Gift items for locals

[reeldrag]

A number of folks have told me that local Cubans are in need of various items that are unavailable to them. What can I take with me to give to guides, housekeepers, etc.?

[greslogo]

Well casa owners you are paying, as you are guides. You are already "helping them". Find someone, if possible, that does not have access to $$$.

Leave all your unused toiletries behind when you leave (shampoo etc).

Buy generic Ibuprofin etc.
Infant or children's Tylenon is impossible to find in Cuba.
Same for vitamin pills.

Candy for the kids.

You can't help everybody, is a good mindset to have.

Maybe give someone one of your t-shirts before you leave, or bring clothes you no longer use.

[poco_pete]

Leave some of your tackle.

Alot of cubans seem to have stomach problems like here...and like tums and liquid pepto bismol too.

Clothing is always good. The stuff in Cuba is either crappy or expensive

[cubafish]

Cuban anglers lack ANY source of fishing equipment except line and hooks that they get from one of the eastern block countries, but to coin a phases, "you would not let your dog use the hooks and line they have available." So as previously mentioned, any fishing tackle is welcomed, especially hooks of size 1/0 and smaller down to about a number 4. Ten to twenty pound test monofilament line is what most of them use. I've already left all of the lures I didn't want as well as a lot of rods and reels, and what might be trash to me is a treasure to any Cuban angler.

I used to return home almost devoid of fishing equipment, but several of my Cuban fishing friends are now giving me old beat-up equipment to bring back to the US for parts and service - I get them fixed and take them back on my next trip.

[poco_pete]

..these days its freaking cheaper to buy a reel than to fix them