(Photo: Twitter/@ConanOBrien)
Conan O’Brien’s visit to Cuba during President’s Day weekend aired Wednesday night. And one of the many things we learned is that not only does Conan love Cuba, but Cubans love him back.
Because of the one hour long episode which aired on TBS, hundreds of thousands of television viewers got to discover a vibrant and friendly Caribbean island with so much to offer.
SEE ALSO: US-Cuba relations: Will Cuba change its ways?
O’Brien’s show made history, becoming the first time a U.S. late-night show has filmed in the country since the embargo began in 1962.
The last TV personality to film his show from Cuba was Jack Paar, who interviewed Fidel Castro for the “Tonight Show” in 1959 –despite the heavy criticism. In December 2014, President Obama announced that the U.S. would be moving to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.
“The process won’t be easy. So I kept the purpose of my visit simple: to meet the people and try to make friends,” Conan stated in the opening of his episode.
Here are some of the best moments from his time in Cuba.
1) Cuban Andy
(Photo: TBS)
2) “Old women love me here, dogs hate me”
(Photo: TBS)
3) Phone booths: “I can make a call and get my hair permed at the same time.”
(Photo: TBS)
4) Markets: “They have whole rows of just one product” (for example, the sweet wine, El Mundo).
(Photo: TBS)
5) La Clave: “The City is alive with music!”
(Photo: TBS)
6) When he formed part of a salsa band and sang a bunch of gibberish.
(Photo: TBS)
7) The vintage cars of Cuba
(Photo: TBS)
8) And his designated driver after visiting Havana Club Rum Museum.
(Photo: TBS)
9) Learning to dance salsa and rumba –but not quite nailing it.
(Photo: TBS)
10) “I’m the greatest star in America. I’m Ryan Gosling.”
(Photo: TBS)
Conan’s thrilling visit to Cuba also included drinking rum in a box by the beach, making an authentic Cuban cigar in a cigar factory and having lonely dinners at a paladar.
Conan has traveled to places such as Finland, Ireland, Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago and Dallas. But his pit stop in Cuba is definitely one for the books.
SEE ALSO: What’s Conan O’Brien doing in Cuba?
The 51-year-old comedian stated that normalizing ties would give Americans the opportunity to go shopping, partying, sightseeing and taking selfies on Cuban ground.
His final thoughts: “I hope we’ll soon be able to begin mending the long, broken relationship between our two countries. Despite the differences in our governments –at a human level, with so much we share: laughter, music, the love of good food and the sheer genius of rum in a box.”
It only took O’Brien four days in Havana to grow fond of the country. “It’s been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” he said. “The people here are talented, vivacious and warm. I can’t say enough and I can’t wait to come back.”
(Photo: TBS)
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10 Best moments of Conan making history in Cuba was originally published on vidatoday.com
