Mus' trip - I went, i didnt see, and i left

[AbuAmelia]

Man, I give you a lot of credit for going through what you went through. I would have broke down mentally.

[Hash]

Glad you made it to London.

[Habana Mike]

We missed you Mus. Glad you've been able to make the most of it.

When they asked if I'd been to Dallas I'm glad I didn't have to transit through!

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[LordAnubis]

Racist bastards. They never asked me if ive been to Bamako or Kayes in Mali which is where the Ebola cases were. They just painted me with the big Mali Ebola brush. Tossers.

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[LordAnubis]

Man, I give you a lot of credit for going through what you went through. I would have broke down mentally.

It's all good mate. Not worth it. At the end if the day I just chill out and get in with it. I'm waiting to get back to aus so I can call up travel insurance and see if I can get back any money at all from the wasted trip.

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[AbuAmelia]

It's all good mate. Not worth it. At the end if the day I just chill out and get in with it. I'm waiting to get back to aus so I can call up travel insurance and see if I can get back any money at all from the wasted trip.

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Best of luck with that!

[Arkay]

Wow!

[CanuckSARTech]

Mus,

Heard about your troubles. Dude, I'm so sorry to hear you went through all that. It's frustrating enough that the Cubans have such a stupid blanket-coverage rule on this, but you definitely had your wallet dinged with all this too.

Was kinda funny for us though. On Saturday the 15th, we're on the bus, travelling from the Varadero airport to Havana, when I get a text from Frank....

"Find Rob. In jail. No joke."

Texting back and forth, he texted me after he had taken a call from Rob. Apparently telling him that he was in jail, and to contact Australia. So after Frank lets us know, and us being helpless to help from a busride, the text messaging started flying. Me contacting Toby to notify, trying Jose, Frank letting Australia know, texting Toby, sending me the Aussie embassy particulars for in Mexico, etc., etc., etc. A couple hours of texting. Toby then confirming all is well, one member deported, but will clear up later, all else fine.

Then finally, when sitting down with Rob at the FOH party, it was discussed. Rob called Frank (Rob, you musta REALLY been drunk!!! LOL), and with a crackly phone connection, apparently said something to the effect of "Khalil being deported, being held until tomorrow, let Oz know to see what can be helped with". So, "Khalil being deported" turned into "I'm in jail" to Frank's ear over the crackling phone line.

LOL. What a way to start the weekend!!!!

Sorry again about the situation for you, Mus. While the above made it funny somewhat afterwards, it still burns that you weren't there. Would have loved to get a picture of you standing next to Australian "Motorhead Lemmy"! LOL.

[Hiroshiro]

booooo what a terrible experience. I'd be making a scene

[LordAnubis]

Whoa whoa whoa. I wasn't deported thank you very much. They didn't let me in to begin with!!! .

At least it wasn't a butt dial from rob

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[dublincigarsmoker]

Found in Mayfair London!

Mus is looking as well as can be expected for someone 2 weeks into Ebola. But on the positive side, he wasn't suffering from the Havana Hangover, and hasn't eaten Caribbean Duck for sometime, so we actually got to hang out for more than 10 minutes at a time. I'm loving being the other Rob, two FOH herfs in a week. I'm on a role and could get used to this.

[madandana]

Found in Mayfair London!

Mus is looking as well as can be expected for someone 2 weeks into Ebola. But on the positive side, he wasn't suffering from the Havana Hangover, and hasn't eaten Caribbean Duck for sometime, so we actually got to hang out for more than 10 minutes at a time. I'm loving being the other Rob, two FOH herfs in a week. I'm on a role and could get used to this.

image.jpg

You sir are a machine.

[LordAnubis]

Nice place the May fair! And what an awsome herf it was with the boys! Was great that rob changed his schedule to be able to make it to the herf. Top man and thanks for sharing some amazing smokes. I got the opportunity to smoke a cigar that's older than I am!!! Thanks again mate!!! Great conversation great smokes great stories and a good dinner to top it all off. What more could a guy ask for!?!? Awesome night, cheers folks! See you next time I'm in town.

Gonna be a loong day tomorrow. Smoke with Ajay tomorrow through the day then with rob in the afternoon and family dinner in the evening. I think I'll take extra hits of my asthma puffer now in preparation for tomorrow.... I mean today

Ohh and by the way from left to right in the pic that's;

Chris (chanceschmer), me, Alan (MrDowse), Rob (dublincigarsmoker) and Martin (Tino).

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[Habana Mike]

Well at least the entire ordeal has not gone to pot! Sounds you've had quite the experiences despite missing the madness in Cuba.

Hope to meet you sometime, somewhere Mus. Enjoy the rest of your journey.

[MrDowse]

Wish I'd come for dinner with you guys, the cupboard was bare when I got home. Had to make do with some cold spuds out of the fridge and a slice of bread and butter. Yum! Great to see you again Mus and Martin and to meet Rob & Chris. I had great time and got to smoke some fantastic cigars plus as usual I came home with more cigars than I left the house with! Thanks again for the generous gifts fellas

[LordAnubis]

Man the dinner was awesome. Perfect grilled fish and perfect portion size!!! Good service too!

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[MrDowse]

Go ahead rub it in.

