Cuba, a small story of what it can do to you, for you.

[Ryan]

I left the Gala dinner a little early on Friday night, unfortunately I missed Rob Fox winning 3 humidors at the auction but we had made plans to meet people in a bar nearby. Plus the remnants of the steak on my plate were frightening the life out of me. Many people were happy with their steak, my piece had been cut too thick and provided the chef with an insurmountable challenge. Until then I wouldn't have guessed that there was a done-ness before "Blue".

On the way out we met a friend, who I won't name, on the mezzanine of the Habana Libre. This person goes to Cuba very often and I've rarely seen anyone get "stuck in" as much as he does. We found out the next day he also happens to be a very good bartender. A man so into cigars, he carries a measuring tape and mini weighing scales with him everywhere so he can weigh and measure every new cigar he finds. A man who once self-flagellated his back with a whip as penance for trying to enter the Cuban Tobacco Research Institute unannounced. I could go on but the stories get more unbelievable. Funny, true and often endearing, but unbelievable.

Anyway, this man takes a sip out of my Cristal-to-go and tells us a story.

"Andy, you know the Cuban revolution happened in 1959, yes?"

"Yes"

"In 1957 a new brewery opened up called Atabey, making beer. This beer is legendary and for years I hear stories about it and for many years I have been trying to find this beer to taste it and see what it is like.

I searched all of Havana, no Atabey. I went to Trinidad, no Atabey. I tried Santiago, no Atabey.

Until finally a few years ago, I was in Santa Clara and finally I find Atabey and finally I could taste it."

There he stopped, as if the story was over. He had left us hanging.

"Please go on, tell us, how was the beer?"

"Oh I can't remember, I don't like beer"

I can still remember Stuart's laugh, one of those "towards the end of a week in Havana" laughs. But the man telling the story was completely serious.

It's one of the things I love about Cuba. You can never expect what you're going to see, taste, hear or smell next and you meet like-minded people who will travel the country trying to find something they know they probably won't enjoy but need to do it for the experience.

It gets under my skin every time I go. Every time I come back, for days and weeks afterwards I wake up smiling or laughing.

We found out the next day that the story-teller had woken up on the afternoon after the dinner at 2 pm in the security room of the Habana Libre. Within 5 minutes he says he was drinking rum and smoking cigars with the security staff. But that's another story.

(If you think you can guess who he is, please don't name him here. Some legends are best left un-named!)

[WABOOM]

Dallas doesn't like beer?

[Ryan]

36 minutes ago, WABOOM said:

Dallas doesn't like beer?

?

No, not Dallas. I only met him briefly this trip. I'm sorry I didn't have more time to talk with him.

[Drguano]

Until this trip, I never thought of him as a seafaring man...

[El Presidente]

Legend indeed. 

i still have some vegemite to get to him. 

[mk05]

I can actually hear him speaking. 

[MrStixx]

OMEGALUL

[Burningman]

It could have only been this man!