Bringing Some Gifts

[Wakepatrol]

Hi- I wanted to swing by our local dollar store and bring some gifts down. Is this allowed and what would be the best items to bring?

lookinh to put some items in a small back pack

[princeton123211]

Its allowed but it can be a little awkward-- its not like people are sitting on the street begging for them (they're pretty policed on that) so you're sort of forcing them on them. If you do bring gifts a more appropriate place to give them would be visiting a family's home B&B you're staying in (Casa Particular) or someone whos helped you in some way. The tour guides and taxi drivers make more money than a medical doctor does about 10 times over so they really wouldn't need them. 

 

Items that are appreciated from what we saw are things like travel sized toiletries of things they cant get in Cuba or something useful like that-- they dont have much need or want for trickets from the US. 

[mac1_131]

cash is king... as princeton said there really aren't people or children hanging around to receive your trinkets.  And the ship may tell you that if you bring large quantities of stuff - like a whole roller board full of trinkets - they may force you to take it back on the ship.  They do security leaving the ship (until they get tired of it then they stop) so they are looking at what you bring off the ship.

 

so we decided not to, rather we tipped nicely for good service and tried to support the local economy by buying some souvenirs and eating in some paladars

[LadyLauren75]

Me and my friend brought some pencils,colors and other school stuff and asked our guide to stop at an orphanage to leave it.

It was really appreciated by the orphanage manager.

[jkeller527]

Now we may not get to go but our tour guides that we booked requested NFL merchandise as that is something they have no access to 

[aimee0715]

6 hours ago, mac1_131 said:

cash is king... as princeton said there really aren't people or children hanging around to receive your trinkets.  And the ship may tell you that if you bring large quantities of stuff - like a whole roller board full of trinkets - they may force you to take it back on the ship.  They do security leaving the ship (until they get tired of it then they stop) so they are looking at what you bring off the ship.

 

so we decided not to, rather we tipped nicely for good service and tried to support the local economy by buying some souvenirs and eating in some paladars

 

LOL @ "until they get tired of it then they stop".  This is so true!  We were in Havana for 2.5 days and they actually go annoyed by the end when we tried to show them our passport.  

 

If you take anything (and if you can even go at this point), some gum or candy may be good.  A guard in one of the museums in Old Havana approached our guide and asked him something.  He turned to me and said "She wants to know if you have any gum."  I gave her the rest of my pack of gum.  I was just relieved she wasn't telling him that I couldn't take pictures.  (In the museums in Trinidad (the one in Cuba), you have to pay extra to take pictures.)  That was really the only opportunity I had to give anyone anything.  

[travelingtink]

Our cruise director told stories of people bringing large amounts of gifts only to be turned away at customs. 

Last week our taxi driver mentioned that his favorite drink was green tea but he could rarely get it in Cuba. We grabbed some  from the buffet and brought it out to him.