A Berklee Professor Dives Into Cuba's Vast Music Scene

[flamingdem]

18. Most tourist quickly learn about touts who are very skilled

and roam the tourist zones (jineteros). I know many people who have married them and I am good friends with more than a handful, the majority have left Cuba. Many professional Cubans end up engaging in jineterismo, google it for more information. Mainly it's about getting kickbacks in restaurants, casas, and if you help someone or act as their guide getting a payment or at least gifts. Of course there are men and women who take this more into prostitution and some who really are prostitutes but it's a a continuum and not as clear cut as in many societies. As I said I know a lot of people who have married those they met on their first trip, and they are still together. It's not as likely you'll meet them if you are with others or you don't like company but they are there to help in a sense because certain things, like information about what's going on and where, is hard to find. You can "rent" their time, they don't usually put a price on it but they should be tipped etc.