2019 Encuentro Gatherings...

[ElJavi76]

Hello FoH! 

I'm Javi and I love cigars and friends. LoL If you're attending the encuentro this year it would be great to be able to see some old friends and make some new ones. I think unfortunately our hosts may not be in attendance this year. This is even more unfortunate when you think of some of the lunches and gatherings they usually help put together. 

In true FOH fashion I think it's up to those in attendance to find ways to hang out and herf together. My personal friend, and forum favorite, Jorge Clavijo has been in contact with me and we have something in the works as far as an evening of food and drink. 

Two things to try and set up... One would be a lunch at Santy Pescador where we all gather for great food and some smokes. This could work on Monday or Friday.

The second deal is what I'm working on with Clavijo. The director at Hotel Inglaterra is trying to put something together for us. Depending on interest we'd have a section of the rooftop for our party. Dinner and drinks. Again, I think the offerings will depend on the number of folks interested. There's a possibility that we may have a roller from one of the farms join us for a session. Roll some freshies and sell his stuff as well. This is still at early stages and will be driven by interest. Considering Thursday night for this event. 

Let me know who's going and thinks they'd like to get together. Again, there are no hard dates yet but we do know the two venues. Let's take the temperature to see if this fits and works for those who will be in Havana in 3 weeks.

Cheers FOH!

[Nino]

Thanks for setting this up Javi !

I'd be in for Santy.

 

[madandana]

Nice of you to set this up Bro. Dana and I won’t be there this year but look forward to hanging out with you and your beautiful wife next November. Have fun!

[ElJavi76]

8 hours ago, madandana said:

Nice of you to set this up Bro. Dana and I won’t be there this year but look forward to hanging out with you and your beautiful wife next November. Have fun!

Sorry to hear that Mike. Was looking forward to hanging. We shall see you next year.

Cheers

[ElJavi76]

10 hours ago, nino said:

Thanks for setting this up Javi !

I'd be in for Santy.

 

Perfect Nino! No ñ this time. LoL I hope we can drum up more support. Not sure how many folks will be in attendance. It seems like attendance this year will def be down, somewhat. 

Worst case scenario, a handful of us will get together for a Santi's lunch. 

[Nino]

Sure Javi - would be nice to have some more members/friends attend !

I'm in and would bring a few friends - thanks for arranging this !

[Corylax18]

Thursday November 21st? If so, I won't be able to join. I should be in Playa Larga/Bay of Pigs Scuba diving that day. I'll be in Cuba from the 16th to the 26th though, so we will definitely need to catch up. Are you planning on attending any of the Partagas events?

[El Presidente]

Well done Javi!

I will let Andy Ryan know and no doubt he will chime in. 

I won't be back to Havana until next year. Ben will be there for the festival in february. 

[ElJavi76]

On 10/28/2019 at 1:52 PM, Corylax18 said:

Thursday November 21st? If so, I won't be able to join. I should be in Playa Larga/Bay of Pigs Scuba diving that day. I'll be in Cuba from the 16th to the 26th though, so we will definitely need to catch up. Are you planning on attending any of the Partagas events?

Cory I've got your US number. I can always WhatsApp you once I'm out there. I'll be there 17-24 (Sunday to Sunday). If you can go on Thursday then we'll shoot for Thursday. We can still make the Hotel Inglaterra thing... A thing. I'm in a party of 5/6. If we can get another 10 or so we can set that dinner up. FYI I'm doing the Friday night gala dinner only this year, as far as events go.

On 10/28/2019 at 3:41 PM, El Presidente said:

Well done Javi!

I will let Andy Ryan know and no doubt he will chime in. 

I won't be back to Havana until next year. Ben will be there for the festival in february. 

Thank you kindly sir. It's in the spirit of FOH to do so. Gotta get the folks together. I'd be down to do an Espacios lunch on Friday cause it's closer to the action than Santy's, in addition.

