What Can You Get for $100 in Havana?

     WOW! I get to bring back $100 worth of Cuban rum or cigars when I visit  Cuba, but what does that really get you?   CNBC released a piece on that very subject recently and it makes it very clear that it isn't much.   Watch the video at http://www.cnbc.com/id/102361188#.   You will see what I am talking about.


     Great rums like great cigars are expensive even in Cuba.   A bottle of Havana Club 7 year old rum is about $35.00 per 750ml bottle.  The Cohiba Siglo VI is about $32.00. so for $100 dollars you can bring home a bottle of middle of the road Havana Club and two Cohiba cigars.   I guess there really isn't much there for our tourists  after all.


     Good rums in Cuba will run you from $200.00 and up.  25 Year Rums like Santiago de Cuba run about $250. 00 a bottle, and upper end Havana Club's like Maximo is $1700.00 a bottle.  The just released Havana Club Union ($350.00) paired with a one Cohiba Ciglo VI ($32.00) will cost you $382.00.  By the way you can't take this pair home with you either.

     What I am wondering is when the rhetoric is going to quit and our government really does something so everyday citizens can go on vacation to Cuba and bring back souvenirs like they can from Vietnam, Russia or Croatia.  The 50 year embargo has been bad enough, but another empty promise of travel and being able to bring back their wonderful rums and cigars is really even worse.