and discovered that @nanixxx had given me the informal exchange rate.

Because that’s the only system that works in Cuba. The government doesn’t sell dollars—they say they don’t have any. It’s such a crazy story, it’s hard to believe. You have to sign up on a list to buy dollars at 120, like it says in the photo I’m adding here. It all goes through an app called Ticket—the same app people use to get fuel, and they notify you when they can sell you a limited amount. You can imagine people buy them just to resell on the informal market, because every product that’s sold is priced according to that rate. Honestly, what I’m telling you is just a tiny part of what goes on here. None of it makes any sense.

By the way, my parents come all the way from Candelaria—60 km from here in Havana—to buy gasoline, whenever the app notifies them that it’s their turn. 🤐