Cuba and human rights. Please ignore this if you think Cuba is a 1. Glorious Worker's Paradise or 2. 3rd largest prison on Earth (after Myammar and N. Korea) I would like to know more about human rights for the average person in Cuba. For instance, if a regular person (NOT a government employee, journalist, or someone w/ connections) could afford it, could they just leave and go to India for 2 weeks on vacation? Buy a computer and get full access to the Web? Visit a relative in Miami? Open a bookstore and import what they want? Start a blog discussing human rights in Cuba? What actually happens if they try sailing a boat to Miami or Mexico?
posted by ebesan on Oct 6, 2009 - 14 answers

Best currency to take for exchange in Cuba (Euro v Canadian v Sterling)? [more inside]
posted by inflatablekiwi on Jun 12, 2009 - 1 answer

Please recommend films that accurately represent life in Cuba around 1998, in terms of general mindset, day-to-day life, culture, language, and music. [more inside]
posted by dziga on Mar 11, 2009 - 4 answers

Is it safe to bring my Nikon SLR to Cuba? The depressed economy, and presence of hucksters makes me think not... [more inside]
posted by SNACKeR on Feb 23, 2009 - 16 answers

Mrs. Bonobo and I would like to travel to Cuba soon and were wondering if the March break is as busy there as it is in say, Florida or Mexico. [more inside]
posted by bonobothegreat on Feb 10, 2009 - 4 answers

Can a US/Canadian dual citizen travel in Cuba without a licence? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 26, 2009 - 7 answers

I've been digging on the cuban hip hop lately. I've seen the doc East of Havana. I listen to las Orishas, and I have the soundtrack/related album to East of Havana by El Cartel. I do like the artists featured there, but I enjoy las Orishas more because it feels a bit more infused with traditional Cuban music. Any recommendations of what else I can listen to? [more inside]
posted by Soulbee on Oct 30, 2008 - 3 answers

What is the cheapest way to get to Cuba from continental Europe? Do I have to go via the US? One more tricky question inside: [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 6, 2008 - 11 answers

Visa issues with Cuba. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 29, 2008 - 10 answers

How does one charter a plane? [and how much would it cost?] [more inside]
posted by Acari on Aug 28, 2008 - 6 answers

What's the proper name for the style of painting where pictures are created from large blocks of colour with very few details? It's the style of painting I associate with Cuba and South America and which was used for the artwork in GTA San Andreas.
posted by twine42 on Aug 14, 2008 - 9 answers

Cuba Travel from USA. What's the latest? The latest Askme questions on this are all before Raul Castro took power. Best way to travel? Through Canada? Mexico? Currency to use on the island? Any and all information and tips are appreciated - especially from those who have recent experience with travel to Cuba. Throwaway email for this question is 2cuba2008@gmail.com . Thanks to all.
posted by anonymous on Aug 12, 2008 - 6 answers

What can a person who brings 2 Cuban cigars into the US and has them seized at US Customs expect? [more inside]
posted by j1950 on Apr 3, 2008 - 19 answers

Cheap/free used sporting equipment for kids (baseball gloves) in Los Angeles? [more inside]
posted by rokusan on Mar 21, 2008 - 5 answers

I really want to get away from my house to finish up some screenplays for a May 1 deadline. So where can a not-so-rich person go for the last two weeks of April that will allow much peace and quiet while being both safe and warm enough to wander around in short sleeves night and day. Suppose a cost of around $1500--the cheaper the better--including return airfare to Toronto. Note that I like seclusion but I also don't drive so it needs to be someplace close to the necessities.
posted by dobbs on Feb 25, 2008 - 17 answers

Will a postcard from Cuba arrive in the US? [more inside]
posted by perpetualstroll on Feb 20, 2008 - 6 answers

I'm going to Cuba for a week at an all-inclusive resort in Varadero, and I'd appreciate practical advice on how to prepare (should I buy pesos or U.S. dollars ahead of time or when I arrive?) and what to see on a day trip to Havana. [more inside]
posted by Dasein on Feb 20, 2008 - 22 answers

I've recently been to Cuba and am very curious as to why the embargo continues. The cold war is over. Cuba is not a threat to the U.S. What am I missing?
posted by cookie googleman on Oct 31, 2007 - 24 answers

A friend of mine has a sibling who is studying in Cuba. How can said friend get to Havana from NYC for a visit? [more inside]
posted by otolith on Oct 21, 2007 - 27 answers

I'm an American traveling to Cuba legally (under a general license). What are the restrictions on what I can/cannot bring back into the U.S.?
posted by cookie googleman on Sep 17, 2007 - 3 answers

I am an American citizen. If I want to travel to Vietnam, all I need is a valid passport and visa; if I want to travel to Cuba, I either have to sign up for a special tour, be part of some pre-approved humanitarian/scientific/educational group, or be willing to break U.S. law. I know that there are extralegal ways for U.S-ians to travel to Cuba; this is not my main question. [more inside]
posted by rtha on Aug 23, 2007 - 14 answers

