These friendly calls came from the lips of the people of Cuba. I call them nuisance. And the invitations they call out were nothing but veiled intentions to deceive and take advantage of tourists. Everywhere we go we see these guys —loitering around the touristy hangouts — like eager wolves ready to pounce their next meal.
You turn and there would be this guy — catching your gaze, face all eagerness. He runs after you, promising to help —usually with the recommendation of a good restaurant. He orders too —a lot. He charms you all throughout the meal with his tales and exploits. Quick as lightning, the waiter comes and presents you with the bill.
His order as well as yours. As well as a little number tagged at the bottom. And there you have it. You have just been caught hook and center in the middle of the jineteros game. Who are you kidding? In the end you find out. And he got a little commission from the restaurant for bringing an unsuspecting customer in.
These cajoling jinetero calls happen to us so often that one day I just reached my breaking point. Jineteros is a terrible problem in Cuban society. When in a day you can almost make half as much preying on unsuspecting tourists. Though not as pushy, hookers abound as well. Displaying their long smooth coffee colored legs, they sauntered past tourist spots on the lookout for johns — earning a monthly Cuban salary on one night of providing sexual services.
They were working it everywhere, day or night. She was telling us a little bit of her life in Matanzas, a small town famous for its caves 2 hours from Havana when her lesbian she-hulk friend showed up. Sporting more testosterone than Mr Z and Anthony combined and a unibrow that looked like the arched wings of a condor swooping in she planted herself next to Ms Matanzas. Matanzas started to flirt outrageously at Anthony while Unibrow started to aggressively push for us to change venues to a conveniently located discotheque.
