Many of these points are probably true (I've never been to Costa Rica, but I've been to South America.)
Still, I've got to wonder about someone who speaks Spanish but spells "Colombian" wrong.
And going to Cuba from Southern California is very easy. There's a charter flight from TJ that goes there direct, just a short stop over in Monterrey. You don't have to change your dollars unless you want to buy things that are available only on the peso market (e.g., a farmers' market, etc.) If you have friends there, it's very easy to convert currency, and nobody's going to rip you off unless you're a complete idiot. And the best thing about Cuba is that it's a sexually open society and it's very easy to hook up with women who are not pros. Sure, they might be looking for gifts, because you're a rich foreinger, but there's no quid pro quo. The ammendities in Cuba are as good as you want to spend, at least in La Habana. True, tourist creature comforts there are more expensive than in the rest of Latin America, but you can always find a casa particular that is generally comfortable, for about $10 or $15 a day. They won't have air conditioning, but in Cuba it's not all the necessary much of the year. The illegality of going to Cuba is easily ignored if you enter the U.S. at the TJ border. You don't even have to show a passport (just California ID). Most of all, Cuba's traditional culture is probably more intact than any other Latin American country; the music is fantastic, and the women really know how to dance.
And getting to TJ from LA is a lot cheaper than flying to Costa Rica.
Still, I've got to wonder about someone who speaks Spanish but spells "Colombian" wrong.
And going to Cuba from Southern California is very easy. There's a charter flight from TJ that goes there direct, just a short stop over in Monterrey. You don't have to change your dollars unless you want to buy things that are available only on the peso market (e.g., a farmers' market, etc.) If you have friends there, it's very easy to convert currency, and nobody's going to rip you off unless you're a complete idiot. And the best thing about Cuba is that it's a sexually open society and it's very easy to hook up with women who are not pros. Sure, they might be looking for gifts, because you're a rich foreinger, but there's no quid pro quo. The ammendities in Cuba are as good as you want to spend, at least in La Habana. True, tourist creature comforts there are more expensive than in the rest of Latin America, but you can always find a casa particular that is generally comfortable, for about $10 or $15 a day. They won't have air conditioning, but in Cuba it's not all the necessary much of the year. The illegality of going to Cuba is easily ignored if you enter the U.S. at the TJ border. You don't even have to show a passport (just California ID). Most of all, Cuba's traditional culture is probably more intact than any other Latin American country; the music is fantastic, and the women really know how to dance.
And getting to TJ from LA is a lot cheaper than flying to Costa Rica.