Nino

Pretty sure it was a majority Cuban. Estimate like 95% Cuban and maybe some from the Philippines. Ssntander was/is an important trading port with Cuba and Spanish Main. Seen old shipping firm signs there when I visited.

No. Just that 85 of the cases were infected by contact with people traveling from abroad.

I always have said that I wish to die in a bed in Cuba. A glass of rum in my left, a cigar in my right and her on top - errrrr .... OK ... smoking by my side .... :-) I don't give a flying f##k what the cigar is, as I am sure I will not come back to complain.

I would say that this season so far has been a good one, but let's await the overall results by late March. Indeed some farms are more skilled than others but overall in La Meca del Tabaco ( Vuelta Abajo ) the farms are quite competent.

Hmmm, ugly as hell. But how come all I see is a Mitsubishi sign ...

Last 3 days Cuba has had a surge at over 2500 cases a day. Ómicron does not forgive Cuba: three days in a row with more than 2,500 cases of Covid-19 A woman in Villa Clara died of complications derived from the disease, according to the MINSAP report https://diariodecuba.com/cuba/1641932979_36725.html "For Covid-19, a total of 35,815 samples were made for surveillance during the day, resulting in 2,685 positive. The country accumulates 12,243,000 samples carried out and 982,614 positive. At the close of yesterday, January 10, they have been admitted 21,626 patients, 10,293 suspects, 197 under surveillance and 11,136 confirmed active, "the MINSAP reported.

He just replied - it is first planting and will be harvested in March.

Some pictures of my friend with his Cuban godson at HLP, working at HLP and in Hong Kong where he came to visit me for a few days and I invited him to meet MRN along with my buddy Frank.

I have asked my friend if they are first or second planting and when they'll be harvested and will report back.

And pictures from my friend at HLP today - the sun grown tobacco ( as opposed to the shade grown wrapper ) growing nicely. Guess it is a second planting.

3 to 4 years mas o menos or +/- ...

As far as I am aware and I can prove it, Australia is a sugar mill town with some old locomotives at the entrance to the Zapata swamps - Bay of Pigs peninsula, Cuba .... :-) http://flyingcigar.de/travel-cigars/201204-cuba-playa-larga-australia-part-ii/ PS : Australia was Fidel Castro's HQ during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Fact !

Yep, makes perfect sense for the farmer to give his best product ( and his virgin daughter ) to the state/HSA and keep the crumbs for himself - that must have been one hell of a smart "expert" ... Irony off :-) You are right to chuckle, I would have rolled my eyes.

Correct on the first figure and might go up to the second but I would very much doubt it reaches the third .... :-) Big brother watches all. I happened to be there filming in the rain when a police car came up to pick up the daily ration of cigars ... it is a case of one hand washing the other ... :-)

Thank YOU @99call for the comment and I would have agreed wholeheartedly if the guy would merit it ( or if it would have been me in fancy clothes just in for a visit ). No problem with that. But this particular guy happens to live in Cuba for many years now, was on one of the first Chinese student missions sent there to learn Spanish, decided to stay and sometimes works for weeks or months at the HLP farm for nothing and a few cigars. I also have other pics of him in working or riding attire and I have seen him there myself working - he designed the woodwork for the roof "tower seats", he is basically one more of the crew when he is there. Otherwise I would not have posted the pics. He endures the same conditions as Cubans except he has friends and a car and can fly in & out. I am certain some other FOH'ers might have come across him at the farm. But thank you again - I understand where you are coming from and appreciate ( and would share ) your comment.