YEP! Things are beginning to shutdown, Simon. I'm now worried that Yudith won't be able to fly to Toronto again for another 3 or 4 month visit with me once we get into the warmer summer months. It's possible that some or all of the other Canadian airlines will suspend their flights into Cayo Coco too for the summer. I hope not, but we'll see. Fingers, eyes, and toes crossed. Terry

No news out of WestJet or Air Transat as of yet. Hopefully they keep their current flight schedules.

Power came on Thursday at 19:00 and was still on until sometime early this morning. It was still off when I went for a stroll in the early afternoon, but when I got back around 17:00 it was on. Apparently it had been on for awhile. My almond milk that I put in the freezer to keep cold during power outages, was frozen when I got back. I was expecting the electricity situation to get worse, not better. Word is that a shipment of fuel came in today.

Air Canada has now cancelled all of their flights to Cuba. Have not heard anything from WestJet yet?

No Havana bookings on the WestJet website until December. Guess I am going home soon.

All 3 airlines (AC, Transat and Westjet) now are officially cancelling flights to Cuba. Welcome back to the deep freeze Canadians.

I have to travel to Varadero for my flight home on the 17th.

Simon, I was about to return to Cuba on the 22nd but a couple of hours before I was going to book, Air Transat announced they were stopping flights.

Believe it or not, I am currently in a chinese food restaurant in Rome, Italy.

Hey there, Simon. I received your email reply. Safe travels back to Toronto on the 17th. I have to let my wife there know now that there's still hope that at least Westjet / Sunwing and Air Transat will reinstate their fights to Cuba later on May 01st. We'll see what happens.

Well, the HITS just keep on coming! The hits to Cuba that is. I just checked the supermarket-treew online food delivery website, and there's a message there on their homepage indicating that they have temporarily suspended accepting any new orders for delivery to the eastern Cuban provinces... which of course includes Camaguey city where my wife lives. But I had already placed a new order to the maximum of $500 USD last Sunday for her - just in the nick of time it seems. That order will still be delivered likely by Saturday latest. Hopefully they'll be accepting new orders again for this time next month. Things are shutting down folks - scary times ahead. Terry

supermarket-treew and/or supermarket23 have now suspended their operations for the whole of Cuba. No longer an option for sending food deliveries as there's just not enough gasoline available to make those deliveries now. There's likely not enough gasoline available to keep their large generators operating at their many warehouses across Cuba as well. I just have this vision now of rotting chicken, pork, and fish with no electricity to help keep it frozen. Thank God it's only a vision I have to contend with and I'm spared the stench of that rotting meat too.

My hope is that Mexico, Colombia, Russia, Iran, and others... even the Canadian government... will quickly begin shipping oil to Cuba without delay as humanitarian aid. There's already a large Russian oil tanker due to make port in Cuba in early March. The others now need to jump on board too with making further shipments of various fuels as well. Terry

Terry, did your wife receive the big order you mentioned the post before last?
I can not see any food going to waste in Cuba. I am sure that everything gets eaten before it rots.

Hey there, Wess. Yes, Yudith received that new big food order... albeit, with only 7 bags of sugar out of the 10 ordered delivered - 3 bags were broken apparently. But I've already received a credit on my account for those 3 bags. It happens sometimes. Ironically, I was just talking to my wife on WhatsApp when I also received your message to my phone... I was asking her how long she thinks the remaining gasoline we have in our garage there will last for the generator and the electricity needed to keep the new 40lb. box of chicken quarters frozen... as well as the box of 10 whole chickens, 12 pork tenderloins, 3 large pork roasts, 8 bags of chicken livers, 6 packages of ground beef, and 18 packages of pork hotdogs - all of that frozen foods. Apparently she has enough gasoline to keep everything solid until mid March, in her estimation. But she also has a plan to buy more gasoline before she runs out too.

I know your wife has a credit card Terry, but do you still have ways to send her cash? Or like supermarketree, is that no longer possible.

Hola Simon. I send USD to my wife online through Sendvalu out of Switzerland. I just sent her $400 USD on February 07th - she received the 4 X $100 USD bills in her hand 2 days later. However, when the guy arrived who was facilitating that home delivery of the US cash, he also told my wife that he had heard that Sendvalu was planning to end their service in Cuba on March 27th. I recently contacted Sendvalu directly to ask if there was any truth to that - I was told that Sendvalu has no plans to suspend their operations in Cuba. Ultimately though, Sendvalu could end their service in Cuba at any time without prior notice. Given the chaotic state of affairs in Cuba now, and my diligence to always be thinking ahead, I might decide to send my wife as much as $2,500 USD on or about March 07th next month - her next installment. The maximum allowed within 1 transaction is $2,500 USD. My thinking is that it's likely better to hedge against any eventuality. I'd also be me kicking myself if I didn't do that and Sendvalu ended their operations later on in March too, just as we were warned. Terry

Posts were edited. Discussion of the current situation in Cuba is fine. However political comments are not allowed.

Was talking with wifey there yesterday - we're finally going to make the plunge to outfit our casa with solar panels on the roof with high capacity storage batteries. Apparently, there are even special solar panels and compatible batteries that will power our 2 tonne A/C split system. Other solar panels will power everything else in the casa off of a dedicated additional storage battery. The entire solar powered system will also immediately know when the electricity from the street comes back on to automatically switch from one system to the other, and vice versa. My wife is having everything quoted today. Sounds expensive, but EH! It is what it is in the new Cuba. Terry

That's probably the best option Terry. I know a few people with the means, are seriously looking at solar panels. The last casa host I stayed with is about to have them installed. Houses that rent to tourists are at an extreme disadvantage right now if they don't have an alternative energy source.

How easy/difficult is the solar option in Cuba? For the average person, I would imagine that it would be impossible to afford. It is undoubtedly the way to go if you can afford it. Are materials currently available for purchase in Cuba? Keep us posted as I am very curious about the process of it.

I totally agree, Simon. It's not looking good that Yudith will be able to buy more gasoline for our generator any time soon... or at least not an amount that will significantly make any kind of difference - hence, the reason why we're now shifting gears to quickly draw power from the sun.

And Wess, actually, it's quite easy to acquire solar power arrays and storage batteries needed too in Camaguey city. My wife told me that there's at least 4 different companies located in Cam city who specialize in the sales, installation, and service of those solar power products - and priced differently from one company to the next as well. My wife would be telling more about the quote she received today from the technician who visited our casa to measure things up and make his recommendations too. But there's been an almost island wide power plant failure there in Cuba again today, so no connection to WhatsApp at the moment. Apparently 10 out of the total 15 provinces are without power - including Camaguey. But as soon as Yudith is able to tell me more, I'll certainly share those details here too. Terry