Backpackers who love cigars.

“I hate spelling!

8p”

“Whut?”

“Hey bit,

I ordered the weekly special from JR's and got it last Monday. Had one last night and it was a very nice cigar ... a little over my budget, but nice.

Don Diego blah blah blah - can't remember what kind it was.”

“Oh yah, I thought about getting those but decided against it. My humidor is getting a little full these days. Glad it was good though. This week's special is cigars made for Kmart, wal-mart, etc., that are tubed so they can sit on the shelf for a while. I'm thinking about the AyC's myself.”

“Just got a box of fresh Cuban made for $50 bucks. But I ain't stateside either. I wonder if I can get em through customs??”

“Where are you, 1HilBilyMarine?”

“Spain, In the US Marines bound for North Carolina on the first ship outta here. Been gone over 6 months.”

“50 bucks is a little cheap for a box of real Cubans. What brand are they?

Getting them through Customs if they're real can be a challenge, especially a whole box. You might consider buying a box of crap cigars and repackaging them, that is, take the crap cigars out of the box they're in, and put the Cubans in it. If the Cubans have bands on them, remove them, since they always say "Habana" on them, which is a dead giveaway. Of course, if the Customs people want to take them, they can, regardless of what you say.

Of course this is all hypothetical, you realize.

"bitpusher" is one of the many things that computer programmers are called.”

“They are real! I spent 7 months in Haiti and got the same thing off a Cuban ship when it pulled into port down there. I was getting them there for $20 a box. Twenty one dollar bills looks like alot when you don't have anything I guess. They're Upmann's ( However it spelled correctly)”

“I just figured out another way to get em passed customs. In a place that even customs can't look!!”

“You might still want to check here anyway. The ones you bought off the Cuban ship were probably real, just not "official". I'd be more leery of the ones you bought in Spain though.”

“Hey bitpusher
I'm sure I have the real deal”

“OK, good then. I've just heard soooooo many stories like the buddy of mine who came back from Cancun saying, "I got this great deal on Cuban cigars, man! Dude was selling them on the beach for $25 a box!!! Cohiba Crystales!"

Then I ask him if the box had a clear lid.

"Uh yeah, it did! How did you know?"

Cohiba doesn't make a cigar called the "Crystale", and doesn't package any cigar with a clear lid.

"Oh. Wow OK"

Are they good, I ask.

"yah they're really good!"

Then a buck a stick is still a great price. Enjoy them!



So, please forgive my suspicious nature, 1HilBilyMarine. Have you tried one yet? Are they any good?”

“No haven't tried one yet...and it's killin me, but if they are like the one I had in Haiti they were outstanding. I've seen counterfiets around myself when I was in Honduras and Bolivia. I bought Macanudos in Don Rep straight from the factory after I watched em get rolled. Those were fine smokes. I won't buy cigars from from folks on the street”

“Macs are great. I love them. Every time I go to the cigar store I pick up a couple Duke of Devon's because they are so mild and tasty, a great change from the heavier Honduran cigars I usually smoke.

Ever had Puros Indios? It's made in Honduras, but Rolando Reyes doesn't use any Honduran tobacco in them...odd. But they are damn good!

Punch is a good Honduran brand, that I love as well.”

“I traded some Budwieser to a Honduran Cigar shop owner for a handful of cigars. I'm pretty sure he gave me a couple of the Indio's in the trade because I remember that were made with another countries tobacco. Been afew years ago so I'm not to sure of the name, but I do remember the the Punches. I got the good end of the trade. The beer had been gotten free and all the cigars were good.”

“Oh man! You robbed him!

I'd love to go to Honduras or the D.R. and visit a cigar factory. I gotta do it sometime.”

“I'm going to St. Thomas and St. Maarten in a few weeks ...

What are your favorite Cubans???”

“Montecristo - pick me up a couple of Petit Coronas, I can't remember the number. I'll gladly reimburse you.”

“Man I have 25 of them now in my stock.

I love all La Gloria Cubana.

