clothing and android and cell phone for Cuba

If you live in the US, your cell phone won't work in Cuba. Internet access will be either unavailable or hopelessly slow. Your tablet could be useful if you have books or other stuff stored on it, but no other reason to bring it.

Weather.com says the high temperatures in Havana will be between 76 and 85 over the next ten days, overnight lows in the 60s, with minimal or no rain. Humidity will also be high. Dress for summer, with maybe a sweater or light fleece for evenings and early mornings. Bring a brimmed hat, sunscreen and sunglasses.

Bring lots of cash because your credit and debit cards won't work there. If you expect to be visiting any schools or health facilities or groups of Cubans, bring some inexpensive ball point pens, or pencils, or note pads, or bars of soap, or other such items for people you meet. Most Cubans have very low incomes and difficulty obtaining "little necessities" like those.

Cuba was for years our go-to place to get away from the cold winter here. We've been about 14 times, though not in the last couple of years.

Take lots of sunscreen, and something for sunburn - no matter how careful you are some bit always gets burned - people don't realize how strong the sun is.

Not sure where you are staying - just in Havana or at a beach resort as well - insect repellent is good to have, as mosquitoes in the evening can be a problem.

Also, make sure you take any meds you need, I always took things like Advil, PeptoBismol, polysporin, a few band aids, etc - most hotels and resorts will have a small shop, but they may not have what you need. At the resorts, there is usually a doctor or nurse available.

Drink bottled water - you will be told not to drink the tap water, and I think all the places we've stayed at have provided bottled water in the room. Try the ice cream - it is delicious. So is Cuban bread. Don't be surprised by the pale yellow tart pineapple - Cuban pineapple is not like the bright yellow Dole pineapple that we're used to.

In Havana, or any other city people will come up to you and try to sell you cigars, rum, tours - just say no, thanks and they will leave you alone. They are not aggressive or persistent. Don't buy cigars from anyone on the street or on the beach - they will be fake.

Canadian credit cards can be used at hotels and resorts - we only used them for big purchases like tours.

Most hotels and resorts now have WiFi, but usually just in the lobby and you have to pay. And it is slow. But on our last trip, I was able to use my iPad to check emails and stay in touch with family back home.

Havana, like many cities, can be very crowded with tourists. But Old Havana is charming, the amount of restoration done there since my first visit in 1976 is astounding. Ernest Hemingway lived at the Hotel Ambos Mundos and his room is now a small museum. The roof top restaurant there has a beautiful view over the city and serves a nice lunch, they also make great mojitos. At the Havana airport there is a little kiosk off in the corner that sells CDs of Cuban music, ask the staff for their recommendations, there is much more to Cuban music than just Buena Vista Social Club.

As I mentioned we went mainly to relax on the beach (and the beaches are gorgeous) but we tried to get out to see the area we were in so have been to Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Holguin, Ciego de Avila, and quite a few more, found them all interesting and worth a visit.