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USA To Cuba
An-D
EnthusiastAshevilleRegistered User regular
EnthusiastAshevilleRegistered User regular
So, my friend and I are looking for a kind of epic/hard-to-get-to place to travel, and of course, Cuba came up. Its crazy difficult to get to Cuba, with tons of paperwork and whatnot needed from the US Government before you can even get on a plane. And once you get to Cuba, you're not allowed to spend money on any goods manufactured there (or something like that).
So (and I'm sorry if this crosses into that 'illegal advice' rule on this forum. If so, than just lock it), we were wondering if it is really a huge deal to just go to Mexico or a Central American country and than hopping on a plane/boat over to Cuba for a few days. From what we've read, when you get to Cuba, they won't stamp your passport and you get a Visa stapled to your passport (or something like that). When you leave Cuba, there is no trace that you were ever there.
Is that true? I know I've heard of Americans going to Cuba without all kinds of crazy official business going on. Has anyone tried/know anyone that does it? And will Customs really freak out on our way back into the United States? From everything I've read, that is the main obstacle (and why this might not be okay for the H/A forum)...there could be consequences for going to Cuba without "permission."
Any advice, PA?
So (and I'm sorry if this crosses into that 'illegal advice' rule on this forum. If so, than just lock it), we were wondering if it is really a huge deal to just go to Mexico or a Central American country and than hopping on a plane/boat over to Cuba for a few days. From what we've read, when you get to Cuba, they won't stamp your passport and you get a Visa stapled to your passport (or something like that). When you leave Cuba, there is no trace that you were ever there.
Is that true? I know I've heard of Americans going to Cuba without all kinds of crazy official business going on. Has anyone tried/know anyone that does it? And will Customs really freak out on our way back into the United States? From everything I've read, that is the main obstacle (and why this might not be okay for the H/A forum)...there could be consequences for going to Cuba without "permission."
Any advice, PA?
An-D on
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which i would guess is the exact opposite of fun
An-D, it's no big deal to go for a few days, just change your money to canadian in mexico(no usa debit/credit cards in cuba and usd is charged extra fee) and don't bring anything made in cuba back with you or say where you went when you return. Don't lie, just don't say anything.
ps all other normal requirements for visiting a foreign country apply, plan it in advance, get shots/visa, etc etc
i never said there was
And really there is nothing to see there anyway.
so i'm pretty sure telling him HOW to do this is kinda a no-no
Actually
but i'm sure people do this or there would be no business
Cuba is one of those places. Just sayin'.
america can do this as well you know
It's also not that interesting when you get there. Cuba is the Cancun of Canada.
There are plenty of epic places you can go without the hassle.
How?
Typically you have to do something wrong for that to happen.
Although not really relevant to the OP, I take it you're suggesting that the embargo was a result of seizure of US businesses and property in Cuba, as opposed to a fear of communism. In which case you should probably brush up on what a communist revolution entails.
Straight from Marx and Engel's Communist Manifesto:
In other words, the private sector is supposed to become public property - being seized by the government.
What makes it different than Cuba, then?
If you want to talk about who has embargoes against whom, or how the Cuban-American exiles are fucking retarded, feel free to start a D&D thread.
I recommend going to either North Korea or Somalia
north korea or tibet are the places i'd want to go for a sense of adventure, or if you are not a fatty, just do any intense nature experience in south america, alaska or southeast asia.
b) fly to Cuba
c) thank your deity/patron scientist of choice that Canadian privacy laws bar Canadian airlines reporting passengers to the American government
Say you bought the souvenirs, cigars and rum in Canada. Don't get cute.
EDIT oh yeah, don't be a moron and buy your ticket from Canada to Cuba with an American bank account/credit card. Get a Canadian friend to buy your ticket, and wire them the cash. Operate cash-only in Cuba.
EDIT MK 2 Cuba is well aware that Americans love cigars and rum and cuban ladies er culture, so they give you a card to stick in your passport rather then a stamp.
i did quote it earlier
What crime? I offer advice that is completely legal in Canada. I'm not aware of the details of American law.
You don't have to do anything wrong for it to happen. I'm not saying it's likely to happen, but if the cops in Cuba say "You're staying in this prison" then you don't really have much recourse. Communist dictatorship and all.
It isn't illegal to travel to cuba w/o a license, it's illegal to spend $ - giving cubans hard currency is why, essentially - if you don't have a license issued by the treasury. you break no laws by travelling to cuba. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html explains it. it's pretty easy to get a license if you really want one.
It is one of those things that`s extralegal, so illegal but largely tolerated. Just know that if you travel there, it will come up if you are trying to get something like a Top Secret clearance to do work for a Defense contractor.
I read about the removable page-thing and no-stamp deal, which is super cool.
And the reason Cuba was picked, is that my friend and I are moving to Asia (China and South Korea) for a year or so this coming summer. We'll have plenty of chances to try to get into NoKo or Tibet while we are there. So, we're kind of keeping it in this hemisphere.
Do not, for any fucking reason, try to get into North Korea.
While I can't control what you do with your travel dollars, you should be aware that you can only visit there on a guided tour designed solely to make North Korea look good while prying away your cold, hard cash that goes straight to Kim Jong-Il's coffers. Oh, and if you screw up on the tour (i.e., you don't bow hard enough to a statue of the glorious leader) you could get deported and your guide punished, which at a minimum usually means they get thrown in jail.
Yeah, North Korea is a bad idea.
It's basically the same point I was trying to make with Cuba.
Look, going to Cuba is all well and good. But don't think you're going somewhere EPIC or EXTREME. It's a party destination for most of the rest of the world. People go there specifically because there are no Americans. Yes, you're doing something illicit by visiting. But so did the thousands of people that went before. There are sections of mass-market guidebooks written on how to do it. Whoop-de-do.
There are loads of more interesting and dangerous places you can go, that are actually adventurous. Go find a country that doesn't even have a real guidebook written on it, where they don't have tourists, and where people will look at you like you have two heads because why the fuck would anyone ever want to come here unless they had to?!?!
I've done it, repeatedly. It's fun if you can handle it.
To the rest of the world, we really don't see what the big deal about Cuba is besides an American free vacation spot. I can walk into a travel agents office, get an all expenses paid trip to Cuba for a week for less then a grand Canadian. Not exactly an EXTREME place to visit. If I were to somehow get into NK, you would never hear from me again.
Typical Cuban resort:
The only hotel constructed in North Korea which was never finished because honestly, WHO THE FUCK IS GOING TO STAY THERE?!: