February 10, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Cigars made in Cuba

Today Alejandro told us we could be real Cubans. We went to Casa de Habano.

Entering Casa de Habano

I, Zeb will be a real Cuban duck??

First we watched this lady roll a cigar.

She is ready to roll

She has been rolling cigars for many years and is very good. She put different varieties of tobacco leaves in her hand and arranged them just so.

Blend of tobacco leaves to form bundle

These leaves, or bundle, are then rolled in the binder. The original hand full of leaves makes the blend. The binder is to hold them together. Her hands are very busy and she knows exactly what to do. The binder is held in place with a very small amount of vegetable paste. The cigar is placed in a mold.

Cigar remains in mold for hours

This is a wooden form of two parts, which is then placed in a press. The mold properly shapes the cigar and helps allow proper airflow while smoking.

After several hours in the mold, the cigar is rolled again. One of the best leaves will be the wrapper.

Cigar rolled into final wrapper.

The wrapper has a good flavor, complementing the blend of tobacco inside the cigar, and the wrapper gives the cigar a good appearance.

After the cigar rolling demonstration, we look around the store. Several famous people have purchased and smoked cigars here.

Famous former patrons

Casa de Habana sells many kinds of cigars, cigar accessories and Cuban rum.

Cedar cigar holders

We leave the main store and enter a shopping mall courtyard. These girl musicians entertain us.

We enjoy listening to these musicians

Alejandro tells us that this is time for us to be real Cubans. We sample Cuban rum. Very good but we don’t drink much. Soon we receive small cups of strong Cuba coffee. This is also good. Mom doesn’t usually drink coffee but she liked it. Did not have a bitter taste to her.

Our third step to being real Cubans is smoking a cigar. A gentleman shows us how to light a cigar.

Light cigar with a burning strip of cedar

Use thin strips of cedar to light the cigar. Cedar has no resin, so the flavor of the cigar will not be compromised. Cigar lighting is not easy. But tourists are persistent and the cigars are lit and being smoked. These four cigar-smoking ladies are friends of Zeb the Duck.

My friends are cigar-smoking ladies. Wow! Deborah, MaryAnn, Susan and Alex

They look good with these cigars. So Cuban!

After smoking and drinking, we explore a little of this mall.

Ready to climb stairs and visit stores

There are three levels of stores.

Looking don to smoking and drinking area

Looking down to smoking and drinking area

Looking down the smoking and drinking area is pretty. We spent some time and money in this paper mache store.

Lots of paper mache. Zeb on top shelf

I like this store.

First paper mache shoe for Zeb the Duck

Soon it is time to return to the bus and head for our hotel. This was a great stop. We had fun here.

February 8, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Back in Havana with Zeb the Duck

My humans and I returned to Havana. We are staying at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

Our hotel

I have so much to tell you about this hotel, but it must wait until another day. Today we visit a senior center with a childcare facility. The seniors come here for day activities. And they are an active group! Then we will walk to an elementary school.

Santos drove us to an older section of Havana. Walking to the senior center, this is some of what I observed.

Havana street

Older area of Havana

It rained last night, so we still have some water in the streets.

Arriving at the senior center, we entered this room. The people were dancing and talking.

A Havana senior center

There was music. It was like a party. Some of the humans in my group joined the dancing and

Senior center

some visited with the senior Cubans.

After awhile, we climbed the stairs and talked to other people and saw the children from the daycare.

Day care at senior center

From the second floor we enjoyed the view

This is a beautiful building

of the interior of the building.

Leaving the senior center,

Leaving senior center

we walked to the elementary school. On the narrow streets, we saw cars, bicycles and horses. You can see that Havana, like many old cities, has some restored buildings and some that are crumbling and falling apart.

Old buildings are difficult to maintain.

I liked this man and the cart with fresh vegetables.

Fresh vegetables available here.

We were able to visit Escuela Primaria Carlos Manuel de Cespedes or Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Elementary School. We saw these students playing in the courtyard.

