| Cuban
Provinces & Cities
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Cuba's
pharmacies are woefully void of pharmaceuticals, both prescription and
over the counter. There are dollar only "Tourist Pharmacies",
but your best bet is to bring with you whatever you may even remotely
THINK you may need. Even a small wound can quickly "fester"
in a hot, tropical climate and get out of control very quickly. Get it
cleaned and sanitized at once! Here's what I bring:
- Aspirin
- bring regular and acetominophen-based (Tylenol) pain relievers with
you. They're invaluable in case you get a fever there also.
- Topical
Anti-bacterial Cleanser - Betadyne is the
hospital's preferred choice.
- Topical
Anti-bacterial Cream - Bacitracin or the equivalent
is best.
- A
prescription based oral antibiotic - Just
to be sure, I always see my doctor for a quick checkup no matter where
I travel. Also, I always have him prescribe me an antibiotic for self-medication.
- Anti-Itch
medicine - Aluminum sulfite or Calamine Lotion.
Those bugs, when they're out, are big, bad and they bite!
- Anti-histamine
- Benadryl works well for me.
- Sunglasses
- The sun is deceivingly strong in Cuba. Make sure your glasses are
100% UV protective and better yet, make sure they're polarized. Bring
a back-up just in case, too.
- Suntan
Lotion - I'm an easy tanning person with a
good base tan.....and I still burned. Bring a high protection lotion
with you.
- Batteries
& Camera Film - This includes diskettes if you have a digital
camera. They're hard to find, expensive when you do and many times there'e
out of date.
- Water
Purification Tablets - Bottled water is plentiful and I hear the
tap water is nowhere as contaminated as it is in Mexico and other Central
and South American countries. However, they're a good precaution just
in case you get caught in a remote area with a dubious water source.
- BandAids
- Once you get it clean, keep it covered.
- Rid-X
- For those nasty critters: Intestinal Worms. Hey, shit happens!
- Pepto
Bismol / Imodium Tablets - Speaking of shit,
these will help alot if you get the "runs".
- Anbesol
- Tooth pain always sucks and this will help (so will lots of rum!).
- Condoms
- I put this under the 'medicines' heading because, without them, you
could potentially need lots of medicine. Inevitably, some of you will
experience a sexual encounter in Cuba. They have the lowest AIDS rate
in the Caribbean but needless to say, its there. And STD's (sexually
transmitted diseases) have been around from the beginning of time. Plan
accordingly. For men and women.
- Cold
& Flu medicine - There are many available
so bring whatever has worked for you in the past. Just 'cause its hot
doesn't mean you can't get a cold. Throat lozenges are a good plus also.
- First
Aid Kit - It certainly wouldn't hurt to bring a small kit with
you.
And
... What to bring for the Cuban people ...
Do
give but not money when Cubans do something nice for you.
Giving money only encourages begging. The exception to the 'no money'
rule
would be for friends or if it's legitimate business such as tipping a
cab
driver or a restaurant or bar server.
So
bring small gifts with you before you fly to Cuba as they basically have
nothing by way of material possessions; anything that you can leave behind
they will appreciate.
- Toys
for kids
- Samples
of perfume or after shave fragrances
- Soap,
shampoo, toothpaste
- Leave
clothes, shoes etc. that you don't like anymore, in Cuba after your
vacation
- Children's
books
- Magazines
- Pens
- Medicines
and pharmaceuticals
- Share
a drink or dinner
- Chewing
gum, sweets
- Etc
etc etc
All
that we find 'normal' in our lives they appreciate very much!
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