by Vickie
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| El Rio |
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| El Tinaco |
So, when it rains here, the river floods, causing the latrines and underground systems to overflow, contaminating the water source. The water that normally runs through the tubes to gigantic black plastic containers on the rooftops- tinacos - is shut off because "El agua esta sucio." (The water is dirty -- and by dirty, they mean full of poop.)
So, it has been raining for two days.
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| La Tuberia |
This morning before 6:00, Roberto, Maria's husband was up, had found a guagua-ita (little truck) to haul buckets and 5 gallon containers of water to the house for bathing, cooking, and cleaning. He pulled up and unloaded the water. Gloria - the doña - or female head of the household (his mother-in-law) dragged the water down to the bathroom for us to use for bucket baths and flushing the toilet.
Flushing the toilet with water is an art form. You need just the right amount of water: too much - a geyser; too little - no results. AND, you have to aim for the hole with just the right amount of force: too much -- a geyser; too little - no results.
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| Gloria |
While I'm worrying about flushing the toilet, Gloria has made our breakfast, washed up after our breakfast, gotten ready for work - nice dress and heels -- flagged a moto concho and headed off to the campo for work, from 8-12, where she is a teacher supervisor. She'll be home to fix our lunch, clean up after our lunch -- which is the big, hot meal of the day with rice, beans, meat, vegetables, and fruit. Once or twice a week she does our laundry out back with a sort of wringer-washer thing. Then, back to work for the afternoon session which runs from 2-6.
In the end it's all about the water.
You certainly are getting a life dose of learning about other cultures pretty hard and fast... While it sounds fascinating, it also sounds like something that would take a healthy dose of patience. I am not sure that I would like putting the water in and seeing a geyser erupt! That would be pretty gross, to say the least. Take care of yourselves~
ReplyDeleteI have to say -- this is all very difficult. I'm hoping that when the real work begins, we'll see a good reason to deal with all of this! We need to make it through about 6 months -- one week at at time!
DeleteVickie
It sounds difficult, but I think you are right. Once the real work begins, you will see/find reasons that what you are doing is worth it. Your attitude is great! One week at a time. Slow and steady. Your focus on what Gloria's days are like every day puts some perspective on it too. - Pat
ReplyDeleteI do remember how wringer washer and put rubber diapers through that wringer diapers and explodes and I ruined a couple of shirts
ReplyDeleteDid you ever get anything caught in a wringer?or ruined a couple of shirts?