 

My only thing is I have a pending Laguito tour that I may or may not be able to pull off with @SigmundChurchill Elliot and friends. It's Cuba so we just down know if that will materialize Thursday or Friday. That, understandably, would take precedent. But if it's a late lunch I think we can pull it off. For now, @Ryan Andy, Cory, @nino and company... Let's pencil Thursday circa 12:30-1:00 for lunch. They close at 4 in between lunch and dinner service. We can post to this thread once we get to Cuba or exchange numbers and get a WhatsApp group chat going. 

Cheers all! 

[benfica_77]

@bayala When in Feb are you going? Me and the mrs. should be there Feb 16-21 or 22. She gets something called reading week, a week long break from Veterinary school. So just before the festival

[benfica_77]

@El Presidente are you coming for the festival in Feb as well? Love to meet you and Di !! 

[bayala]

1 minute ago, benfica_77 said:

@bayala When in Feb are you going? Me and the mrs. should be there Feb 16-21 or 22. She gets something called reading week, a week long break from Veterinary school. So just before the festival

Finalising flights now but it looks like 25th Feb to the 2nd March. So it looks like we'll just miss out on meeting each other ?

[benfica_77]

1 minute ago, bayala said:

Finalising flights now but it looks like 25th Feb to the 2nd March. So it looks like we'll just miss out on meeting each other ?

Dang! Would have been nice to talk football. I always enjoy your stats. Hopefully soon. 

[Ryan]

Hello,

Good to hear there will be a few of us for a meeting

I'll be in Havana for Partagas week with Stuart Fox, in the same house we had last November.

Last year people came back to our place after Prez's lunch and blind cigar tasting at Santy's

We can do something similar this year, though there may be fewer of us. If people are up for lunch in Santys, we can do that, then everybody come back to our place for some cigars and a whiskey tasting.

We have plenty of space, staff and a bar. It's 100 yards from Santy's. Bring swimming gear if you like. 

My Cuban number is on the map below. I'll have that on the weekend before. Call me with numbers. Alternatively email me, my mail is in my profile. Then, with numbers, I can make the reservation at Santys a few days before.

@ElJavi76, you put this together so which day for Santy's suits for you? Monday or Thursday. Either of those days is good for us. Espacios on one of the other days sounds good too.

Here's our place. All FoH members welcome for cigars etc. Looking forward to seeing all all again / meeting you!

By the way, if anyone uses the What3Words location finder app. It can be very handy. what3words.com. We're at ///warm.waxing.goggles. Which is quite apt. I can promise we'll have at least 2 of those 3 words.

 

[ElJavi76]

@Ryan Hey Andy... Great pic of you and Stu. LoL

I think the whole Santy's thing needs to be experienced by all and my good friend Elliot @SigmundChurchill doesn't arrive in HAV until Wednesday. So I think we pencil in Thursday for Santy's. I've got about 6 guys total, including myself and Elliot, although that number could grow before it's all said and done. I think we shoot for Thursday. If the whole El Laguito tour thing hits on that day then we'll just cross that bridge when we get there. Worst case scenario we call always do the after-party at your place. I'm hoping it all comes together like the A-Team. 

I'm down to do Espacios on Monday with you guys and @nino. Maybe for the blind tasting at Santy's we can buy according to attendance. I'd be willing to chip in for singles or a box to get a little competition going. For fun, if the group is small... Maybe one person procures the tobacco. This way there's at least a lil mystery. LoL

Cheers brother!

[Ryan]

Ok so, Thursday for Santys and you are 6 and maybe more. No problem.

Even with your tour of El Laguito, it should be fine. A tour there would be rarely over 1 hour and it’s 10 mins away from Santy’s.

Make sure your drivers wait for you at El Laguito or near. It can take a while to get a cab on the street there.

We’ll see you in Espacio’s anyway on the Monday and we can sort out what to do about cigars for Thursday then. A blind tasting sounds good. We’ll have everything else we need. A box of cigars won’t be an issue.

One of the things I like about Cuba is that while some things are difficult, it’s the easiest place in the world to make a plan come together. 