Punch.


And many more!

Have fun and some till you can't no more!

8)”

“MDS, do you know how to tell the real thing from a fake?”

“There are diffrent color varations in the band thats on the cigar.thats how you can tell the real from a fake!

Also buy from a smoke shop that you have become friends with the owner!

8)”

“My point is, that unless our friend MDS is familiar with all the permutations of fake bands out there (a bunch), he would be hard pressed to be certain he had the genuine article. I seriously doubt he is on a first-name basis with the tobacconists in the Virgin Islands (sorry, Michael). However, If you DO know what you're doing, I would gladly give you money in advance for some Cohibas! Or better still, some Dominican Fuente Opus Xs!”

“Hey Bitpusher,”

“Hey Bitpusher,”

“Hey Bitpusher,”

“Hey Bitpusher, I finnally broke down and smoked one of my stoggies. AWESOME... I'm told I maybe back in South America this winter so I'll have to get some more”

“Make sure this weekend you bring enough "gars" to share. We will take the cheap stuff and never no it. You can be my "gar garu." Maybe we can learn something.”

“Cool, 1HilBilyMarine...glad they were good!

Damn, it has been a long time since I smoked a cigar. I need to do that soon. Sorta waiting for the mosquitoes to vamoose...”

“OK, Dodder, I'll bring enough for you and me. You bring some damn Glenlivet!”

“Glenlivet is good, but Macallan is the nectar of the gods....”

“You are sooooooooo correct...”

“But then, I'm only bringing Puros Indios, not Fuente OpusX...”

“Yah...I only bring Maker's Mark on the trail, usually...If'n I was to bring some Scotch, I'd bring White Label...one of the better blends, in my opinion. That way if it spills, I won't cry the whole weekend...”

“BLENDED scotch???? YOU BARBARIAN!!!!!!!!”

“Hey, everybody starts on the cheap stuff....”

“WRONGO!!!!! Ya start on the good stuff, then when yer blasted, ya drink the swill...never know the difference after that.”

“I just had a nice La Gloria Cubana-Glorias en Cedros it is by far my favorite cigar.

8)”

“That is a fine cigar, Mike! 8-)”

“No, no, no, when you start out drinking scotch...

..which reminds me of a funny story.

For my birthday last year, my most excellent brother bought me a bottle of 18-yr-old Macallan...smoooooooth as silk that stuff is. Anyway, we sat out under my carport to smoke a cigar and sample the malt. My wife came down, said she had to go out for a minute, and got in our van and left. Well, we decided to compare the difference between the 12-year Mac and the 18-year Mac, so I went in and got my mostly-empty bottle of 12-year, and had a snort. So, my wife pulls back in, and I quickly hide the bottle of 18-year Mac, and when she gets out of the car, I hold up the bottle of 12-year Mac (almost dry by now) and say, "That is some DAMN FINE SCOTCH WHISKEY!"

She fell for it.”

“Uh, bit; as I recall , Mrs. bit doesn't drink...”

“Yes...she doesn't. Well, margaritas, but that hardly counts, does it?

I was trying to convince her that we had nearly polished off a bottle of Scotch in the short time she had been gone. It was almost as funny as the time when I had my sister-in-law convinced that the lime that they put in the mouth of a bottle of Corona pops up out of the bottle when you open it....”

“You're a funny guy...LOL!!!!”

“BTW, margaritas DO count. I've taken many a 'tequila nap' lol.”

“Not the way she likes 'em...if she can taste the tequila, they're too strong, lol....”

“Get some Reposado Agave Azul tequila. That'll take care of the taste. TRUST ME, darlink!!!”

“gimme a blunt fatherG!”

“Settle for a torpedeo?”

“On my honor I promise to do my best
To feed myself and starve the rest
To drink and fight and smoke cigars
And push old ladies in front of cars.”

“tilt, your quite the poetic one this evening......



now i lay me down to sleep,

a bag of peanuts at my feet,

if i should die before i wake,

give them to my brother jake”