Havana buying blow

__________________________

📍 Verified store!

📍 Guarantees! Quality! Reviews!

__________________________

▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼

▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲

Havana buying blow

Luckily, with the embargo lifted or soon to be lifted , those traveling to the U. Apart from the big three, there are quite a few other things worth considering as a unique Cuban gift. To learn which exactly, check out the proposed list! Paintings Image Courtesy of: Bryan Ledgard. Havana is well-known for its beauty - the streets lined with old colonial buildings, vintage cars everywhere and, of course, the beauty of the Caribbean nature. One can capture some of this beauty with simple snapshots, however, there are plenty of first-hand drawings and oil paintings on sale throughout the city beginning with touristy, souvenir-like ones, found at most markets, and the more serious ones in the city's numerous galleries and at amazingly reasonable prices, too. A visit to one of the local markets, such as Varadero, will see you get very cheaply a decent painting done by a local artist. As with all art, just make sure to buy it because you like it, not because you want to resell it afterwards. Most Havana's craft markets are packed with woodwork - kitschy ashtrays, figurines, as well wood carvings of excellent quality. Cubans have few natural resources available, but what they do have, they make full use of and a one good resource is beach wood, ideal for wood carving. Cuba may well not have a very long tradition of handicrafts, but the inflow of tourists in recent years has prompted local artisans to quickly make up for the lost time. Numerous gift shops and street markets all over the city are teeming with locally-produced handicrafts. Also on sale are a variety of Afro-Cuban percussion instruments, such as two-headed, hourglass-shaped bata drums; paired bongos, carved African-style religious drums; and congas, the modern salsa backbone. It is open daily 9am-5pm. When it comes to cigars, Cuban cigars need no introduction and amongst them, Cohibas are considered like no other. Cohiba cigars came to life as the handiwork of an independent cigar maker, who mainly made them for friends and acquaintances. One day, one such cigar made its way into the hands of Fidel Castro, who decided to seek out this man and learn his secrets. Castro was so impressed with the cigars that he decided to set up a small factory in an old mansion near Havana. For the first two decades, Cohiba's exclusivity didn't change so much, still being reserved for friends, but this time Castro's friends. Cohibas were often gifted to foreign state officials and soon became highly appreciated outside of Cuba as well. In , the factory was extended and the cigars became available to more than just the political elite. Cohibas are very well regarded amongst the world elite and will make a great present even for a non-smoker. The cigars are made by Habanos SA, using top secret methods and tobacco from 10 handpicked fields. The process of production is also considered unique, it involves several stages of fermentation and yields some of the smoothest full-bodied cigars available. Also, Cuban law allows only up to 50 cigars, in a sealed box, to be taken out of the country. Most are sold in boxes, however, some are sold in smaller 5 packs or singles. Cuba and most of the Caribbeans have a long history when it comes to rum. Rum has been consumed in the region since early colonial times and produced here for almost just as long. Their rum has done very well at many international competitions and is becoming more and more popular. Coconut Monkeys are another popular symbol of Cuba. You can also find rare coconut carvings of famous individuals, such as Fidel Castro. New office mascot anyone? Cuban Food Image Courtesy of: star Hence, many local dishes are similar to those found in other countries, e. The most typical Cuban food - comida criolla - comprises various ingredients, including mandatory protein base fish, seafood, pork, chicken or beef , salad, fried plantains, rice and beans. Resulting from colonization and slave trade is the presence in Cuban cuisine of Spanish and African influences. Spanish colonizers brought over citrus fruits, along with rice and vegetables, while the African slaves experimented with cassava, maize and okra. Other Cuban culinary classics include mojo chicken and black beans and rice, named so after Moors and Christians contributed to this culinary symbiosis. Tostonera Image Courtesy of: Gabriela Reyes. Crisp tostones are inseparable part of any Cuban, Caribbean or Puerto Rican meal. These double-fried green plantains unripe bananas may accompany the main course or come as an appetizer topped with cheese or ceviche. This mouthwatering dish is easy to make if you have the right equipment. All you need is a tostonera, a plantain press. There are wooden, plastic or metal tostoneras, and they are further divided into two types: one for flattening the plantains after frying, and the other, more sophisticated - for making stuffed and fried plantain. Exactly how many can find tostonera in the kitchen, when needed, is another question. For those who use them regularly, wood is the most preferred type - be it two slabs of cheap pine connected with a rawhide strap or some handcrafted hardwood piece with brass hinges and fancy artwork. Some tostoneras look so beautiful that people merely use for decorative purposes. Alternatively, Tostones can be shaped as little cups and stuffed with fillings - shrimp, picadillo, roast pork and other. Stuffed tostones make a great appetizer or party food. Unlike other Latin American countries, Cuba remained in Spanish colony throughout the 19th century and, as such, relied on Spanish and Spanish Colonial Reales for currency. After Cuba gained independence in , the first Cuban coins, featuring a star design, were minted in the USA and brought into