When El Bargo came to Cuba

El Bargo accompanied me throughout Cuba. El Bargo arose from a discussion about Cuba and the economic embargo when a friend suddenly asked who El Bargo was.

Yes... Cuba and the embargo. An eerie alliance that makes the Caribbean island uniquely amusing and at the same time just exhausting. Or, as it can't be described more accurately, as stated in lonelyplanet under 'Why I love Cuba':

'Cuba has the ability to disappoint you completely in one moment and inspire you incredibly just a minute later.'

For example, there was the 50-minute walk to the legendary Hershey train, which, of course, didn't work, and then meeting a Cuban on the way who led us to a viewpoint with a wonderful church.

It is no secret that Cuba handles 2 currencies. It is also not a secret that this can be cumbersome. You feel annoyed when you pay 24 times more for coffee than the Cuban at the next table, because the tourist currency is traded much higher.

This doesn't make the salsa music, which can annoy even the biggest music lover after 4 weeks of constant playing, any better. But the charm: the toothless smile when the old Cuban realizes that I still don't believe him that he needs money for milk for his children, because... as he told me, all his children are academics and adults... that is truly priceless.

Decrepit houses and posters of the old philanderer Che and his cohorts fade away ironically in the emerging capitalism that is definitely still in its infancy, which leads to the question of 'That doesn't work today' when asking for directions to a restaurant. This raises the question of what exactly 'doesn't work'. Or the question of why the bicycle taxi costs more than the official state taxi is explained with 'The sun is shining'. Imagine that in Europe....

Oh and before I forget to eat. For all the foodporn haters... now would be the moment when you shouldn't continue reading....

Our first breakfast in Cuba. Lovingly prepared and just as good as it looks.