Hi there, we use cookies to improve your experience on our website. You can update your settings by clicking the Privacy policy link at the bottom of the page. Had a return ticket for April Not that easy to get a long term ticket - had to get a family visa in advance from the Cuban embassy - very cooperative and fast. Many days of visiting friends, biking, joking, beer, etc. Other long-term Candians were regulars at the usual beer stops.
That caught a lot of people in a trap as they had longer term plans. The regs were also being applied differently to different people. No public Internet access for 2 months - nobody sure why - it was around the time of the Cuban elections. That caused problems for some people with banking, etc. I decided to change my visa to a tourist visa so I could stay till April. To do that I had to leave the country. If in Santiago, check this out - only 4 blocks from Parque Cespedes.
Trip to Dominican Republic a breeze, returned on same plane - only time for bathroom, a smoke, and 1 beer. Had talked to immigration at Santiago airport before leaving about which address to put on my visa - my 1 night in Santiago, of my address in Holguin - very casually they said the 1 night.
They were much politer than I was. Service in Santiago close to non-existant in many places. The famous Casa Granda balcony a good example of that - fetch your own drink, pay higher than average for a poor coctail. Went to a baseball game 1 night there - although the team is due to win the championship, hardly any fans, so boring, and very hot, so stayed on 4 innings.
Legal taxi's less expensive than pirate cabs. The other about 2 blocks from immigration. Legal taxi's even harder. Baseball - the team hung in about at. Some very good games, and a lot of fun because there are some crazy fans - and some of those are my friends. Their young 19 pitcher Chapman - who can throw 96mph was fun to watch if he was on - every 2nd time he pitched had control probs and would be yanked before the end of the 2nd.