circulation in Some of those coins were nice large silver pieces, relatively affordable. Golden ones were also in use, denominated at 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 20 pesos - they are now rare items that only wealthy collectors can afford. The Revolution of delivered a major blow onto the Cuban-American relations, following which the Cuban currency was pegged to the Soviet Ruble. The new Cuban coins were made of aluminium. Cuban monetary system implies coexistence of 2 currencies - the so-called 'hard' Convertible Peso and the ordinary Peso. Unlike Europeans, the US collectors are not likely to be allowed to bring in Cuban coins, which is a shame since some of them may prove a good investment if the newest diplomatic developments gain momentum. Also, because of its relatively young tourist sector, Cuba is not that strong on handicrafts either, although it is quite strong on trinkets. Havana is a home to a grand car museum, Museo del Auto Antiquo, housed in one of the beautifully restored 18th century buildings on Calle Officios, a historic pedestrian street. At a close-by street market, in Plaza de Armes, there's a good chance of finding an original Cuban yellow license plate, contrary to those plastic fakes sold in souvenir shops. Most genuine pieces are fixed to the cars, few of which are ever scrapped in Cuba, and therefore can't be bought. There are three basic colors for Cuban license plates: yellow for privately owned cars, red for rented vehicles, and blue for official and government-owned fleet. Books Image Courtesy of: Alan Kotok. Cuban literature started to shape around the early 19th century. Tallet, dedicated their works to social protest. Some of them have resorted to working abroad, though, prompted by the ideological pressure from the Cuban government-controlled media. Cuba's monetary system implies two currencies: one for tourists and the other one for locals. Prices on goods and services in all the tourist places in Cuba are presented in CUC. Although Cuba is no stranger to ATM machines, they are somewhat difficult to find outside the capital city and some of them work poorly. As of recently, Cuban banks have widened their network of cash dispensers, but still they are quite rare outside major cities, such as Havana, Trinidad or Varadero. Habana is a local landmark, housed in an 18th century mansion at Mercaderes No. This is by far more than just a place to buy perfumes last minute buys at the airport Duty Free is how most of the folk get their fragrances these days. Habana is a 'house' of fragrances, combining retail facility with a lab and a museum. On offer here are 12 major scents - Rose, Jasmine, Violet, Orange Blossom, Lilac, Ylang-Ylang, Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Tobacco, Citric and Lavender - which together create a feel of the long-gone colonial era, carefully preserved in handcrafted bottles, stylishly corked and waxed, and, for extra fun, placed inside small linen bags. And if the big 12 are not enough for you, custom-made scents can be created on site before your very eyes, reflecting your personality. In a bid to attain that, prior to starting mixing the scents, the alchemist-perfumer will give you a little chit-chat to reveal your state of mind, mood, character or anything else responsible for your attractive smelliness. The resulting product will be unique, very much like a fingerprint. The perfume bottles vary in style and sizes, and are also subject to the customer's selection. Some of them are created by local ceramists, others - brought all the way from India. Cuban music is deeply rooted in Spanish and West African tradition, although influenced over the centuries by various genres from other countries. The most notable such influences have been French and their colonies in the Americas and the U. Cuban music, in turn, has been rather popular in other countries, as well, and had its print on the evolution of jazz and salsa, Argentinian tango, Ghanaian high-life, West African Afrobeat, Dominican Bachata and Merengue, Colombian Cumbia and even Spanish Nuevo flamenco. Those in favor of Cuban folk music must check out the recordings of Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes. If you're keen on Reggaeton, Eddy-K is your choice. It is safer to buy from authorized dealers, rather than street markets or vendors, as they may flog you some rubbish quality recordings. Although Cuban coffee is a distant runner-up to Cuban cigars in terms of popularity, it does enjoy a good reputation with coffee lovers worldwide and every Cuban at home and abroad. The labor intensity of the production process, much of which is done by hand, is duly compensated by Cuba's cheap labor force which, in turn, keeps the prices at bay. Cuban coffee packs quite a kick and its flavor, as many things Cuban, is quite strong and distinctive. Even a small cup will wake you up in the morning. It is actually a Cuban tradition to have a small shot of Cuban coffee each morning, as well as after dinner. The first coffee plant in the country was commissioned in by Jose Antonio Gelabert. Eventually, in , French colonists who fled Haiti after the local revolution and ensued abolition of slavery, brought along advanced methods of coffee production to Cuba. At some point, Cuba became a main supplier of coffee to Spain, with coffee trade contributing to the island's economy more than its sugar production. Alongside turning into one of the country's major exports, coffee also proved essential to Cuban way of life and culture. Most Cubans, those who live on the island or abroad, drink coffee at least two times a day as a must. The Revolution of saw nationalization of the Cuban coffee industry and brought it to a slow decline. Nowadays, Cubans are allotted just 2 ounces of coffee for 15 days, and that coffee is of a very poor quality, mixed with other ingredients to make up volume. Although its origin is claimed by several countries, Cubans seem to be the