Jump to content

Let's Go To Cuba Guys!


R W Burgess

Recommended Posts

http://www.aacamuseum.org/aaca-museum-cuba-trip-spring-2015/

I know everyone follows the Speedster? It comes in your e-mail box every month.

Wait! Some of you guys are not AACA members, so you need to check out what you're missing in the AACA!

For instance the link above at the very last page of this month's Speedster blew me away. The AACA Museum has set up a very special tour to Cuba!

I have heard so much about Cuba all of my life, and now we have an opportunity to visit the island, and guess what?

They will let us come back home on something larger than a pontoon boat in the middle of the night!!!:cool:

Check it out!

Wayne

Edited by R W Burgess
sorry, meant larger, not smaller! Whoa, what's smaller than a pontoon boat? (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wayne, if I didn't know you, I would have figured

you were kidding! Cuba? A run-down Communist

country with no freedom?

Forgetting politics, I bet the old cars on the streets will be interesting.

I'm sure it will be an adventure and a real eye-opening cultural experience.

Countries like that typically don't let visitors go wherever they want to go,

so that the image is carefully controlled. So you'll see the BEST '57 Chevys!

And you can be sure you'll be watched. Are you going?

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Romania before Communism collapsed c. 1990,

there was one particular hotel where all the foreigners

stayed in the national capital. The maids went through

every foreigner's luggage and photographed EVERY piece of

paper in it; the ashtrays and floral arrangements at the

hotel restaurant had hidden microphones; and every

payphone within a (half-mile, as I recall) radius of that

hotel was bugged. I read these facts as a first-hand account,

written by the head of espionage for that country, who since

defected to the U.S.A. and published very revealing exposes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Romania before Communism collapsed c. 1990,

there was one particular hotel where all the foreigners

stayed in the national capital. The maids went through

every foreigner's luggage and photographed EVERY piece of

paper in it; the ashtrays and floral arrangements at the

hotel restaurant had hidden microphones; and every

payphone within a (half-mile, as I recall) radius of that

hotel was bugged. I read these facts as a first-hand account,

written by the head of espionage for that country, who since

defected to the U.S.A. and published very revealing

?????

And your point is what, John?

This thread about the Cuban Tour sounds like a nice trip. I anticipate some fun conversations with the locals about old cars. In this day and age of security cameras "everywhere" Romania is history.

Peter J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peter

Communism isn't "history." I think John is just saying to be careful with your identification and personal papers.

I did not say anything about "Communism isn't history"?

Should have made myself more clear that "if anyone, anywhere in the world wants your private info they can get it with little effort". I took John's wording as scaring people into not supporting what I believe to be an interesting trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My point was, be watchful, be very careful.

Other Americans have gone. You'll see the best they

have to offer. Some of what you see likely won't be real,

and it will be carefully crafted to misshape your opinion.

It will certainly be an experience to talk about afterward.

Having read books about the subject, I see now

how VASTLY those countries differ from the typical

not-so-perfect democracies. I could tell you much more,

but politics aren't the topic for this forum. If you read

those books--first-hand accounts by people who were there--

you would be on your knees thanking your Creator for

even our fallible congressmen!

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

West is right, though your carefulness would extend

to what you say, where you go, what you look at.

You likely wouldn't be able to engage in candid conversation

with anyone you want. The "locals" you talk to may either

be hesitant to talk openly; or you'll be talking to agents

whom you think to be candid average people.

In a different totalitarian government, a man was

heard to remark privately, "That actor!" derogatorily

about a national office-holder. That was all. He spent

6 months of misery in a concentration camp, followed by

a month in solitary confinement.

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The fact is there are a lot of people who have made this trip in the past few years. Most of those I talked to did encounter some hardships with availability of all the niceties that we have in this country. However, many equally enjoyed the trip and getting to see first hand what Cuba looks like today. Certainly not a trip for everybody but it will probably be very memorable!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only thing they have there that I don't have, can see, or can get here is genuine Cuban cigars and truth be known they're over rated and over priced...............Bob

I've had one and it was actually very good and is this coming from someone who is not a smoker. I was told by the person who gave it to me that you can get them in Canada and they're not really that expensive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

In case anyone thought my claims for caution were a bit

audacious, here are a few quotations from today's

Wall Street Journal (Dec. 22, page A15, column by Mary O'Grady):

"in the first six months of this year, according to The Havana

Consulting Group, there were 327,000 visitors to Cuba from

the U. S."

"The isolation...is caused by the police state, which

controls and surveils foreigners' movements, herding

most visitors into resort enclaves...

"More visitors won't do anything to reduce Cuban poverty.

The regime pockets the hard currency that they leave behind

and pays workers in worthless pesos. Foreigners who

decide to reward good workers without state approval

can face prison."

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...