Back from Varadero Cuba

Bear · 05-01-2012, 10:40 PM

I haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd update with my recent trips to Varadero Cuba...

I stayed at the Palma Real this most recent trip and while it is dated and could use some freshening up (in fairness I think this can be said of most resorts in Varadero), we had a blast & I have no complaints when I take in to consideration how little it costs to stay there. Weather was so-so... it rained the first day & a half plus it was really windy most of the time.

For what it's worth, I'd go back. When I got tired of the buffet, my wife & I started eating out in town.

Brought back some cigars, a bottle of Ron Varadero, Santiago & Legendario plus a few more bags of coffee.

200 Ramon Allones Extras
50 Ramon Allones Superiores
50 Romeo y Julieta Short Churchills
50 Montecristo No. 2
50 Partagas Serie D No. 4
40 Partagas Salomones
10 Partagas Especiales

This brings my April total to 700 cigars when you add the ones I picked up at the beginning on the month.

Now all I have to do is make sure Jill doesn't see the Visa bill and I'm golden... LOL

hotreds · 05-01-2012, 10:43 PM

I'm surprised they let you bring that many cigars back?? Is there any kind of quota into Canada?

CigarNut · 05-01-2012, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotreds

I'm surprised they let you bring that many cigars back?? Is there any kind of quota into Canada?

Very cool though!

TJarv · 05-01-2012, 11:00 PM

No words

mithrilG60 · 05-02-2012, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotreds

I'm surprised they let you bring that many cigars back?? Is there any kind of quota into Canada?

Technically you're allowed 50 cigars per person, in reality it depends largely on who you get when you come back through customs (you don't want the summer students since they're usually sticklers for enforcing the rules) and how you handle yourself at the wicket. I also know from this thread on another board that the OP had several mules in his party to spread this out amongst so it's not like he brought them all through himself.

In my experience as long as as you're 100% honest in your declaration and it's not ridiculously excessive you are generally fine. Of course if they catch you in a lie you can expect to be charged up the ying-yang. The local group's track record seems to be that anything under 200 sticks per person usually gets let through w/o charge in Vancouver. We also have one of the busiest borders in Canada and definitely the most cross-border shopping so it may be different in other Canadian first port of calls. My wife and I were in Varadero last Oct and brought back double our limit of both tobacco and alcohol.... my haul didn't look anything near as crazy as this one.

Of course I seem to have very good luck at the border anyways. Like many in Vancouver I buy a lot of stuff online and have it drop shipped to Blaine, WA where I pick it up and drive it back. I always declare the full value of goods I'm bringing across and have yet to be charged any tax or duties despite the fact that I'm rarely in the US for longer than is required to pickup my parcels and drive back to the border so there's no exemptions applicable. Even when I brought my Aristocrat home, and had to explain in detail to the customs agent how a "wooden end table" could possibly be worth the declared value, I was just waived through.

Ogre · 05-01-2012, 10:43 PM

Damn brother. Looks like you bought out the stores. I would like to visit Cuba.

Remo · 05-01-2012, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ogre

Damn brother. Looks like you bought out the stores. I would like to visit Cuba.

Few hundred miles Larry...get a boat

Remo · 05-01-2012, 10:50 PM

Great haul.......holy cow

Bill86 · 05-01-2012, 10:56 PM

Someone REALLY likes Allones Extra's

Damn that is an epic haul, congrats

gbum · 05-01-2012, 11:28 PM

this is madness!
great haul!

Jasonw560 · 05-01-2012, 11:50 PM

Totally nuts. Insane, even.

And THAT is why......

THIS....is Cigar ASYLUM.

icehog3 · 05-01-2012, 11:59 PM

Color me jealous, maybe more for the trip than the cigars.

jjirons69 · 05-02-2012, 07:26 AM

Whoa! I surely wasn't expecting this when I opened the thread! That would've been my pre-divorce vacation.

Skywalker · 05-02-2012, 08:50 AM

Wow!!!

Looks like a prosperous trip!!!

Islayphile · 05-02-2012, 08:52 AM

Now that's what I call WINNING!

Stevez · 05-02-2012, 09:32 AM

Damn, I'm green with envy for sure. My mastercard couldn't handle that load in one month and I'm quite sure a divorce would be in the works shortly afterwards. Steve

CRIMPS · 05-02-2012, 09:48 AM

Wowsa, what a haul. Hope the trip was nice. I suspect you will remember that more than the cigars down the road.

pektel · 05-02-2012, 09:56 AM

Wow. is the only word I can muster. Wow.

Nice haul. I've smoked one RAAE, and did enjoy it. Got a couple more that are going to go down for a long nap.

Hope you enjoyed the trip! Would love to visit Cuba someday. And hopefully before they open up tourism to Americans.

irratebass · 05-02-2012, 10:02 AM

Wow! Looks like you were saving your tax refund for the right thing, congrats, glad you had a great trip!

mase · 05-02-2012, 10:08 AM

Incredible haul! Best of luck hiding the Visa bill!

