The food… in Cuba is not what one would call a highlight. Ok, in the Paladares (private restaurants) one can get a good meal for fewer than ten dollars, that’s just something I need once a day. Apart from that, there is only filth to be found, and that all over the place. Sorry, but I have to make that quite clear. There is at least one “Rapido” in each larger town; this is a sort of fast food restaurant. In these places, one can get either, pizza with salami, pizza with ham, or pizza with mortadella. I know all variations. One is also able to get spaghetti. One day I arrived from the beach, was very hungry, and fancied a plate of spaghetti and a pizza. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be possible. One of the Rapido’s has spaghetti, the other pizza…. At first I didn’t even want to go into the one Rapido.

Le Baron was able to convince me though; he told me that the pizzas there weren’t that bad at all. So, I went in, but against my will. The pizza was done in the microwave (at least it had been covered in plastic foil), looked a bit like a plastic pizza baked in the microwave. I plucked up all my courage and took a bite, great!!! I nearly even ordered a second one. Ok, to tell the truth, after a few days one can’t face them anymore, that’s the reason why one should have a proper meal once a day, preferably during the evening in the Paladar.

Photo above: We can be seen here twice in a Rapido, on the beach once. At least one is able to get a good beer from a carafe and a cabbage salad (shiver).

Then one night, I went with Y to a sort of fast food restaurant down the old part of town. There is a special name for such place, has slipped my mind. I had Pollo (chicken) done in the chip pan, and chips to go with it. What I mean is that I tried to eat it – to tell the truth I didn’t really manage. Was very fatty and oily. The chips were swimming in old brown chip pan fat, was simply disgusting. As I said, couldn’t eat the crap. Ate Bokadillo quite often down the Casa Granda, this is a type of sandwich. If one has an empty stomach, then it is just about possible to shove one down ones throat.