When Roman, a tall, skinny guantanamero , who has spent three years living clandestinely in Havana, feels a burning sexual desire, he plans his binge. After working 12 hours selling trashy textiles and pirated tennis shoes in a street fair on Galiano, which brings him daily earnings between 20 and 30 dollars, he goes to the small room he keeps rented for 40 dollars a month in the San Isidro shantytown. He bathes and shaves.
He puts on a bright pair of jeans and pours a strong, cheap cologne over his whole body. To accelerate his libido, he takes half a capsule of Viagra, sold on the black market for a dollar each. After a bit, the whores start to congregate. There are two ways to deal with the hookers in local currency. Sex-hungry men like Roman already know the pimps for many prostitutes. There is something for everyone. And prices. Always with a condom in place.
If you want something different, you have the option of hookers a la carte. Black, white or mulatta. Equally, you can have two on your arm, to make a picture of lesbian love. If you pay extra, you can take them home. At any time of day in that kilometer of Havana geography that includes Chinatown from Zanja Street up to Central Park, a legion of kids have a trained eye to spot the guys who are looking for hookers.
Osvaldo, a young mulatto who spends several hours in the gym every day, is one of those who lives off his women. He has six working for him. A good cock and the power of seduction. I was once arrested for pimping. But this is a business that lets you make money without getting your hands dirty. Now the police are less strict. And I work without much pressure. The ideal thing is to hook up yumas foreigners with my girls.
There are also independent hookers, like Julianna. I have to take care of my sick mother, who suffers from nerves, and a 5-year-old son. The only thing she asks is that the guy be good looking and bathe before having sex. Some are comfortable and air-conditioned homes, which typically charge five dollars an hour. Others are true joints. Hot, humid rooms that look more like the cache of a terrorist than a place to fornicate. These shacks charge a dollar an hour. They are preferred by Cubans with few resources.
