Winter in El Salvador
3 October 2005
We are fine. El Salvador and Guatemala are experiencing a very unusual end of winter weather. Rain predicted for the next nine days.
I’m washing laundry in my bathing suit, hanging the laundry on the line in my bathing suit and letting the rain rinse our items. Probably, will take us many days for it to dry. What a process for clean undies. (“Oh, Mom, you’re not going to write that!”)
Ok, yes, this the rainy season. Most years, the rains have been a little shower each day, just enough to hatch more bugs (mosquitoes and no-see-ums). Hate those buggers. Now, I don’t “hate” many critters, but with them, I do!! Good thing they’re feed for bats and others critters. Denge fever has been noted in the area, due to these rains and the increase population of THE BUGGERS (mosquitoes). We are geared up with all the available preventions and ammunition: DEET, B12, electronic rackets, buzz of male mosquitoes, fans, citronella sticks, lavender oil candles, skin-so-soft, eucalyptus oil, catnip oil, smoke screens, coils, netting, sheets, light clothing, and a determined eye and hand to swat and squish. But alas, we still get bites and then we dose ourselves in Benedral spray, hydrocortisone 1 % cream, sting-ese, lavender lotion, cool compresses and whining.
Good news: You would think we were in the SF Bay area or the Northwest with these last few days. It is cool!! Without the buggers, we sit on deck in a little bit of heaven; a little rain, a little breeze, a lot of rain, a lot of wind.... ah, life in paradise.
Had to run the generator since the solar panels can’t do their job in this overcast weather. Fuel is nearly $4.00/gallon, which makes running the generator the tough choice. We chose to use the generator to recharge the batteries as the DVD player keeps the family giggling and the kettle popcorn flowing from the pot. There’s nothing like a fat and happy ‘famibily” and a comedy to lift our spirits.
Our area of El Salvador is experiencing a very unusual end of winter weather. Rain predicted for the next 9 days and 95% humidity when there is sun. The national capital, San Salvador, was unprepared for the weather. We were driving in San Salvador on Monday when we saw asphalt chunks erupting, broken up road pavement crumbling, manhole covers popping, water gushing and rushing 3’up then into the cracks of car doors!!! Whoa! The ground was saturated. The sewer drains overflowed. There was a river underneath the pavement as we were driving on it, a floating road. We are fine. People huddled in the doorways and watched the flash floods in awe.
Denis (our super hero) drove steadily and fearlessly. Michele navigated us out of the region with her keen intuitive GPS (guiding, psychic, sensors) honed to Estero Jaltepeque. The girls and I kept the backseat warm and giggled to lighten the tension that hovered. An hour later, the rains stopped. A rainbow extended over the lush green volcanic mountains in the distance giving us renewed optimism.
On the way back to the estero (estuary), we were diverted, forcing us to drive against traffic as a mud slide had taken out the lanes on one side of the divided highway. Later we would learn that the mud slide buried a car; the driver was ok. The diverted traffic was not managed; no orange cones, barricades, or traffic cops, a bit scary as nightfall descended upon us. Amazing, what we take for granted in the USA when disaster strikes and the “governmental structure” is there as a safety net. (Ok, except for those who were living in New Orleans!!)
Add to this winter rain, nearby (2 hours drive from us) Volcano Santa Ana is erupting. Erupting volcanoes are an unusual phenomenon for the region. There hasn't been a recent eruption for many years. We understand that there is ash strewn in the tree canopies and lava rock on the roadways. No FEMA or US Forest Service, so one can get as close as one “dares”. Evacuation has been voluntary. There is no personal danger to us.
Our El Salvadoran friend, Jose Antonio Osterio, who lives in San Salvador has told us that the Governor has declared San Salvador a “red alert”; not sure what that means though other than, clapped hands and a chant of “Oh my, G-O-D”.
October 5: The rainy and windy days continue. Roads are closed so no one is leaving the area. Rivers are rising and there is a risk that they may overwhelm the bridges. More rain and wind predicted for the next five days. Personally, we are fine. We float. The tanks are filled (350 gallons), all gerry cans and buckets are filled with water. We have plenty of propane, food and each other. All is well on Encanto.