So, if anyone wants to join in, let us know here. Thanks @ElJavi76! See you soon.

[Habana Mike]

Kelly and I have flights and lodging booked for Friday the 15th through Wednesday the 20th.

Coming in for the 500 aniversario, a visit with our familia Cubana and the start of the Encuentros to catch up with friends.

Espacio's Monday sounds like a plan!

Still touch or go if we'll make it though due to current business demands.

[MrGinger]

I will be in Havana Nov 11-19.  Hopefully I will be able to meet up with some of you during that time.

[madandana]

Please stop. I’m getting jealous. I have to be in New Orleans at that time.

[Fuzz AI]

On 10/31/2019 at 10:31 PM, Ryan said:

 

 

By the way, if anyone uses the What3Words location finder app. It can be very handy. what3words.com. We're at ///warm.waxing.goggles. Which is quite apt. I can promise we'll have at least 2 of those 3 words.

 

No... I'm not going to ask what you two will be applying warm wax to...

[Cigar Surgeon]

Looks like I'm a last minute attendee this year. WIll be down from the 16th to the 21st. See you all somewhere for rum and cigars.

[ElJavi76]

3 hours ago, madandana said:

Please stop. I’m getting jealous. I have to be in New Orleans at that time.

Define have to Mike. Can't tippy toes to your nearest airport and be back from the lunch at Santy's in time for some gumbo? You shall be missed bud!

[CanuckSARTech]

1 hour ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

Looks like I'm a last minute attendee this year. WIll be down from the 16th to the 21st. See you all somewhere for rum and cigars.

 

17 hours ago, Ryan said:

Ok so, Thursday for Santys and you are 6 and maybe more. No problem.

Even with your tour of El Laguito, it should be fine. A tour there would be rarely over 1 hour and it’s 10 mins away from Santy’s.

Make sure your drivers wait for you at El Laguito or near. It can take a while to get a cab on the street there.

We’ll see you in Espacio’s anyway on the Monday and we can sort out what to do about cigars for Thursday then. A blind tasting sounds good. We’ll have everything else we need. A box of cigars won’t be an issue.

One of the things I like about Cuba is that while some things are difficult, it’s the easiest place in the world to make a plan come together. 

So, if anyone wants to join in, let us know here. Thanks @ElJavi76! See you soon.

Yup, like John said above, we're now a last minute addition to this year's trip.  Things just finalized in the last 48 hrs.  I'm coming down with John / "Cigar Surgeon", as well as Alex Colella.  We're all coming down on the 16th, with John only staying until the 21st, but Alex and I staying through until the 24th.  Staying in a casa in Vedado, graciously hosted / invited by Amir.

Andy, I still have your same cell number, and you and Stu are staying at that casa again?  Same one from a few years ago too, when we were last down together?  If so, we're set.  If the current plan is Espacios for lunch on the Monday, and then Santy's and a tasting for the Thursday lunch and afternoon, please add us in as a +3 for the Monday at least.  We can verify the other stuff once down there.

Only thing that I'd say otherwise...is a lunch at 7 Dias is a must as well, as well as a dinner at Prado 309 / La Terraza (I want me some octopus and slushy mojitos!!!!)

Regarding comms, for those whom I've currently already given it to (Cory, et al), I'll have my same Canadian cell down there with me.  Same / standard number as before, for texting and whatnot.  Mike, DEFINTITELY too bad to hear that you and Dana won't be making it this year, and Mike and Kelly, we'll see you there too!

[Drguano]

Agnes and I still sorting things out along with Fatou so anyone saying last minute can console themselves that there is last minute and there is last second and then there is us...

[Nino]

18 hours ago, Ryan said:

We’ll see you in Espacio’s anyway on the Monday and we can sort out what to do about cigars for Thursday then. A blind tasting sounds good. We’ll have everything else we need. A box of cigars won’t be an issue.

 

@Ryan Santy's will be lunch on Thursday plus blind tasting - But :

Just to make sure - Espacios on the Monday is it Lunch or Dinner ?

Thanks !