[Tino]

A good time had by all! Thanks to Rob for the Partagas Montalto No 5 and PL Sobresalientes, and to the other guys for your generosity with trades/smokes etc.

[ChanceSchmerr]

A wonderful night indeed! Any herf to meet new people is awesome in my book! Alan, Mus, Rob - was great to meet you, looking forward to the next time we meet again (for Mus it'll be in a few hours LOL). Martin, awesome to see you again - let me know how that Escep smokes!

The Montalto and Sobersalientes were both fantastic smokes - many thanks again Rob!

[Hash]

Glad that you all had good time , wish i was there.

[LordAnubis]

In london pretty much spent most of the time with family. There's a new Sautters store opened up so i went to check that out. I was a bit confused about it. It's right behind the Bvlgari hotel in Knightsbridge. The shop doesn't have a big range of cigars, nor does it have a lounge to smoke in. So i was a bit confused as to why the store is there. Maybe it's just to sell singles to the crowd in that high end of town? But then there's always the cigar shop in Harrods for that?!?!?! Will be interesting to see how long they are there, their rent must be through the roof on that place!

For the first time ever i saw sunshine in London! Was freezing cold but was a clear day (mostly).

The one thing i've never done in London is go to the museums. I tried to go once but the line to enter was huuuge and i'm a lazy bastard so i didn't wait. So i went to the Museum of Natural History and the science museum. Interesting places to waste half a day.

After that i made my way to the May Fair hotel to the herf with the london boys. This is where i should describe Rob Fox. I was supposed to be staying with Rob Ayalla in Cuba and one of the other housemates was Rob Fox. I was looking forward to meet him but it didn't happen. I said i would get in contact with him when i go to Dublin in early February. Anyway i wake up on Monday (just gone) and i have an email from Foxy and he tells me they are having an event at their london shop and he would like me to be his guest. I replied and said thanks a lot for the offer but i might not make it due to family dinner, but we are having a London FoH herf on the wednesday night and if he can he should join us. He then sends me an email a day later saying that he has changed his itinerary and is now flying into London on Wednesday at 16:15 just so that he can be at our herf that night at 18:00. That is the character of the man. Above and beyond to go out of his way to meet some average blokes who are just getting together to have a good time and a few smokes. He is a great person, very friendly and approachable and you can see he's in the business not for fame or glory but simply to help people enjoy cigars. You can see why Rob A and Rob F get along so well. Really pleased to get the opportunity to meet him a few times! He brought 2 boxes of cigars to the Herf with him, one from the 1970s!!! and the other the recent release big mother of a cigar from Por Larranaga. But anyway the london herf went great and we all had a great time, and Rob and i got some dinner afterwards. Thanks again to the London crew for the herf, another great time as usual and will see you in Feb.

The next day I went to Ajays out in Teddington, and got the photo with Ajay because Art thinks Ajay is my dad... what do you think?

Had several smokes with him including a Cuaba Divinos. Everyone bags them but the one i had was nice. Molasses is what i got from it. Very enjoyable. Chris then joined and later so did Joe. I had to leave pretty much straight away once Joe arrived as i was going early to Foxys shop for the event they were hosting. Got to the store and Rob was going out for dinner and asked if id' liek to join himself and a friend and we went down the road for a nice meal. I was fascinated by the little mesh sock they put on the half lemon so that no seed drop on your food and the lemon juice doesn't squirt everywhere. What a fantastic idea!!!! I know i know, small minds... The event was a party for Churchills birthday. I got to hang around for a few speeches in which i learnt the story we all are told about the birth of the churchill size cigar and it's name may not be true after all. It was likely a marketing strategy by the JJ Fox store themselves after permission from the Churchill family. Very insightful. I had to leave shortly after and said my goodbyes to Foxy and the people at the event. I should also note, i was the obvious sore thumb there. Everyone was in at least a suit jacket and high class clothing, and here i was the single short bloke wearing my uni tshirt and jeans. AHahahaha it was all good though Then left the event to go catch up for my second dinner of the night with family. My cousin recently got married so was catching up with him and his new mrs. Was a great dinner and good night.

Woke up late the next day and had to go to the Aus embassy because when they printed my passport it looks like there is a piece of dust or something on my passport picture underneath the laminate. So i'll have to get the passport replaced maybe. That then means i'll have to carry two passports which i'm too lazy to do, so i'll have to see how it goes, no countries have refused me entry yet about the passport photo so maybe i'll just leave it. As i was walking out of the building i saw these people taking photos of the Embassy, i told them it might not be a good idea as it's an embassy and they kind of shrugged off the advice, as i crossed the road i saw about 5 security people closing in on them, i tried

Bit of a smoking break now as Saturday is more family time, Sunday fly out from here, Monday all day in the air, and Tuesday morning i will be landing in Perth. Looking forward to catching up with he home crew... see you soon boys!!!

[Hash]

There is some resemblance!

[CanuckSARTech]

....I'm loving being the other Rob, two FOH herfs in a week. I'm on a role and could get used to this.

Hell - two posts in a calendar year!!!!!!! Now THAT'S a roll for you!!!!

[melies]

So sorry you had all those problems, but look like at the end everything went good