<B><s>San Jose, Costa Rica</s>
Camaguey City, Camaguey Province, Cuba</B>
To continue...
So what else is there to say before moving on. Hmmm.
Regarding my biggest regret, well, obviously I feel bad about it. I've even thought of going back to see if that girl is working, from the street, where the low rent girls gather.
It would hopefully be a waste of time and money; meaning I wouldn't find her.
That wouldn't mean she hadn't been drawn into the business though. She might just be taking a break; she might be working one of the few clubs; she might be off cause she got pregnant; lastly she might have been sent to a prison work camp.
Without knowing her name and address there's really no way I can find out for sure what became of her. Now realizing how calculating and smooth the two jineteros were, I doubt they'd have let a find like that just go on her merry way after she'd paid them their first demand.
You know... Of the few places I've hobbied Cuba was the first one, and so far only one, where I've done this sort of thing. Meaning, possibly, unintentionally, put a never-sold-herself-before girl on that path. The fact that decent pay2play options were hard to find kind of set the stage for it to happen.
The other girl; the one I kept for four days; she was different. She heard me coming along as I walked back to my Casa late one night. She turned and flashed me a friendly, "Hey how are you?" type smile. Before I could respond some teen on a bike rode up and started talking with her while she walked. I, being a fast walker, outpaced them and was soon at my Casa's door.
As she came near to passing hesitated; was afraid to stop her. To all appearances she was just another college age girl walking home after the concert.
As luck would have it though, Il Italiano and his girl arrived back, in a bicycle taxi, seconds after me - just as the girl was passing. What timing!
Il Italiano, much more experienced in the ways in Cuba, and more bold than I, saved the <s>day</s> night. Reading my face and body language; seeing I was kind of frozen watching the girl pass; he made a kissy kissy sound with his lips.
IMMEDIATELY the girl turned around and smiled.
That was all I needed. In Spanish I said, "Yo tengo un problemo. Tengo una cama grande pero no chica. Quires dormir conmigo esta noche?" (I have a problem. I have a large bed but no girl. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?")
"Si," she said happily.
At that we went to my room and I made the deal I mentioned earlier - about paying her 20CUC just to sleep with me and 30CUC if we had sex.
That girl, while she seemed very normal, probably had at least a bit of experience. Either that or she'd already thought about doing it, if the opportunity came up, and was comfortable with the idea. She must have been a bit of a free spirit to have a tattoo of the Devil on her calve!
On the other hand she probably wasn't experienced enough to have crossed the line between accepting gifts from a lover, sort of, to accepting money outright. Otherwise why would she have jumped at the chance to go shopping - but kept all the receipts?
It seems like a silly distinction I know but I believe, to some (many) girls there is a difference. Hell up here you have service providers that insist on calling the money a donation or tip. I don't know though, maybe there's a way to wiggle out of being charged with prostitution if you don't accept payment for sex - the "donation," being a gift supposedly independent of the, uh, activities?
So I've no bad feelings about that girl. I don't lead girls on either. This one mentioned how it would be nice if we got married. I told her that I didn't come to Cuba to find a wife; and that being married to a girl her age, while maybe not unheard of there, would be ridiculous in Canada.
I also, usually, tell the girls I am like a dog - in that I like to fuck different girls.
<I>Speaking of dogs, we saw two doing it in the street as we passed by in a bicycle taxi. I yelled "Hey! Otros positiones!" ("Hey! Other positions!") much to the amusement of my girl and the driver. Ha ha ha. I crack myself up sometimes.</I>
What would you guys have done if faced with the same difficulties I had in getting pay2play action? It wasn't a conscious idea to me - the notion of finding a fresh girl and putting her on such a path. (I wasn't thinking that far ahead).
If I had it to do over again I am not saying I would not go after the girl. With such a beauty the little head often takes charge. I would do it differently though - and leave jineteros out of it.
Here's how I think it should be done:
<ul>
<li>find a decent Casa Illegal to stay at. Some are every bit as nice as government licensed ones. For that enlist the help of a taxi driver - making it clear that he is to show you to the place but stay outside while you find out the price.
