Walking down Calle G in Vedado, a sign immediately caught my attention. The café is called “Cafecito and Gossip.” And of course, I had to go in and bring you, just as the name suggests, the gossip.
It's a small place, a garage below street level. There are many businesses like that in that area. The atmosphere is pleasant and the prices are reasonable for the neighborhood. I had an espresso because, between nighttime blackouts and work the next day, I'm living in zombie mode. Just like all of Cuba lately, really.
However, it was also horrifically hot, that tropical humid summer heat, with the beautiful 2 p.m. sun that burns, stings, and annoys you in every way possible, no matter how much of a hat, shirt, or sunscreen you try to wear. I hadn't had lunch. So, I drank my coffee very slowly to enjoy the large fan blowing directly on my table (in Cuba, you learn to choose strategic tables based on their proximity to the air conditioning or a fan), but I also ordered a cheese sandwich and a very cold malt soda for the road.
Just as the café's name indicates and authorizes, I entertained myself by listening to the conversation of the guy on the motorcycle, who was sorting out like four different business deals (a true Cuban living by his wits). Then, the barista started talking on the phone about someone's boyfriend who had been caught in the act with someone else, and later a guy stopped by to deliver some goods and spent a full fifteen minutes bad-mouthing his boss. So, I left well-served on coffee, and on gossip, too.
Lately, it's been so hot in Cuba that people like me, who walk kilometers every day, learn certain tricks. The first is that alcohol dehydrates you, so no matter how tempting an ice-cold beer is, it's not a good idea. The other is that drinking a cold liquid helps with heatstroke, but it's even better if you also press the cold container against your neck, specifically where the body's large blood vessels pass through. This way, the blood cools down a bit and, as it circulates everywhere, you feel immediate relief. The third trick is to press the container against your forehead. That's why I bought the malt soda.
The heat has been so bad these days that even I, who share the philosophy that "coffee with more than three ingredients is no longer coffee but a dessert," have had a Frappuccino on a couple of occasions. I'll tell you about those stories soon.
Caminando por la calle G del Vedado, un cartel llamó de inmediato mi atención. “Cafecito y chisme”, se llama el café. Y por supuesto, yo tenía que entrar allí y traerles, tal y como su nombre indica, el chisme.
Es un lugarcito pequeño, un garaje por debajo del nivel de la calle. En esa zona hay muchos negocios así. El ambiente es agradable y los precios, razonables para la zona. Me tomé un expresso, porque entre apagones nocturnos y trabajo al día siguiente, vivo en modo zombie. Como toda Cuba últimamente, vamos.
Sin embargo, también hacía un calor horroroso, de verano húmedo tropical, y el hermoso sol de las 2 de la tarde que quema, pica y molesta de todas las formas posibles, por más gorra, camisa y protector solar que uno quiera ponerse. No había almorzado. Así que me tomé mi cafecito con toda la calma para aprovechar el gran ventilador directo para mi mesa (en Cuba, aprendes a elegir mesas estratégicas por la cercanía con el aire acondicionado o el ventilador), pero me pedí un sándwich de queso y una malta bien fría para el camino.
Como el nombre del café lo indica y autoriza, me entretuve escuchando la conversación del muchacho de la moto, que estaba cuadrando como cuatro negocios diferentes (un verdadero cubano que vive del invento). Luego, la barista se puso a conversar por teléfono sobre el novio de alguien a quien habían atrapado in fraganti con alguien más, y después pasó por allí uno que a entregarle mercancías y estuvo un cuarto de hora completico hablando mal de su jefe. De café me fui bien servida y de chisme, también.
Últimamente está haciendo tanto calor en Cuba que las personas como yo, que caminan kilómetros a diario, aprenden ciertos trucos. El primero es que el alcohol deshidrata, así que por más que te tiente una cervecita helada, no es una buena idea. La otra es que beber un líquido frío alivia contra los golpes de calor, pero es mucho mejor si además te colocas el recipiente frío contra el cuello, específicamente donde pasan los vasos sanguíneos grandes del cuerpo. De esta forma, la sangre se enfría un poco y, como circula por todos lados, sientes un alivio inmediato. El tercer truco es ponerse el recipiente contra la frente. Por eso me compré la malta.
El calor es tan malo en estos días que incluso yo, que comparto la filosofía de “un café con más de tres ingredientes ya no es café sino postre”, he tomado frapuccino en un par de ocasiones. De esas anécdotas les hablaré pronto.
I found the name of the coffee shop very interesting, and it really fits like a glove. While drinking coffee, gossip comes out as if by magic.🤭
The data on how to calm the heat is very interesting.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.☕
Excellent day
Gossip is everywhere if you're ready to listen 🤣
That's an interesting point. My hubby tells me otherwise. He says that one bottle of beer hydrates you faster than any other liquid.
I love the sunshine, so I wish you could blow some Cuban heat my way.
Haha! I concur with that.
Have a nice day!
If it has alcohol, it dehydrates you. The alcohol inhibits an antidiuretic hormone, which is why you urinate so much when you drink beer. You lose more liquid than you take in. However if hubby loves his beer and he's not in an oppressive heat like us... Just let him be 😅
Si el café estuvo bueno y el chisme garantizado, pues se cumplieron las expectativas y el nombre está bien puesto 😅 Como cafeadicta tendré que pasarme un día 😉
Sí sí
Andamos sobreviviendo entre aromas de café y ventiladores!! Jajaja
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