about the time etc is common in tourist areas by so called "jineteros/jineteras", men and women who want to profit from tourists. Often this is an introduction to "get in business" with you. They offer private restaurants (where they get commission, and you will pay for it), cigars (black market) or women for sex. After a few days this can be annoying, therefore it is best to ignore them friendly but firm.
When you are getting approached in bars and discos, these are mostly jineteros that want to get free drinks. Leave a Comment
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 Police officer by Helga67
Nevertheless there is small crime like pick-pockets (beware also of the kids) especially where there are many tourists (Old Havana, Malecon).
Pedestrians should always give way to all vehicles in the streets because many Cuban drivers think, that they do not have to stop, when a pedestrian crosses the street. Leave a Comment
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If you decide to buy your cigars on the black market, just be sure you know enough about cigars to be able to distinguish a good one from a bad one. What some of the cigar factory employees will do is take the broken or ripped leaves that they're supposed to throw onto a table (deemed unfit for rolling), and proceed to roll cigars with these ripped or half-leaves. What you end up with is a cigar that's squishy and you can feel the air pockets in it. The quality is palpably inferior - but not everyone knows this. The label on the cigar is misleading. Also, if you buy a box of cigars, be sure to feel EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM in the box - don't let the seller try to get off by letting you touch just the top layer.
I prefered to purchase the cigars on the black market because I knew my money was going to a person instead of the State - however, I recommend this ONLY if your Spanish is good, and if you are comfortable with cigars. Leave a Comment
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Stay vigilant - no matter where you are, if you're in a rental car, there's sure to be a policeman somewhere close by, ready to issue you a ticket. We almost got a ticket just for stopping momentarily, while I got a photo of a monument in the Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana - I had one foot in the car while it was running, and one foot on the ground, aiming my camera, and before I knew it, bam - a cop was trying to give me a ticket!
Also, beware of speeding. No, there aren't really any speed limit signs posted - but that won't stop someone from trying to give you a ticket anyways. They usually run around $10 per infraction. If you've got a rental car, the policeman will simply write it down on your rental agreement which you must keep in your car at all times - and you'll pay it to the rental car service when you return your car....it's all State-owned.
Thankfully, we'd rented a car two different times there, and had kept a copy of our first rental car agreement. That's what we gave to the police every time we were pulled over for "speeding".
No need to worry about "paying off" the policemen. They're not looking for bribes - they're just looking out for the State.
Isn't communism beautiful - and efficient?! Leave a Comment
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The U.S. dollar, while being the monetary unit of choice in Cuba for any given transaction, is not accepted in credit card form. This is because there are no commercial relations between Cuba and the United States.
So - plan on taking enough cash with you, because your credit card (if it's financed through a U.S. bank), won't be recognized in Cuba. Leave a Comment
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If you stay in the resorts, this is unlikely to be a problem, but if you like to wander the streets, beware of the existence of regular pesos. Receiving regular pesos as change for a purchase would be a major rip-off. A regular peso is worth about 1/25th a convertible peso. Similiarly to pay for something on the street priced in regular pesos with convertible pesos would be a big mistake. There is very little available to buy with regular pesos, but having a few in your pocket can be useful if you plan to leave the tourist centers. Leave a Comment
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 Sugarcane: Lost in Central
Cuba by frecklesoup
1. Outside of Havana there are NO roadsigns. Get a detailed map, follow it closely, ask directions, then ask someone else, and ask someone else. (Cubans LOVE to help -- even if they dont know the answer!)
2. If you speak Spanish, it will help!
3. DO NOT DRIVE AFTER DARK. We were told this numerous times. The problem is, we kept getting lost (no road signs) and ended up out past sunset every time. It was very sketchy! Because...
4. There are potholes the size of small builidings and...
5. There are no street lights, few other cars on the road (and many dont have headlights)... But there are lots of other things (and people) on the roads. Like bicycles, horses, oxen, etc... Try finding the one-lane country road you need to turn onto in the middle of nowhere -- when it is pitch black and there are no street signs. It aint easy!
6. Do it anyway. It's all an adventure!
Have fun.. and safe travels... Leave a Comment
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