<li>don't mention why you need a Casa Illegal. He'll probably know anyway if he has half a brain.
<li>if he offers a girl to you tell him you're not interested.
<li>make it clear to the Casa owner your intention to (probably) bring a different girl back each night - when it's dark.
<li>now go out and find your temporary girlfriends. The ones that work the street you're probably not going to want. That leaves the ones that work the night clubs. The one that picked me was mechanical in bed but otherwise very nice to be with. Certainly there are others like her that are more natural in bed.
<li>if need be; if you can't find a suitable full or part-timer, you now have the option of bringing a normal girl to your place - since she won't have to put her ID in a registry.
<li>if you doubt that the girl you pick up has ever hired herself out before DO NOT <U>EVER</U> OFFER TO PAY HER CASH - unless you don't mind risking pushing her over a (psychological) line there's no crossing back from.
</ul>
This is an untested "game plan," I thought up. If I ever go back there I'll put it to the test.
Yes I do not rule out going after normal girls. I will never again offer them straight payment though. Nor would I proposition them, to have sex, right away.
A better plan, to hopefully avoid having them make the connection in their mind between having sex, with a stranger, and, uh, prostitution, would be to go slow.
Start a conversation with her by asking her directions or the time or, well, whatever; see how she responds to you; if favorably, and after some time has passed, maybe tell her how pretty she is. If she hadn't guessed before then what you were after she'll start getting the idea.
If things move along well, maybe say something, in Spanish of course, like:
"Listen I really like you. I think you're great. It's too late now (make sure it is) but tomorrow I'd love to take you shopping; buy you some nice new clothes. Right now though, to be honest, all I can think about is what it would be like to make love to you,"
Would that work? Definitely sometimes and maybe often. The whole encounter should feel very natural - admittedly harder to pull off if there's a great age difference.
Done this way a lot of girls would not think of themselves as whores. They'd be giving and receiving pleasure from someone they've come to like. Probably on that island, where the vast majority of the families have nothing in the way of luxury; no endless means of distraction; having sex/making love is one of the only really pleasant ways to pass the time.
Of course even if you don't involve jineteros there's always the risk that they, ever watching and waiting for ways to make a CUC, will take note of the girl with you and bookmark her for a future shake-down. The only way of pretty much ruling that possibility out is by keeping her in the Casa 24/7. But then how would you take her shopping?
Really, for me, I think it's best to stick with girls that have already crossed that line - hopefully of their own free will.
Um. I guess that's it. I can't think of anything else to say really - except for these few points:
<ul>
<li>there are air conditioned tourist buses to get around the island.
<li>a couple of cities are very historic and pretty. I didn't visit them though.
<li>a guy named Pototo - you say Potato, he says Pototo - has a useful website about Cuba. (I think it's his). Check it out at:
http://www.cuba-junky.com/havana/pototo.htm.
<li>remember the opening Disclaimer of this Cuba report: YMMV - and things might have changed in three years. Research research research before you go. Or go with VERY low expectations, wing-it, and take what good times you find.
<li>Casas should have air conditioning as well. If you're they're when it's very hot make sure yours works before settling in. It took me days to get a brighter bulb put in the bathroom. There's no telling how long you'd wait for an air conditioner to be repaired
<li>Cuba is somewhat noisy. Not from traffic; from animals. Expect to hear roosters crow through the night; maybe pigs screaming as one of them gets its throat cut. Silicone putty earplugs are invaluable in blocking out a lot of noise. Much better than foam ones because they don't try to expand in your ear, nor do they irritate it. Also a plush sleep mask, with extra padding below the eyes to better block light from that area, will make even the brightest room PITCH BLACK. At first you feel it on your head but after a while it's barely noticeable.
</ul>
Next up is Costa Rica. It should be a MUCH shorter report. The scene there is pretty straightforward and I've no stories to tell. I'll probably use a summation type format to just quickly list the pros and cons of hobbying there.
Chica Chaser