Oil prices jumped like Durbe residents when they find out something is happening in the neighboring town

Oil prices this week have displayed acrobatic abilities that surpass even the Liepāja tram's maneuvers on Graudu Street. Brent crude jumped to $103 per barrel, while the WTI variant reached $107. That's almost as expensive as fuel in Riga on a regular day.

The Middle East is once again demonstrating its special talent for turning any situation into a global crisis. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil usually travels, has now become as safe as nighttime strolls through Old Riga. Tankers have stopped because captains realized it's better to head straight home rather than risk preserving their cargo.

"We here in Durbe have never had such problems with fuel," comments local entrepreneur Gunārs Bērziņš. "Our biggest crisis was when the gas station pump didn't give us a receipt. But we solved that too without international sanctions." Meanwhile, Durbe residents, who usually pride themselves on their tranquility, are currently the only ones who can sleep peacefully, unaware that in their neighboring city of Liepāja, people are already calculating whether to bike to work or go on foot.

Economists warn that fuel prices could remain high for months. But in Liepāja we've long understood – when the wind blows from the sea, we need neither oil nor gas. We just need a good jacket and a positive attitude toward life.