When I went to Cuba in October I visited a cigar factory in Ciego de Avila. It wasn't one of the famous ones but it did give me an idea of what goes on in the cigar making process. It was a factory making the cigars that Cubans smoke.
The smell outside was like being in a massive humidor - a fabulous tobacco leaf and heat smell.
The factory itself was like a sweatshop, it was open to the street and I would have thought it was open to a lot of cigars going missing.
I was offered a number of cigars in the street outside and even more when we went inside. The ladies were carefully offering bundles of cigars out of sight of the person in charge.
Despite the stories no-one was reading a book to the cigar rollers.
The guide laughed at some people who bought the local cigars as he said they weren't worth it. They cost 5 CUC (about ?3.50) for 20. I didn't but wished I had tried one just to see.
Anyway see what you think, they might be interesting if you haven't been.
The smell outside was like being in a massive humidor - a fabulous tobacco leaf and heat smell.
The factory itself was like a sweatshop, it was open to the street and I would have thought it was open to a lot of cigars going missing.
I was offered a number of cigars in the street outside and even more when we went inside. The ladies were carefully offering bundles of cigars out of sight of the person in charge.
Despite the stories no-one was reading a book to the cigar rollers.
The guide laughed at some people who bought the local cigars as he said they weren't worth it. They cost 5 CUC (about ?3.50) for 20. I didn't but wished I had tried one just to see.
Anyway see what you think, they might be interesting if you haven't been.
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