Havana May 2016 – Visit to Humidores Habana

Another great trip highlight was the visit to Humidores Habana and meeting up with Jose Ernesto, Pablo and all the good staff there.

Jose Ernesto and Pablo took a few hours showing us around and explaining the progress to David and Jan – a progress that became more evident and could be strongly felt after visiting the cavern-like workshop beneath the soviet-style building where it all started over 10 years ago.

Patricia and Ute had given me the “Goldsmith’s bible”, a book on jewellery and the goldsmith’s trade that they had promised to Jose Ernesto, whose early aim was making jewellery and who later progressed into building humidor masterpieces.

Both he and Pablo were extremely happy to receive the book and look forward to put it into practice while extending an invitation to Patricia to work alongside them in designing and creating jewellery pieces next visit.

I could feel how this visit impressed both my friends, David and Jan, both being truly amazed at the energy, passion and love for the community that Jose Ernesto radiates.

We spent far more time there than we had originally planned and still felt no urge to leave the place – listening to Jose Ernesto explaining, dreaming, creating and designing we could have spent the entire day there.

David actually returned to Humidores Habana taking Debbie along a few days later and did exactly that.

Once again an impressive experience of hard work, vision, creativity and dedication.

Nino