The Stretch Nobody Warned You About: Outages, Prepaid Cards and Tourist Stays in Havana

Living on a tourist card means the stay has an edge.

By Neil Solomon · 3 min read

Picture a couple named Sylvia and Martin. They love the idea of Havana. The streets, the music, the old buildings. They plan a long stay. In the first weeks, everything is as they imagined. Then, one afternoon, the power goes out. The next morning, the water does not come.

The account I read describes living in Havana on tourist cards, because residency was not possible for that person. It also mentions power and water cuts, and prepaid cards for internet. That is all I know, and I want to stay with what the account says.

A stay with a clock

Living on a tourist card means the stay has an edge. I think that changes how a person feels. You are a long-term visitor. Each renewal is a small decision, and there is always a day when it might not work out.

Some people find this exciting. Others find it tiring. I would guess the answer depends on how much you need things to be settled.

The part nobody puts in the brochure

I think when people picture a place, they picture the weather and the views. Few picture the infrastructure. So the first outage comes as a surprise, even when it should not.

Sylvia and Martin might talk it over on the second dark evening:

"I did not think about the water," Sylvia says.

"We will fill buckets, and we will find the rhythm," Martin says.

What I notice is that daily rhythm becomes the real topic. Cooking when there is power. Charging a phone when there is a chance. Planning showers around a supply you cannot control.

The internet on a card

A prepaid internet card turns being online into a small purchase each time. It can feel like a limit. It also teaches a habit: deciding what is worth the time. Some people say they enjoy this. Others find it hard, especially if family far away expects regular messages.

For anyone with relatives overseas, I think it is worth agreeing in advance how often you will be in touch, and how.

How long can you stay?

This is the question the title asks. A short visit makes outages an adventure. A long stay makes them a pattern. I would not judge the experience by the first week. I would ask how you feel after several rounds of the same interruption.

I also think it matters to be honest about what you need. If steady comfort is central to your life, a stretch like this may be hard. If you are curious and patient, it may be more manageable.