Name: Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial

Country: Cuba

Shape: Parejo

Size: Robusto (5 1/2 inches x 50)

Strength: Medium to Full

Here I am smoking an excellent Cuban cigar on a balcony overlooking Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea. It is 11:15 AM on a weekday in September. The sky is clear, and my panoramic view tinted by the rays of a cheerful sun does not lack splendor or beauty.

I can see the Beirut port from here, the same one that exploded last year. And I can see large cargo ships patiently waiting to deliver the goods they carry. The sea looks calm and serene.

Briefly, I let my eyes focus on the narrow line that separates the land from the sea. I see tiny cars on the highway flowing towards Beirut. Like blood cells, the cars go in and out of Beirut. “The heart still beats,” I say to myself. “This broken heart, despite everything, still beats.”

Everything looks alright in this picture. From a distance, everything looks just fine. But I know that what I’m looking at is, in fact, a place that can only be described as hell. I cannot see the suffering from here, yet I know it’s there.

I smoke my cigar and take notes in my notebook.

When I am done smoking, my eyes let go of Beirut and the sea. And I go inside to make some coffee.