Trying to keep dry

February 28th, 2008 La Encantada, Peru

Trying to Keep Dry

The final paragraph of my last entry describes the rain as a blessing and proceeds to list several reasons why this is popular opinion. This opinion is beginning to run dry due to the fact that the rains are quickly making life ever so more difficult. Some nights the rains are absolutely deafening. Should the rain continue relentlessly, La Encantada could enter a time of economic crisis.

The other night I went to buy chicken for my dinner. I always try to make conversation with whomever I come in contact with and this being no exception I hung around chatting. The rain began to absolutely pour. I thought I would maybe just wait it out. Half an hour later I realized it was not going to let up and trudged home. I came home to find my host father in my room with a broom trying to sweep out the half inch of water that had crept under my door to the backlogged canal. (The water runs off our roof into a canal that under normal conditions dispense the water into the street) My host dad quickly constructed a flood barrier outside my door while I swept the water out. I have several large cardboard boxes on the floor in which I store my things. In a panic, I placed them under bricks hoping to salvage them from water damage.

Ordinarily, I bathe with a bucket. I decided to take advantage of the downpour and headed to the bathing area for a genuine shower. The first and probably only shower I will ever take here. The next morning my host father constructed a canal with room for two tubes in hope that the canal wouldn´t overflow the next time.