We are very excited at Tabanero Cigars because there are so many new developments that we enrich our lives. One of those is the launch of Taba Tours to Cuba. You probably have read about it already…if not please look at our FaceBook page and other blogs to learn more. It is going to be fantastic! As the first tour date approaches we thought it would be fun to share with you some facts about Cuba.
All About Cuba’s History
On October 28 in the year 1492 (sound familiar — sailed the ocean blue and all…) Christopher Columbus landed on Cuba’s northeastern coast near what is now Bariay in the Holguin province. Columbus claimed the island for the new Kingdom of Spain.
Cuba, the name itself, might be taken from the word cubao in the Taíno language (they were a native tribe present when Columbus arrived. The word means ‘place where fertile land is abundant’. From what we know of tobacco, we can surely believe it! However some argue that Christopher Columbus named Cuba for the town of Cuba in Portugal. The first Spanish settlement was founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar at Baracoa in 1511.
San Cristobal de la Habana, which is now Cuba’s capital city of Havana, was founded in 1515.
Did You Know? Some Cuba Facts
- is often called The Alligator, El Cocodrilo in Spanish, because the shape of the island looks like one from the sky.
- makes it mandatory for government vehicles to pick up hitchhikers. Yeah, we don’t know why either.
- erected a statue of John Lennon of The Beatles in John Lennon Park in Havana (where else would you put it?). Apparently Castro admired Lennon and believed he was a true music revolutionary.
- has one of the highest doctor-to-population ratio in the world…it is true! They have ranked in the top five since the 1990’s and often rank number one. Cuba is known for sending doctors around the globe.
- is world renowned for its music – that’s not surprising is it? The main form is a jazz hybrid known as son cubano which is a combination of influences from West African driving rhythms with Spanish classical guitar. Can you not imagine yourself sitting at a Cuban café overlooking the water, drinking a Mojito, and listening to son cubano music?
- loves baseball and boxing, which are its most popular sports. Cuba has producing a number of Olympic champions and professional prospects in each sport.
- was original home of Bacardi Rum, which was first manufactured in Cuba. However, the brand moved to Puerto Rico after the revolution.
- is world famous for a rum drink that is a mixture of coke and lime known as a “Cuba Libre” except in Cuba where it’s known as a “mentirita,” or “little lie.”
- calls cigars puros or habanos in Cuba and the world knows Cuba for cigars just as it is coming to know Ybor and Tabanero for cigars.
- placed an import ban on cars that was not lifted until 2011. That is one the main reasons that many of the cars on the road are classic cars from the 50’s.
- has a terrain that is mostly flat with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast part of the country.
- has a tropical climate with moderate trade winds. November to April is considered the dry season while May to October is the rainy season. This is one of the reasons why our Taba Tour will launch in November.
Please stay tuned for more details and more stories about Cuba, the Jewel of the Caribbean!