Tourists flocking to Cuba 'before the Americans come'

Houston Chronicle ^ | Mar 23, 2015 | ANDREA RODRIGUEZ and PETER ORSI

[posterchild]

HAVANA (AP) — Bookings to Cuba jumped 57 percent for one New York tour operator in the weeks after Washington said it would renew ties with Havana. In February, they were up 187 percent; and so far this month, nearly 250 percent.

The boom is just one sign that the rush is on to see Cuba now — before, as many predict, McDonald's claims a spot in Old Havana and Starbucks moves in on Cubita, the island's premium coffee brand.

The sense that detente will unleash an invasion of Yankee tourists and change the unique character of one of the world's last remaining bastions of communism is shared by many travelers flocking here.

"Cuba has a very authentic atmosphere which you see nowhere else in the world," Gay Ben Aharon of Israel said while walking through Revolution Square. "I wanted to see it before the American world ... but also the modern Western world comes here."

Outsiders may romanticize the "time-capsule" nation, but many on the island are ready for change.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Why would liberals like Cuba?

Well the last few election cycles has proved to us that liberals love them some gays.

The popularity of "50 Shades of Grey" suggests liberals love them some S&M.

Now where else can they see gays locked up and manacled (besides the Middle East)?

It's a liberal twofer!

[molson209]

Most of Cuba is exactly the same as the day Castro claimed it as his own

[tumblindice]

Years ago when I would still risk Mexico, down in Cancun, before getting on the sailboat for Isle Mujeres I noticed an old woman selling squares of toilet paper outside the ladies’ room.
She had apparently gone in and stolen the toilet paper for re-sale.
At the Cancun airport, I asked the customs drone where he went on vacation. He gave me a good “stink-eye” and replied, “Kooba”.

” ... after Washington said it would renew ties with Havana”
`Washington’ did no such thing. Like so many bad things coming *out* of Washington in recent years, this can be laid on the doorstep of our Marxist pResident.

[skeeter]

Tourists are flocking to see the Cuba America created in 1959 before the Americans come - got it.

[Paid_Russian_Troll]

To be honest it wasn’t that bad in late 1980s. Cuba has heavily deteriorated after Soviet collapse.

[Yollopoliuhqui]

If we had done this 50 years ago, Cuba would be a thriving capitalist nation state today.

[Blood of Tyrants]

http://therealcuba.com/

[RayChuang88]

There is a LOT of concern that once the sanctions lift, within 10-15 years Havana would be unrecognizable. Can you imagine what Old Havana would look like once there is money to finally clean up that part of town?

I think a lot of people think Havana would look like a larger version of San Juan, Puerto Rico after the place is cleaned up.

[Red Badger]

I have no desire to visit Cuba, it’s rundown and smelly. That’s what people really want to see?

Same group that wants Hillary! to run..............

[Paid_Russian_Troll]

In fact there are plenty of new cars. New Hyundai&Kia/1970s Russian/1950s American are about equally represented. I think modern Korean and European are close to half of their inventory, Russian are the majority of the second half and American is a distant third. Most of old American are powered by Russian engines, have Russian headlights and so on.

[subterfuge]

What would have happened to Castro if LBJ would have “normalized” relations with Cuba? Would he have seen the light or just stepped down? I mean it isn’t like he was or is a ruthless dictator or anything.

[UB355]

“There won’t be enough services to accommodate the Americans who will come like rats on a ship.” says Rogelio Gauvin, a tourist from Canada”. Hey Rog it’s the Cubans fleeing over the years in actual makeshift ships, ask Jinny Carter.

[jmacusa]

Yup, it’s got all that. And genuine medical care straight out of the Middle Ages.

[jmacusa]

Here is the essence of a liberal: If you rescue them out of a burning building they'll complain that you should have knocked. Knock and they'll complain you should have rushed right in. In other words, don't try to nail them down logically. You can't.

[driftless2]

Yeah, they better get there before McDonald's etc. are deluged by foreigners helping Cuba's awful command economy. It sure would terrible for native Cubans to have jobs that pay far more than the average Cuban commie job.

The only foreign service-oriented businesses that have a chance to survive will be those that cater strictly to foreign tourists. Native Cubans don't have the money.

[dead]

Liberals love the poor in other countries. They romanticize their plight, and dream of visiting them and observing the locals like a sort of zoo exhibit.

"Oh! Look at that! It's so natural and green the way they make a hospital in an old garage and scrape moss off the rocks to eat."

Then they jump on a jet and zip back to the upper east side to host a steak and lobster dinner where they can regale their friends with stories of the noble poor cultures they observed.

[Dr. Ursus]

You have to premium money to visit this s***hole. Antarctica used to be the place you went when you ‘ve been everywhere.

[RayChuang88]

Just wait till the sanctions really lift. The result would be all those old American cars heading for the scrap pile, replaced by Brazilian-model Volkswagens and Fiats. Not sure if you want to see mostly Volkswagen Fox and Fiat Palio models on Havana streets.

[Hot Tabasco]

Bookings to Cuba jumped 57 percent for one New York tour operator

Only because it's now cheaper than having to go thru Canada.......

[BunnySlippers]

It’ll be just like Disneyland in a couple of years. They’ll ship over the old cars to provide Cuban atmosphere.

Conservationists have been chomping at the bit to [rightly] restore the old period buildings. The hotels will do the whole 1950s Copa Cabana thing.

I wish I had seen it first.