The Dominican Republic  has been been attracting  for the 30 years  not only million of regular  tourists but a lot of  celebrities as well.

Some  of them have regular homes  there.Julio Inglesias and Oscar De La Renta live in  Punta Cana.

Bill and Hillary Clinton have  played  golf  several times and now former  President George Bush is  expected to do  the same.

Denzey Washington  was  seen  doing the same  last month.

A few  years  ago I had  the opportunity to shake hands  with a regular  visitor  to the D.R. . He was none  other than George Hamilton big movie and  TV star.

The occassion was a dinner  organized by  big cigar makes from the Dominican Republic  and the Zino Davidoff Group who helped to  make our cigars famous  all over the world.

My late father Rafael Herrera  who  was  the editor of the leading newspaper in the Dominican Republic was  a cigar smoker most of his life.

At one  time  he wrote editorials   proclaiming  the importance of the cigar industry in the Dominican Republic. He  wrote that  the  whole world would  be covered  with a "Cloud of Peace"  meaning that  smoking cigars meant friendship and  good times.

So  the event  was dedicated to  his memory.

The evening was unforgettable. Gentlemen  in tuxedos, ladies in beautiful gowns. Flowers every where,. The  best wines from  france. They even flew a  chef  from Europe  for the occassion.

Cigars  branded  as Don Rafael,as my father was popularly know were distribuited.

Great music and dancing  too.

As expected the  ballroom at the Jaragua Renassaince Hotel in Santo Domingo was so filled with smoke when the  100 guests or  so  started smoking tha you could cut it  with a knife.

George Hamilton was the  guest of honor and  the ladies were delighted.

He's really  not  only  a handsome guy but very elegant. The image of the ideal gentleman.Very quiet and oozing  style.

He was having the time of  his life.

I am  shook his hand. Wow ! 

A few   months  later  I ran into  him at a cigar  factory in La Romana,where Casa de Campo is located.

The manager of  the  factory was showing  him  some of the  latest batch of  special selection of cigars with the  George Hamilton's name.

He was really crazy about  Dominican cigars. Even Cigar Aficionado  published articles  about George Hamilton's investments in this sector.

I did not  want to interrupt  the conversation because I respect everybody's privacy and I dont' chase celebrites, but somehow I run into them by pure chance.

This is a image I cherish and love to share with you.