The DER below is from the expedition to Cuba that began on January 25, 2017.
We spent the morning of our second full day in Cuba visiting and learning about two of the iconic features of this country: its abundance of great old American cars and its excellent cigars. And what better way to learn about them than from their base! So we visited a privately-owned car mechanic’s workshop to see how 60-plus year old American-made cars are restored and brought back to their original glory - even better in fact, since now they also put in air conditioning! It was very interesting to listen to the owner himself about how he started his business under difficult economic conditions and how he is now extremely successful and, more importantly, very happy doing what he loves most. One could barely recognize a car once it is finished, with a shiny new paint job and beautiful interiors! The result is impressive enough, but the really impressive thing is the fact that everything, and I mean everything, is done pretty much by hand, showing the extreme craftsmanship and talent of the 14 people that work there. Although there are few workshops like this in the city, many individuals bring their cars back to life in their own homes during their spare time; the numerous beautiful old cars circulating throughout Havana give the city a very unique flavor.
From there, we visited the Partagás cigar company factory to see and learn first-hand about world-famous Cuban cigars. We had the chance to see how two hundred skilled workers make one cigar at the time, using tobacco leaves from different parts of the plant in varied proportions in order to obtain different flavors and characteristics. The resulting hand-made cigars are highly appreciated by aficionados from all over the world and are a source of pride for the Cubans.
After having lunch from the rooftop of the Capri Hotel and enjoying the superb view, we headed towards La Vigía, the property that Nobel-prize winner Ernest Hemingway purchased in 1940 and where he lived for twenty years. We got the chance to see through the window how everything remains in exactly the same way it was when the writer and two of his wives (Martha Gellhorn first and Mary Welsh later) lived there. We walked around the premises and visited the yacht Pilar, the boat that Hemingway used to go deep water fishing for marlin and sailfish, a favorite activity of his. His most famous novels were written there and it was very interesting to see the place and learn more about such an interesting character that loved Cuba.
