As if in Cuba

An acquaintance was visiting Cuba on a trip a few days ago, I saw this completely by chance. She had made a post with pictures in a travel group, maybe just to give information, or just to reassure herself that despite everything, she and her companions were fine, had a roof over their heads, were finding what to eat and above all - what to photograph. Because, you might know about the electricity crisis in the country, which is probably more of a way of life, but it's just that right now this situation is going on longer than regular blackouts.

Cuba is a modern travel destination in Bulgaria. It sounds very exotic to say that you have been to Cuba, maybe just because it is very far, but it is a photographic destination because of their specific and impressive cars, and on the one hand, I can understand the desire of some people to go there.
But on the other hand, I'm terrified. Look, if you're an adventurer and you go to the Amazon, I'll understand that, but when you're a woman looking for exotic destinations, maybe just to be able to brag about them to other people, I personally would pick one a safer place, more secured, more supplied and more everything.

I have read enough things written by travelers about the lack of food in supermarkets, the queues, the power cuts, the miserable streets, the crime. I have also watched movies. I even recently came across one on national television and was literally shocked by life in this country. On this occasion, my partner said: this is a way of calming down - that there are places that are worse than Bulgaria.

Well, do you think that calms me down? No. But I also have no desire to go to countries that are poorer than Bulgaria and that are more dangerous than Bulgaria. And do you also know that there is no country touched by the destructive hand of communism that develops normally, develops at all?

My acquaintance had written that the hotels worked with generators, a device completely necessary for the Bulgarian living conditions as well - I told you about this before. The restaurants were open, but most of them were unable to cook. And there were simply no grocery stores. Well, a bit different from the normal way of life in the country. How could I be attracted to that?

A few days ago, our electricity went out again. It was 9:36 p.m., I remember it well because I was watching the reality show I like on TV.
I sat in the dark and thought.
Always, heaps of practical thoughts and all kinds of questions flood me the moment the water or electricity goes off. And now that I'm sick, my illness gets worse as well, the moment that happens. As I wrote recently - living conditions make me sick.
I'll leave aside this catchphrase recently uttered by unfortunate residents of a waterless village: In the 21st century, people are flying into space, and we have no water.

I sat and thought in the dark about what I had to do for the rest of the evening and how I would manage doing it in the dark. And well, it's still not that cold now. The air conditioner was on, but now without electricity it can't work and yet, it's still not that cold. What about when it gets cold and the power keeps going out? There is a fireplace in only one room of the house, and it is not the bedroom, so if this happens in the winter, and it has already happened, the situation in the house really takes on crisis dimensions.

I sat and thought in the dark. What have we done in the past when there was a regular current regime all the time? To tell you the truth, the last few months have really taken me back in time with the regular water and power cuts. But then I used to bathe with soap and shampoo in the river (can anyone blame me for that when we all lived that way?), and here now there is no river nearby, or at least no river to bathe in.

But what do you do when the electricity goes out in the evening, when it's already dark, when people haven't heated on wood stoves for a long time, as it was in the past? We also had gas lamps then, as well as oil lamps, many candles, etc. Now we just have two flashlights, a small table lamp, and the phone flashlights. I don't think we even stocked up on candles, maybe in some attempt to deny reality. And the reality is that the power can go out at any moment. We don't even need a declared regime for this. In the same way, water can also stop at any time and for an unlimited amount of hours.

I sat and thought. And the current came most unexpectedly. The blackout lasted about 11 minutes this time. At 9:47 p.m., everything lights up, the air conditioner turns on, and the reality show continues. As if nothing happened. Only the aggravation of my illness remained to remind me where I am and that this way of life cannot continue.

Thank you for your time! Copyright:	@soulsdetour
	Soul's Detour is a project started by me years ago when I had a blog about historical and not so popular tourist destinations in Eastern Belgium, West Germany and Luxembourg. Nowadays, this blog no longer exists, but I'm still here - passionate about architecture, art and mysteries and eager to share my discoveries and point of view with you.

Personally, I am a sensitive soul with a strong sense of justice.
Traveling and photography are my greatest passions.
Sounds trivial to you?
No, it's not trivial. Because I still love to travel to not so famous destinations.🗺️
Of course, the current situation does not allow me to do this, but I still find a way to satisfy my hunger for knowledge, new places, beauty and art.
Sometimes you can find the most amazing things even in the backyard of your house.😊🧐🧭|