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Havana Cuba

My oldest son, aka Swifty, is planning a trip to Havana. Does anyone have any book recommendations? He is interested in history, culture, architecture, or in other words, the whole shebang.

 

Has anyone been to Havana since the US opened the locked door? If so, any recommendations on what to see. do, etc.

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Havana Cuba

The 27th annual Havana International Book Fair will be held in Havana feb 1 - 11.  You can google the details.  

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Havana Cuba


@lludwig wrote:

My oldest son, aka Swifty, is planning a trip to Havana. Does anyone have any book recommendations? He is interested in history, culture, architecture, or in other words, the whole shebang.

 

Has anyone been to Havana since the US opened the locked door? If so, any recommendations on what to see. do, etc.


 

Ths "locked door" was never fully unlocked, and is about to close more tightly.

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/traveling-to-cuba-under-trump-policy-what-you-need-to-...

 

.

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Havana Cuba

oldmagazines - Thanks for the info. But I know he wants to go sooner rather than later. He usually just picks a place on a world map one day and a couple of days later jumps on the plane for a long week-end. 

 

bumping squirrel - Very helpful! Thanks. I knew that the door wasn't fully open as well as the fact that Trump was trying to reverse some of Obama's policies regarding travel to Cuba. I had read that Trump wanted to get things done 30 days after his announcement in June. The Rolling Stone article clarified that part. I've worked in goverment long enough to know that changing policy/regulations in 30 days usually doesn't happen - 30 days is usually the public comment period for new regulations. Of all the articles I've read on the changes, that was one of the better ones and I am sending my son the link. Thanks again.

 

"What if I want to sneak in a solo trip before the rules go into effect?

 

It took four months for Obama's policy to come into play, and Trump's could take a similar amount of time. The president requested that the Commerce and Treasury departments approve his directives within 30 days, but the new policies won't take effect until the new regulations have been finalized – a process that can take months. So if you're headed to Cuba within the next several weeks, you should be OK without changing your plans. But if you were hoping to go after that, it would probably be a good idea to book through a tour company."

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Havana Cuba

Thanks again for the responses especially the email that I received from a bookseller who has been there. Sadly my son decided that most likely he will not go after all. First he is finding it to be a "huge pain". Also although he has travled the world over by himself, for this trip he wanted someone to go with him and can't find anyone. And no, he didn't ask me to go with him! LOL

 

As he said there are plenty of other places he has never been where he can go for a long weekend.

 

Meanwhile he is planning on taking two weeks this winter to go to Australia. Anyone been there? Many years ago I had a guest from Australia who stayed with us for several days. Met her on the original Book Board. I'll have to see if she is still a member of ebay. Only remember her ebay ID, not even her real name!

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Havana Cuba

I just sent you a private message about Australia. I haven't been there but know some people who might be able to help.

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
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Havana Cuba

figtree3 - Sorry for the long delay in responding. Time got away from me (shock of the sudden death of a friend and visit by my college roommate with her daughter and 'brand new' grandaughter.)

 

I'll email you later if I can figure out how to reply, it changed! But my son likes the things mentioned earlier re: Cuba as well as night life and eating the local cuisine. He was such a picky eater as a child and now in his world travels he tries everything and anything. His dad and I can not believe the things that he has eaten!

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Havana Cuba


@lludwig wrote:

figtree3 - Sorry for the long delay in responding. Time got away from me (shock of the sudden death of a friend and visit by my college roommate with her daughter and 'brand new' grandaughter.)

 

I'll email you later if I can figure out how to reply, it changed! But my son likes the things mentioned earlier re: Cuba as well as night life and eating the local cuisine. He was such a picky eater as a child and now in his world travels he tries everything and anything. His dad and I can not believe the things that he has eaten!


You might also try contacting me through the regular eBay contact form available through the Feedback page. I think that will still work but they make you type in a 6-digit number.

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
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Havana Cuba

Lludwig, I just sent you a message through regular eBay, too.

 

And I forgot to say, I'm very sorry to hear of the sudden death of your friend. My sympathy to you...

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
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Havana Cuba

figtree3 - My son planned on leaving for Australia at the end of the month but due to the heat wave in Sydney, he decided he will go to New Zealand. I may not be the world traveler that he is, but I do learn a lot about each new place he goes, first by reading about the place and then by hearing about his actual trip.


Travel Sidenote: Funny story from this past August when we had our annual extended family reunion at a state park near my childhood home. There are 10 modern cabins and last year I was able to snag them all! Although the San Francisio son has come back from CA twice for it, the NYC son has expressed no interest in as he puts it, "going to the mountains of PA." He has said that if we had it in the mountains out west then he would consider it. lol


Anyway, the weekend of the reunion he said he planned on going to Spain and meet up with some friends. That was the weekend of the Barcelona attacks. I didn't know where he was going in Spain and was worried that he might be in Barcelona .