05-01-2012, 10:40 PM	#1
Bear Just an other FNG Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Marc Location: Ajax, Ontario. Posts: 393 Trading: (4)	Back from Varadero Cuba I haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd update with my recent trips to Varadero Cuba... I stayed at the Palma Real this most recent trip and while it is dated and could use some freshening up (in fairness I think this can be said of most resorts in Varadero), we had a blast & I have no complaints when I take in to consideration how little it costs to stay there. Weather was so-so... it rained the first day & a half plus it was really windy most of the time. For what it's worth, I'd go back. When I got tired of the buffet, my wife & I started eating out in town. Brought back some cigars, a bottle of Ron Varadero, Santiago & Legendario plus a few more bags of coffee. 200 Ramon Allones Extras 50 Ramon Allones Superiores 50 Romeo y Julieta Short Churchills 50 Montecristo No. 2 50 Partagas Serie D No. 4 40 Partagas Salomones 10 Partagas Especiales This brings my April total to 700 cigars when you add the ones I picked up at the beginning on the month. Now all I have to do is make sure Jill doesn't see the Visa bill and I'm golden... LOL __________________ Canadian Roll Call

05-01-2012, 10:43 PM	#2
hotreds Ephesians 2:8 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5 miles past "Resume Speed" Posts: 11,665 Trading: (63)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba I'm surprised they let you bring that many cigars back?? Is there any kind of quota into Canada? __________________ God loves you so much, that he made you read this, just to let you know.

05-01-2012, 11:00 PM	#4
TJarv In it to win it Join Date: Mar 2012 First Name: Tony Location: Aubrey, Texas Posts: 2,027 Trading: (58)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba No words

05-01-2012, 10:43 PM	#6
Ogre **CENSORED** Join Date: Apr 2010 First Name: Larry Location: Central Florida Posts: 12,068 Trading: (46)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Damn brother. Looks like you bought out the stores. I would like to visit Cuba. __________________

05-01-2012, 10:50 PM	#8
Remo C.I.A Join Date: Feb 2011 First Name: Mike Location: Palm Harbor, Florida Posts: 12,597 Trading: (122)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Great haul.......holy cow __________________

05-01-2012, 10:56 PM	#9
Bill86 Snob Join Date: Jul 2010 First Name: Bill Posts: 6,704 Trading: (67)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Someone REALLY likes Allones Extra's Damn that is an epic haul, congrats __________________ I'm drunk......but I'll get drunker! - Doug Stanhope

05-01-2012, 11:28 PM	#10
gbum Feeling at Home Join Date: Jul 2009 First Name: Asyraf Location: Cyberjaya-Malaysia Posts: 772 Trading: (0)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba this is madness! great haul! __________________ http://mrgbum.wordpress.com

05-01-2012, 11:50 PM	#11
Jasonw560 PhD from Sarcastic State Join Date: Jul 2011 First Name: Jason Location: Harlingen, TX Posts: 812 Trading: (0)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Totally nuts. Insane, even. And THAT is why...... THIS....is Cigar ASYLUM. __________________ ...And a woman is only a woman, But a good cigar is a smoke! -R. Kipling

05-01-2012, 11:59 PM	#12
icehog3 Admiral Douchebag Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Tom Location: Clermont, Kentucky Posts: 71,494 Trading: (60)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Color me jealous, maybe more for the trip than the cigars. __________________ Thanks Dave, Julian, James, Kelly, Peter, Gerry, Dave, Mo, Frank, Týr and Mr. Mark!

05-02-2012, 07:26 AM	#13
jjirons69 Haberdasher Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Jamie Location: Chucktown, SC Posts: 4,120 Trading: (94)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Whoa! I surely wasn't expecting this when I opened the thread! That would've been my pre-divorce vacation. __________________ Somebody has to go back and get a chitload of dimes

05-02-2012, 08:50 AM	#14
Skywalker BABOTL Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Dice Location: Galaxy Far Far Away Posts: 10,168 Trading: (18)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Wow!!! Looks like a prosperous trip!!! __________________ Smoke what you like!!!

05-02-2012, 08:52 AM	#15
Islayphile Wee Dram Hunter Join Date: Feb 2012 First Name: Mike Location: OH Posts: 801 Trading: (1)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Now that's what I call WINNING! __________________ RIP Thurman Lee Munson (June 7, 1947 – August 2, 1979)

05-02-2012, 09:32 AM	#16
Stevez Adjusting to the Life Join Date: Apr 2010 First Name: Steve Location: Louisville, Kentucky Posts: 487 Trading: (7)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Damn, I'm green with envy for sure. My mastercard couldn't handle that load in one month and I'm quite sure a divorce would be in the works shortly afterwards. Steve

05-02-2012, 09:48 AM	#17
CRIMPS Benn/Seguin best friends Join Date: Sep 2010 First Name: Zach Location: North Texas Posts: 1,520 Trading: (50)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Wowsa, what a haul. Hope the trip was nice. I suspect you will remember that more than the cigars down the road. __________________ I'm a Dallas Stars fan. So, yes, this is a confusing time for me.

05-02-2012, 09:56 AM	#18
pektel I'm nuts for the place Join Date: Jul 2010 First Name: Peter Location: Grand Rapids, MN Posts: 4,320 Trading: (28)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Wow. is the only word I can muster. Wow. Nice haul. I've smoked one RAAE, and did enjoy it. Got a couple more that are going to go down for a long nap. Hope you enjoyed the trip! Would love to visit Cuba someday. And hopefully before they open up tourism to Americans. __________________ The problem is not the problem. The problem is your ATTITUDE about the problem.

05-02-2012, 10:02 AM	#19
irratebass EMPEROR TOMPKINS Join Date: Aug 2011 First Name: Mickey Location: Mooresville, Indiana Posts: 8,313 Trading: (48)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Wow! Looks like you were saving your tax refund for the right thing, congrats, glad you had a great trip! __________________

05-02-2012, 10:08 AM	#20
mase Undead Recruiter Join Date: Sep 2011 First Name: Kevin Location: The city that works....against you Posts: 845 Trading: (9)	Re: Back from Varadero Cuba Incredible haul! Best of luck hiding the Visa bill! __________________