Kids playing

Photographs of national heroes were on the wall inside the school.

Cuban national heroes

We saw these students being tutored.

Tutoring

These girls loved posing for photos.

Children posing

They loved to see the pictures of themselves.

After lunch, we walked toward the Palacio del Teatro Lirico Nacional. Along the way, we saw the former Bacardi headquarters.

Former Bacardi headquarters with bat on top

Bacardi rum was started in Cuba in the 1800s. They moved the headquarters to Hamilton, Bermuda after the Castro regime took some assets. On top of the building is the Bacardi bat. The bat became the logo because the bat is good for sugar cane growers. Also one of the first buildings had bats in the rafters.

Our private concert at the Palacio del Teatro Lirico Nacional was on the second floor. Mom and I loved these stained glass windows near the stairs.

Beautiful windows

They are beautiful. This group sang for us. We all enjoyed the music.

We enjoyed the concert

These talented singers perform in many countries around the world. We are happy they were in Havana when we were.

Most of the humans brought gifts for the senior center and for the elementary school. They were happy to receive our gifts and we were happy to help them. I like the people of Cuba. Check back to see more of my Cuban experience.

February 7, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

More Cienfuegos, Cuba with Zeb the Duck

Arriving at La Sociedad Grafica de Cienfuegos

School of graphic design

I, Zeb the Duck, spotted this motorcycle. Like any guy, I asked my friend Channel, to go for a ride.

Zeb and Channel ready to ride

Here we are on the motorcycle. But we do not have the keys.

Inside this school, we see some finished work

Inside the school. The Working Class Herd

and listen to the plans and accomplishments of the school and the students. The Sociedad Grafica de Cienfuegos is similar to a City College. The print shop’s mission is to provide activities and support for children with Down’s syndrome. The finished pieces were created here, with this equipment.

Work area for students

The students and faculty are very talented and dedicated.

We cross the patio to enter the gallery or sales room. Many paintings are available for purchase. There are masterpieces available in the patio also. Here my friend, Connie, admires some pieces of art.

Connie admiring art

Leaving the school we admire the murals on the buildings.

Murals by school in Cienfuegos

I think the Cubans like to paint

Street art

and I believe they are very good artists.

On building near school in Cienfuegos, Cuba

Santos drives through Cienfuegos to Punta Gorda and the Palacio del Valle.

Palacio del Valle at Punta Gorda

We will eat lunch in the restaurant here.

I am getting hungry

This building was constructed between 1913 and 1917. Near the entrance, I spot a resting place for me. Short duck legs require many resting spots and this one is perfect for me.

Zeb the Duck at rest

We enjoyed a delicious fish lunch and then wandered through the Palacio del Valle.

Palacio del Valle has a gorgeous upper patio. If there were more time, later I would ask for a drink and snacks here.

Beautiful area and ready for a snack

But we return to Havana tonight, so no snacks here today. From this patio the views of the Caribbean Sea are wonderful.

Bay of Cienfuegos, part of the Caribbean Sea

This building has restaurants, patio with bar and food, a museum and rooms for rent. Palacio del Valle is beautiful. I hope you visit here soon.

Next time I will share more adventures in Havana, Cuba. Cuba is a new experience for this duck and my human. To visit and experience Cuba, check out http://www.FriendlyPlanet.com You will enjoy your time in Cuba.

February 5, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Cienfuegos, Cuba with Zeb the Duck

While Santos drove us from Trinidad to Cienfuegos, Alejandro answered our questions about life in Cuba. He also told us about Benny More, a famous Cuban musician from Cienfuegos. Benny More is often considered the greatest Cuban popular singer of all time. He possessed a fluid tenor voice, which he colored and phrased with great expressivity. Benny More formed and led the leading Cuban big band of the 1950s until his death in 1963.

Here I am with Benny in Cienfuegos.

Benny More and Zeb the Duck in Cienfuegos, Cuba

I am sitting on the end of Benny More’s signature cane. That is not a cigar under my feathers.