 

When we travel 'home' for the reunion we first stop in State College where my youngest brother lives. He usually is in a hurry to get on the road and I barely have time for a bathroom break. However, this time he tells us to sit down and relax and that his friend who is a plumber is in his basement fixing something. After a couple of minutes of waiting my brother calls down the steps and says, "John, come on up and I'll give you the keys to the house." Up from the basement comes not a guy who I had envisioned to be around my brother's age but instead this young guy who was my NYC son! I had already started to say, "Hi John..." when I realized who it was. My brother had talked him into taking a train the night before to Tyrone and going with us. My youngest brother always plans the best surprises!


Thanks re: my friend. It was such a shock. Sadly as the twilight years approach, it is going to happen more often than one would like.

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Havana Cuba


@lludwig wrote:

figtree3 - My son planned on leaving for Australia at the end of the month but due to the heat wave in Sydney, he decided he will go to New Zealand. I may not be the world traveler that he is, but I do learn a lot about each new place he goes, first by reading about the place and then by hearing about his actual trip.


Travel Sidenote: Funny story from this past August when we had our annual extended family reunion at a state park near my childhood home. There are 10 modern cabins and last year I was able to snag them all! Although the San Francisio son has come back from CA twice for it, the NYC son has expressed no interest in as he puts it, "going to the mountains of PA." He has said that if we had it in the mountains out west then he would consider it. lol


Anyway, the weekend of the reunion he said he planned on going to Spain and meet up with some friends. That was the weekend of the Barcelona attacks. I didn't know where he was going in Spain and was worried that he might be in Barcelona .

 

When we travel 'home' for the reunion we first stop in State College where my youngest brother lives. He usually is in a hurry to get on the road and I barely have time for a bathroom break. However, this time he tells us to sit down and relax and that his friend who is a plumber is in his basement fixing something. After a couple of minutes of waiting my brother calls down the steps and says, "John, come on up and I'll give you the keys to the house." Up from the basement comes not a guy who I had envisioned to be around my brother's age but instead this young guy who was my NYC son! I had already started to say, "Hi John..." when I realized who it was. My brother had talked him into taking a train the night before to Tyrone and going with us. My youngest brother always plans the best surprises!


Thanks re: my friend. It was such a shock. Sadly as the twilight years approach, it is going to happen more often than one would like.


Thank you for the update, @lludwig !

 

I love the stories about your sons. Both of them. Sounds like you had a good time! It's great to hear from you.

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
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Havana Cuba

Figtree3 - re: "I love the stories about your sons...It's great to hear from you." Thank you for saying such a nice thing. I truly appreciate it. It is also great to hear from you!

 

Sunday was a "Where in the World is the NYC son?" On Saturday I had such a strong urge to call him that came out of the blue (mother's intuition that something is afoot?) . I decided to wait and that maybe he would call on Sunday. Sure enough he called on Sunday and said he was in Miami (65 degrees)! He has been there several times and really likes the beaches, the nightlife, the architecture, the food, and the vibrant culture. On Wednesday (his birthday) he heads out to LA. Then it is back to the 'cold mean streets' of the Big Apple! I dunno if when he gets back he will then plan his trip to OZ or NZ or if this last minute junket means that he is putting a trip to down under on the back burner. 

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Havana Cuba


@lludwig wrote:

Figtree3 - re: "I love the stories about your sons...It's great to hear from you." Thank you for saying such a nice thing. I truly appreciate it. It is also great to hear from you!

 

Sunday was a "Where in the World is the NYC son?" On Saturday I had such a strong urge to call him that came out of the blue (mother's intuition that something is afoot?) . I decided to wait and that maybe he would call on Sunday. Sure enough he called on Sunday and said he was in Miami (65 degrees)! He has been there several times and really likes the beaches, the nightlife, the architecture, the food, and the vibrant culture. On Wednesday (his birthday) he heads out to LA. Then it is back to the 'cold mean streets' of the Big Apple! I dunno if when he gets back he will then plan his trip to OZ or NZ or if this last minute junket means that he is putting a trip to down under on the back burner. 


 

Lludwig, it sounds like keeping up with him could be a full-time job! Thanks again.

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
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Havana Cuba

@figtree3

My son landed in Australia yesterday and he will be crossing paths with the son and daughter of a good friend from college. The NYC son left Easter Sun and had a 2 night layover in LA where he visited a friend. He then flew to Singapore for another 2 night layover. He had been there before and really liked it. This time his hotel was more in the heart of things. Although he was somewhat familiar with Singapore, but this time a former intern at his business grew up there and now lives there prepared him a long list of places. She and her boyfriend also took him to dinner where the locals go.

 

He will be two weeks in Australia but doesn't have anything planned beyond Sydney, except the weekend before he leaves will be when he gets together with the son and daughter of our friend. Last time he saw our friend's son was last year in Singapore where the friend's son worked for a year. My son hasn't seen the sister since she was about 12. What a coincidence that they all will be half away around the world at the same time.

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Havana Cuba

Thanks for the update! I hope they both enjoy themselves on their trips.

 

Sydney is a large city, and he should be able to find plenty to do without any specific plans.

 

EBay was so happy to see a post that they sent me three notifications that you had tagged me. In order for the same not to happen to you, there are no tags in this post. grinning

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Current avatar: Actress Myrna Loy.
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