Life in Cuba means living with constant blackouts

Most people cook on electric hot plates these days, which they were able to buy subsidized from the government a few years ago to modernize and make cooking easier. But in the meantime, more and more people are switching to cooking with fire or charcoal, because it means they can cook even during power cuts. Here, Hector Borges Sanchez blows on the flames under his pan of plantains.

Manicurist Ariana Suasnava cuts her neighbor's nails while her son holds her phone and uses it like a flashlight so she can actually see what she is doing. These are not ideal working conditions, but what else can she do? Besides making work more difficult, many neighbors are worried about crime in the dark and are being extra vigilant.

Tania Borges Sanchez often has to light a candle to light up the family dinner at night, since electricity is being rationed at odd times. But it's not as romantic as it may seem. In parts of eastern Cuba, people are sometimes without power for between 12 and 18 hours a day, which disrupts life in innumerable ways. This has left people to come up with creative workarounds.

Guests arrive during a blackout to celebrate Daniela Celio's 15th birthday. To keep his daughter happy, her father rented a generator that runs on petroleum so that the guests did not have to sit in the dark on the roof terrace. It will be a party to remember, but how many more generator-powered birthday parties will she have to celebrate?

Nearly every day, people spend hours in the dark at night without reliable electricity. Many residents have lost track of just how much time has gone by. This has led to a lot of boredom and hours of waiting for the power to come back so they can resume a normal life. To try and pass the time, these men share a bottle of rum on an outdoor veranda.

When air conditioners and fans don't work because of power cuts, many people drag their chairs and other furniture out of the house onto the street for some cool air and relaxation. Others, like this hairdresser, have moved their businesses outdoors to try and stay cool while still getting their work done. This constant uncertainty has made life more difficult for everyone.

Baracoa, a town of 80,000 inhabitants in eastern Cuba, is divided into two power circuits and powering both at once isn't always possible. When one circuit has power, the other is in the dark. This situation has led to one of the most frequently heard questions on the street: "What time did the power go off in Circuito 1?"

A group of neighbors pass the time during a power outage by playing a game of dominoes outside. The game is played by a light from a mobile phone that was charged earlier in the day. No matter who wins, it won't bring back the electricity or the many people who have left the island because of deteriorating living conditions.