Walking through Cienfuegos, I liked this mural.

Mural in Cienfuegos, Cuba

This is some of what I saw on the street. Notice the telephone booths.

A main street in Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos, Cuba. People, truck, bicycle and horse u

So many friendly people.

We stopped in the Hotel la Union. Such a pretty hotel. This restaurant was inviting,

Lovely restaurant in Hotel la Union. Cienfuegos, Cuba

but mom said we were having lunch later. She purchased a couple bookmarks. One is still marking pages in our Cuban guidebook from Lonely Planet.

Jose Marti Park is very nice. I especially liked this tree with the bumps on the trunk.

By Jose Marti Park in Cienfuegos

Here I am with Jose Marti, a revolutionary and philosopher.

Jose Marti and Zeb the Duck in Cienfuegos, Cuba

Cienfuegos was founded in 1819 by Don Louis D’Clouet, a Frenchman from Louisiana. Others followed but the settlement was destroyed by a hurricane in 1821. The city was rebuilt and named Cienfuegos after the then governor of Cuba. In 1957 officers at the local naval base staged a revolt against Batista sealing the place of the city in revolutionary history.

In 2005 UNESCO named the center of Cienfuegos the best example of 19th entry early Spanish Enlightenment in urban planning.

This is one of several old colonial buildings in Cienfuegos.

Cienfuegos

February 3, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Our Last Day in Trinidad Cuba

Our last afternoon in Trinidad mom and Connie went to the beach. They rode in an old classic car for a taxi. But you will never guess what happened. Mom forgot the camera and me. She was hurrying, and I did not get to go. But Connie did have a camera, so this is what they saw. I was excited to see it also.

Sandcastle on Playa Ancon

They went to Playa Ancon, which our guidebook said is the best beach on the southern coast.

Ancon Beach

End of the day at the beach

Looks great!

When they retuned, mom took me to the lobby of our hotel. Are these presents for me??

Wrapped gifts in our hotel lobby. For Zeb?

We stayed at Iberostar Trinidad. This is a nice hotel on a town square. The lobby looks very pretty.

Lobby of Iberostar Trinidad hotel

From our central location, we walked on our tour of the city. We really like this hotel.

One evening we returned to the Plaza Mayor area and listened to music on the stairs I showed you a few days ago. We heard a group of musicians play and people started dancing.

Music and dancing

It was very nice and a lot of fun. Then another group of musicians played and professional dancers performed for us.

More music and dancing

We liked it all.

Before we left Trinidad in the morning, mom and I walked more streets to further experience this city. These are public telephones.

Public telephones

I never saw public or pay phones before. Telephone booths were everywhere before cell phones were widely used. Across the plaza from our hotel we saw children waiting to enter the school.

Time for school

This church across the park from our hotel seems serene.

Church in Trinidad Cuba

The old car parked on the street

Classic car

and the horse cart,

Ready for the day

moving down the street, are morning activities in Trinidad. I am on a bench by our hotel.

Relaxing on a park bench by Iberostar Trinidad hotel

I will miss Trinidad, but am looking forward to visiting Cienfuegos, Cuba.

February 2, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

The Super Bowl is Over

The Colorado Traveling Ducks and their humans congratulate the Seattle Seahawks on their Super Bowl victory.

To our Denver Broncos: You are still our team, we are proud you were in the Super Bowl, and we still support you.

February 1, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Frosty morning in Denver

Snow and cold in Denver today. We had more snow during the night. Our morning snow is beautiful.

Snow covered evergreen bushes have white frosting.

Morning snow on evergreen bushes

This tree looks magical.

Snow coated tree

Mom put us, Zeb and Soapy Smith Duck, on this table. The snow measures 7 inches. The 24 ounce Pepsi bottle is almost buried.

Ducks on snowy table

Here Zeb is almost buried.

Hey mom! I am sinking.

This is a good time to ski in Colorado. The ski resorts have feet of new snow. Have some winter fun.

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