strongest claimants of them all, considering the place the shirt holds in their culture. The pleated, button down garment comes in many variations, and is highly appreciated by the locals who tend to wear it almost everywhere, from the old men playing dominoes in the park to the young ones at wedding parties, as the most comfortable thing to put on in Havana's sweat drenching hot months. The shirt is easily recognizable by its two or four front pockets and, most notably, the vertical rows of alforzas, providing the much needed ventilation. Today, guayabera enjoys a major comeback with both Cuban fashion designers and state-run manufacturers. Moreover, it's made a big splash in the U. Perry Ellis has launched a line, and the trendy Urban Outfitters followed suit. But it's Cuba that made this loose-fitting garment truly famous, at par with Cuban rum and cigars. The bodyguards of Comandante Fidel often don guayaberas, and the majority of Cuban males have at least one in their wardrobe as a dress of choice for formal occasions. Cuban women also keep up with the trend, prompting a twist on the classic in the form of guayabera dresses and shirts for ladies. Jewelery Image Courtesy of: Aidan. As part of the Caribbean, Cuba has no shortage of coral, hence the abundance of coral jewelry on the island. The locals have been engaged in coral jewelry making for centuries and some of the pieces they produce are true pieces of art. Pick up a black coral necklace or a bracelet for someone special back home - a Caribbean gift to remember, no doubt. Given the plenitude of the material and cheap labor, prices are quite affordable. If there's someone more fashionable in your midst, treat them to a handmade jewellery present. Cuban street markets are packed with all sorts of trinkets, but necklaces made from black watermelon seeds, red cornilla seeds and black jaboncilla seeds will make the day for any fashionista. Argentinian-born Ernesto Che Guevara has been a symbol of modern revolution and Cuban revolution in particular for half a century now. If there's a rebel in you, getting yourself or some like-minded fella back home a small memento of this symbol from Cuba is a must. The choice of artifacts bearing Che's image is wide, but, perhaps, the coolest of them all is a replica of his signature green beret no relation to the U. S Green Berets called 'boina' with a little red star in front. T-Shirt Image Courtesy of: tiffany terry. When it comes to shopping in Cuba, hitting the right places, such as the local street markets, is the right thing to do, considering they are teeming with some true bargains. The quality of the garments may vary, depending on a retail venue. Are you from Cuba? Well, it doesn't really matter whether you're local or expat, or just visiting, you will love sporting your 'Cuba is Made of Stars' t-shirt all the same and will find it exciting answering that same question - 'Where did you get it? Other Interesting Souvenirs from Cuba. The Fedora hat has small brim, and is made of straw. The Cubans themselves, however, may routinely refer to it as sombrero, so don't get confused. Cigar cutter - If you relish Cuban cigars, getting yourself a proper cigar cutter is a must. This cute, pocket-size mechanical gadget is designed to cut one end off a cigar to ensure its proper smoke with no inch of the precious, smokeable tobacco going to waste that is if the cap of a cigar is cut carelessly. Cuban Spices and Snacks - For a perfect Cuban taste back home, procure some Cuban spices - a vibrant blend of onion, bell peppers, garlic, oregano and cumin - to season your Cuban-inspired cooking: meat, beans and rice garnish, salsa and salads. If you're a sandwich-eater, consider mild yellow Cuban mustard with a hint of garlic, a touch of citrus and a splash of white wine for a unique Cuban flavor. For dessert, indulge your sweet tooth with some deliciously crumbly cookies from the Cuban town of Moron — tortica de Moron — featuring two popular South American ingredients, lime and vanilla, and resembling in recipe the Spanish mantecado polveron cookie. The apps also offer city offline maps and GPS navigation to guide you to the places featured in the articles. Walking Tours in Havana, Cuba. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk. After French pirate Jacques de Sores ransacked the city in , the Castle of the Royal Force was built to protect the city. Havana became a major stopping point between the newly discovered Americas and ancient Europe. In the s, Havana was a major shipbuilding port. The historic city has five Start your trip with the ornate Presidential Palace, Hemingway's Havana Walking Tour Ever since Hemingway first visited Cuba in until his death in , he felt an intense connection with the people and culture of Cuba. Hemingway lived at Hotel Ambos Mundos during the s, and began, wrote, and finished several novels there. Today, you can see some of Hemingway's belongings in Room Hemingway was a frequent patron at El Floridita, famous for its daiquiris Self-guided walking tours apps on iOS and Android for exploring cities on foot - they make bus tours obsolete!

18 Uniquely Cuban Things to Buy in Havana

Havana buying blow

Punishment for drug offenders is severe if you are caught with drugs. You will spend a dozen years in a minus 5 star all-inclusive. Most drugs tourist encounter are no drugs anyway. You might snort some washing powder or smoke some horse shit…. A shot is sold for as little as 30 Moneda Nacional…, which is 12 cents. While being drunk is a national hobby, every other form of drug use, even smoking a joint, is strictly forbidden! Drink, dance, sex and a different perspective on life and work sums that up. Cuban policy on drugs is very, very severe. Very… Punishment Your new friends Punishment for drug offenders is severe if you are caught with drugs. Fake Most drugs tourist encounter are no drugs anyway. Last revised July Tagged advice , Cuba , how to , information.

Havana buying blow