Feet Don´t Fail Me Now 2

March 13, 2011

It has been two days since the earthquake in Japan and ensuing tsunami warnings along the Pacific Rim.  It was virtually impossible to get an internet connection after my last post that day* and yesterday saw us busy getting our home and Big Deck’s house back in order since we had moved all vulnerable electronics, furniture, books, etc. onto high counters or to upstairs rooms in both houses.  All outdoor items were moved inside, and we closed and shuttered windows.  Perhaps we took more precaution than was necessary, but we felt better safe than sorry – especially if the need to evacuate took on urgency.

Around 1:00 PM the day of the tsunami warning, most stores were closed; Montanita was deserted and we heard that police were closing all the roads except those leading into the hills.  We saw many, many locals loading up trucks and cycles with mattresses and other personal items.  Todd and German Mike took our neighbor Carlos, his wife Maria and their kids up to family’s house in the hills a few minutes away.  And as you can see from the adjoining pictures, they also took their mattress.

The view from
Barb & Robert´s patio

Todd had the chance to run up to Curia (a little town just north of Olon) to check on the adorable beachfront house recently purchased by our new friends, Barbara and Robert who live in Stanford (more on them later).  By this point we were fairly confident that the tsunami drama would probably be nothing more than higher than usual tides.  The news we were hearing about the waves’ impact (or should I say lack of it?) in Hawaii and along the California coast was encouraging, but Todd and I were still waiting for its collision with the Galapagos Islands before making a decision to vacate our neighborhood.

By 4:00 PM in the afternoon, I don’t think anyone around here was really that worried. And honestly, I think the atmosphere in town around then became almost festive.  Locals and gringos alike were packed, ready and encouraged to go to the hills and most did. A bunch of Montanita folks headed to the hillside Montanita Zip-line Canopy place and had a big tsunami party; locals and gringos headed to friends’ hillside homes and all of the higher elevation hotels were open and welcoming.  We did go up to “El Retiro” (a very nice hillside retreat near us) which was crowded with vehicles and local people in a generally jolly mood) but came back down to the beach around 9:00 PM feeling it was safe and wanting to keep an eye on our houses.  President Correa sounded a coastal all-clear some time after midnight, but I think a lot people stayed up in the hills until early morning.

 

I suppose there are some reading this that are nervous about tsunamis and may be having second thoughts about coming to Ecuador.  But where exactly do you go in this world where there aren’t natural disasters occasionally?

I grew up in Kansas...we had tornados there (I still love that weather….about the only Kansas weather I miss).  In Palm Springs, we had earthquakes (those will get your attention, for sure) and there are hurricanes and volcanoes and landslides and fires and floods and I don’t know…whatever. Wherever.

Are hearts are saddened by the devastation in Japan, and we remember all those whose lives have been affected by the tragedy in our prayers. But still, we cannot live in fear. I confess, I live in fear at times, but more from my inner demons than any damn tsunami… I am reminded of a verse by Kahlil Gibran about fear.  In context it is more about our fear of living rather than dying (and has absolutely nothing to do with natural disasters), but one of my all time favorite verses, nevertheless:

“But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.”

 

* I added couple of more pictures to my last post “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” that didn’t make it the first time because of a bad internet connection.