We have been house sitting beautiful Casa WF while our friends are traveling in the States, at the same time my folks came to visit from California, and are staying downstairs in the guest suites. We enjoy the different vibe we get staying here, and the scenery is so fun to watch as it changes. One of the differences is seeing a sunrise...our house has neighborhood behind us that blocks our sunrise view.
Since we've never been here (San Jacinto) this time of year, we are so interested in the debris the river brings to the ocean. Staying right on the mouth of the river, we get a birds eye view of how this strange dance takes place. The river swells, and picks up debris, coconuts, bamboo, logs of all shapes and sizes, and of course some trash, this all flows down the river, and then the ocean tides sweep it up the coast, depositing some along the way on the shore.
Every morning we watch as people come to scavenge, some are picking out plastic for recycle, some are looking for bamboo for fencing or house projects, so much treasure to be had for free.
There was so much turmoil at high tide the other day, we decided we'd better check on our little house. Mom and I walked into town and as we came around the corner towards our house, my Vecino saw me and made a big sweeping motion with his hands, and it didn't look good. As we walked up to our fence we saw the heft of the debris being brought ashore on high tide had literally pushed the gate out of its post. The gate had stayed latched, so only a small bit of debris got in the courtyard, but it was a mess!
I had brought my IPhone, but could not get it to work (it has since died, and now we don't have a camera) so no pictures. First I had to get the gate back in its post, luckily our family of fishermen were close by and next thing I know mom and I are being ushered aside, while Patricio and His dad Ramon, Fernando and Raphael and Vecino came to help. Patricio climbed over the fence and with Raphael, hammered the gate back in its post with a chunk of wood. After we could get into the courtyard Mom got a broom and started sweeping up small bits of debris, I got the shovel and the sandbags out, because Fernando said the high tides weren't over. Fernando, Ramon and Patricio worked on getting the sandbags filled, and Raphael and Vecino swept out the courtyard, in no time the place was mostly clean and secure. Wow! They were a HUGE help! Mom and I would have been there all day! I had some cold water in the fridge, we all got a cold drink and then they left as quickly as they had appeared. Mom and I sat to reflect on how lucky Mike and I are to have such wonderful neighbors, and I've been thinking of what we can do to show them our thanks.
The Manabi beach cleaners came yesterday morning to start the clean up, high tide came and disrupted their work, but they must have gone down to our area because when we checked on the house last night our little cove of beach was clean. Sandbags still in place and our house was still safe. We don't have any plans today, so hopefully the earth movers will come again and we can watch the cleanup.
This was what they did yesterday, they got the point cleared, but couldn't get the stuff right on the shoreline, because the tide came in. I was going to say there's never a dull moment but that's not really true, some moments are, but we choose to say Tranquilo, rather than dull...there is always something to watch, whether it be the birds, or the tide, the clouds, or people, the family of mangrove dogs that come to swim or play on the beach, the day's drain away but usually we've learned something. ( we often say, "I wonder how, or why..." And then we decide to "Google it" and voila!)
We miss our fishermens smiling faces and hearing the sound of their nets on the side of the boat, the sound of the motors being started, just a little before they go out, those are the sounds of home, but life here at The Boca, isn't too bad! So...stay tuned, the adventure continues!
