Electric service is about 10-12 hours per day but the times available are irregular. Our host, Mike, has a huge set of batteries to provide power when the electrical grid is off. The refrigerator, lights, and TV all work, but De Anne must time her hot shower to the power. The electric hot water heater only works when the grid is on. There is a on/off switch with a power light for the water heater in the bathroom.
The problem is political not a lack of capacity. There is a large squatters settlement behind the neighborhood that illegally taps the power lines. No one wants the headache of constantly policing the lines or depriving the poor folks of some electric power, but randomly shutting it down reminds them it is not a right to have free power.
We have running water at the tap, but don't drink it! Everyone here drinks and cooks with bottle water. De Anne carried a couple gallons home from the grocery store, but that got old very fast. We met Johnnie and he delivered a 5 gallon bottle. The deposit on our first jug was 110 pesos and the water is 40 pesos. A week's supply of water costs us $1.04.
Mike has a satellite dish so we watched Monday Night football on ESPN and get NYC news.
From our balcony looking down the street:
See the different patch of blue between the trees? That's the Atlantic:
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