Living in Ecuador- Rain, rivers, and kids

Friday, Jan 13, 2017

Iiiiii’m baaack!

After thinking about where to go from here with my blog, my intention is to post once a week to stay current with my life and activities in Ecuador. Fridays seem like a good day to do this. It can become weekend morning, reading over coffee material if you choose. 🙂

I want to thank those of you who reached out and shared your thoughts and well-wishes for me and my family. It is humbling to know you and others here take time out of your day to read the words I write. A big thanks to each of you!

Heidi, Chase, and I were at dinner with Scott and Colleen last night, and I told them they won’t be getting the daily weather report in Cuenca anymore. I guess they will have to use a weather app to find out is raining. 😉

Sunny day along the Yanuncay

I did get caught out in the rain a couple of days ago. I walked to Parque Paraiso and the day was sunny with only clouds around the edges of the sky. It was a nice walk seeing the sun glisten off the river through the trees.

Where the Tarqui (left) flows into the Yanuncay (right)

Tarqui meets Yanuncay

On my way back, things changed quickly. It was actually hailing, although the hail stones were very small. Fortunately I had my rain jacket with me, so I just huddled under some overhangs along the sidewalks and waited it out. This worked pretty well until the wind changed direction and the rain was blowing into me.

The sun did come out, at least for a minute, on another day and I decided to get out of the house and go on my favorite walk along the Yanuncay river westward. There is a spot at the upper end of the river from me where the river splits and has created an “island”. Someone has put a tree trunk over the river so you can access this island.

I have tried to judge if I could walk on the tree trunk over the river and keep my balance without falling in. I decided that I would probably have to “scoot” across the tree because I could only see myself falling in otherwise. Today I saw some little kids doing “the scoot” to get to the island.

Kids having fun

The river is pretty full right now and one of these kids only looks like he is about four years old. He held onto his older brother’s backpack and scooted along with him across the river.

I’m pretty sure the odds are good he would drown in the river if he fell in. I stood there and watched in amazement.

I wasn’t amazed that kids do this. It is natural. I guess I was amazed at how this kind of activity seems to have been “bred out” of American kids. First, a parent would probably have social services knocking at their door if another parent saw this happening…because that parent would feel the responsibility to report it. Second, parents don’t let four year olds out of their site anymore for fear of being snatched by lunatics.

Here, kids are kids and they either survive their experiences or they don’t. Stranger danger doesn’t seem to be an issue. I have to admit there is something refreshing in the freedom kids have to roam, explore, play and just be kids here. I feel we have lost this experience for our kids in America.

Easton came back from Mompiche with some sort of stomach issue (parasite maybe?) so he passed on dinner out with us last night. Heidi brewed up some cinnamon water for him to drink three times a day. According to Google, parasites don’t like it. Easton doesn’t like it either. 😉

The recent rain has filled the Tomebamba river back up to full. When we were walking after dinner I took a video of it coming through one of the bridges. It is amazing how much the water level and flow can fluctuate.

See you next week!

Chau