Michael Moore's movie had me thinking about why Cubans defect to the the US to play baseball. The sportscasters always told stories about Cuban oppression, from what I can recall. I was wondering if there are different reasons though. I'm thinking money is the biggest reason. Have any journalists or writers covered this in depth?
posted by jkafka on Jul 13, 2007 - 16 answers

Which mint should I grow for Mojitos? [more inside]
posted by twine42 on Jun 4, 2007 - 13 answers

HomelandSecurityFilter: If you have visas/stamps in your passport from Communist or former Communist nations, can this prejudice your entry into the US? [more inside]
posted by SpacemanRed on May 29, 2007 - 12 answers

What's the latest on US citizens as tourists in Cuba? I would greatly appreciate fairly recent ( within the last six to twelve months ) experiences of a US citizen visiting Cuba. I am a Canadian. I visited Cuba in 1994. I would like to return soon, but I'd like to go with US citizen, departing from Toronto. There seems to be a lot of conflicting info out there. Any responses greatly appreciated. Thanks.
posted by GoodJob! on Apr 19, 2007 - 15 answers

Hypotheticafilter: If my wife (UK Citizen) pays for everything on a trip to Cuba from the UK, will I (US Citizen) still be guilty of "Engaging in Trade with an Enemy"? [more inside]
posted by medium format on Feb 8, 2007 - 16 answers

Can anybody recommend a school to study intensive, intermediate-level Spanish in Cuba for two weeks? [more inside]
posted by penguin pie on Dec 17, 2006 - 2 answers

Gay Snowbird thinking about flying to Cuba. Any thoughts? Good experiences? Horror stories? [more inside]
posted by gesamtkunstwerk on Dec 9, 2006 - 18 answers

What's your favorite Cuban meal? [more inside]
posted by special-k on Oct 13, 2006 - 30 answers

How does one pronounce the word "exquisitos"? [more inside]
posted by brautigan on Sep 29, 2006 - 15 answers

I'd like to read a book about Castro's Cuba. [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah on Sep 8, 2006 - 6 answers

How easy and how smart would it be for a U.S. citizen to try to go to Cuba? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 3, 2006 - 34 answers

What was it like for cubans, and foreigners visting / working in cuba between the time of the revolution and the missile crisis. [more inside]
posted by miniape on Mar 23, 2006 - 2 answers

Can we use our cell phones in Cuba? [more inside]
posted by Cosine on May 25, 2005 - 11 answers

Going to Cuba at the beginning of May on my honeymoon. Simple (hopefully) question about currency. Should I take USD / Sterling / Euro's? Checked the thread on Lonely Planet but that just seems to give contradictory information.
posted by lloyder on Apr 19, 2005 - 6 answers

Under the US's 'wet foot, dry foot' policy, Cubans who reach U.S. soil are allowed to stay while those caught at sea are sent home.

Hypothetically (and I mean that), Let's say an American were to: take a boat out between the US and Cuba, drive around looking for refugees, pick them up, brings them back to Florida, and there ends his involvement.

Is the American guilty of a crime? Does it make a difference if the authorities find out after the fact instead of catching him out on the open sea? [more inside]
posted by John Kenneth Fisher on Feb 7, 2005 - 11 answers

In 2 weeks I am taking my first "real" vacation ever to A resort in Cuba, specifically, the Playa Costa Verde. I'm looking for tips/opinions. [more inside]. [more inside]
posted by aclevername on Feb 4, 2005 - 9 answers

Movies, sitcoms, and people who talk to much all make big todo about Cuban cigars. I figure much of this comes from the US embargo/ taboo against them, but is there anything more to them? I'd don't smoke, so I'll never have any first hand experience, but I've always wondered if they were actually special. Then why?
posted by dirtylittlemonkey on Nov 23, 2004 - 22 answers

I've always heard conflicting things about Cuba's state (economy, government, quality of life, all of it) under the leadership of Fidel Castro. Can someone link me to some sites that tell of the positive and negative impacts he has had on Cuba in the last few decades. The less pro- and anti- Castro propaganda, the better. If anyone has any personal stories to share, I'd be very interested in those as well. Thanks.
posted by Slimemonster on Jun 27, 2004 - 7 answers

Cycling in Cuba. (Lots more inside!) [more inside]
posted by lumiere on Jun 17, 2004 - 10 answers

Is it possible to register domains with the Cuban .cu suffix? My searches online have come up with nothing, but I can't tell if this is because the market is dominated by American companies.
posted by twine42 on Mar 5, 2004 - 4 answers

Help required regarding trip to Havana, Cuba (more inside...) [more inside]
posted by gravelshoes on Jan 26, 2004 - 4 answers