Even with an aggressive driver, the trip from Havana to Pinar del Río takes around two hours. But the congestion of the city quickly gives way to open spaces. Flanked by palm trees, rice paddies and pastures, the rough highway has few cars. Travelers dot the roadside, some hoping for a ride, others simply walking. Workers here and there chop slowly at tall grass with machetes, and you see the occasional farmer holding a block of homemade cheese, eager for a sale. The farther you drive, the more rustic the conditions, until asphalt turns to dirt as the car reaches San Juan y Martínez, one of Cuba’s best tobacco towns. Out here, with spotty cell service, one cannot rely on GPS. “De donde Máximo?” a visitor asks. That one name…
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Cigar Aficionado (Digital) - 1 Issue, May/June 2024