Thanksgiving

Albert and Clara Johnson
65 years

Visiting via Skype

 We have so much to be thankful for.  As well as family, friends, beauty and bounty, we would like to add technology.  Because of today's technology, we are able to be a continent away and yet still share in celebrations!  Saturday, we attended Mom and Dad Johnson's 65th wedding anniversary celebration...virtually, via Skype.  My sister Ruth carried us from table to table so we could visit during the meal and also set us up to view the program that was prepared for the handsome couple!  It was almost like being there, except for the smell and taste of the Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie!   

Monday evening, here in Shell, about 45 people gathered at the Nate Saint House to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving - potluck style!  The evening began with singing the Doxology as the blessing (three part harmony!) then two of Valerie's students read their own psalm of thanksgiving.  Everyone enjoyed a traditional yet varied Thanksgiving meal.  Traditional with turkey, potatoes, corn and salads and varied with refried beans, chilli and several unidentified vegetables.  Valerie and I (as the Canadians) supplied the turkey, cornmeal buns and scalloped corn.  Thanks to Barb for the recipe on short notice! 

At the end of the evening while cleaning up, the town of Shell went black.  It is the beginning of severe electrical storm season.  For the next two months we are to expect intense lightning storms.  The locals tell us the storms will mostly occur at night.  We received almost 2 inches of rain that night, and yesterday it rained all day, but today was clear and cooler with a view of the mountains and snow capped volcanoes!

One of the many things to be thankful for!

As we write this it is raining.  Since we arrived 6 weeks ago, the rain guage has measured over 24 inches.  Today looks like there will be another 1/2 inch.

This past Friday, Valerie and Beth (another teacher), combined classes and came to visit the renovation worksite.  This is an environmental class and they've been discussing the differences in new construction and renovations, as well as looking at the materials used in the different styles of construction and how this impacts the environment.  There is a new concrete house (Ecuadorian style) being built that they will visit next week.

 
The renovation is to the point that you cannot see into any open walls, so we let the kids into a crawl space to check out the plumbing and electrical that is hidden within the walls.  This apartment also required a fire escape route and all the kids had to test that out!  This was the highlight of the visit.  They seemed to have fun and hopefully learned something.  When they returned to school, the rest of the afternoon was spent with the Casa de Fe (orphanage) children that had come over for games and an art activity.

The jungle called to Garth again this weekend.  He felt it would be the last opportunity to see the location of the water wheel that Nate Saint had built to generate power for his home/hospital in the early 50's.  The scrap iron collectors had discovered it, along with the old dump site, and were hauling out all sorts of stuff.  Mostly old rusty barrels, pipes and other scrap steel, but also parts of a wrecked airplane including sheet metal from the fuselage and wings.  They were working on the wheel late Friday so Garth trekked out on Saturday to take a look...alas, already gone!  All that remained was a portion of the concrete aqua-duct that lead the water to the turbine.

Warehouse (note tree across trail)

Main House

Also while trekking, Garth came upon an abandoned tea plantation.  Although the property has been seized by the bank, it is likely that it is not vacant as squatters usually take over quickly.  For this reason the main house was viewed from a distance.  A second building, a distance from the hacienda, looked to be a warehouse but inside were many rooms filled with bunk beds.  I guess it was a warehouse, for labor.  It won't be long before the jungle reclaims this building and the others around it!

Each room contained 4-6 beds

Tree across the trail

Check out this jungle spike belt!  I saw other palm-like trees still standing with these spines, but have no idea what they are trying to protect.

Walking for us is an everyday activity.  We walk to our work places, we walk for groceries, and we walk for recreation.  In Shell walking has it's hazards.

Let's go downtown to get some groceries!  First we cross this swinging bridge, 80 feet above the river and through the jungle canopy.

Now avoid as many dogs as you can and keep a watch out for traffic.  Remember, sidewalks are not necessarily flat and smooth.  You must be constantly aware of elevation changes, open manholes and water pipes coming up on the foot-path.   

 

Then there is the usual rubble from ongoing construction "improvements".  If you can avoid the utility poles and guy wires sprouting out of the centre of the sidewalk, you might finally get to the most recently improved road in town. 

As we approach "Karen's" the 

gringo grocery store, we can see that it is closed.  It is mid-day, so we will return in an hour and the store will likely be open for business.

 

Urban trails and jungle trails both have hazards.  Just off the route that Garth walks from his work site is an interesting opening into the jungle.  The trail is steep and with the constant rain, very slippery!  The image to the right was captured as he clutched the camera while careening, out of control, down the slope toward the river.  Other than mud caked clothing, a cut elbow and bruised ego, he was able to crawl back up the slope and has another experience to tell the grandchildren!

Trail above Banos

Banos town

Last week was a short week at School, Friday being a day off.  The School principal and her husband invited us on a hike above Banos.  Banos is a resort town about an hour from Shell.  It lies deep in the surrounding mountains and is shadowed by the ever threatening volcano Tungurahua.  As we walked the damp wooded trail, we commented to each other about the lack of mosquitos, black flies and other insects.  This is one of the contrasts to Canada that we are very aware of.  The  goal on this hike was 'La Virgen', a statue high above the town.  Our approach was from the side of the monument and after a short rest and viewing of the surrounding vista, we began our descent to the town.  654 steps and some sloping streets brought us to a lovely restaurant and delicious lunch near a waterfall.

654 steps

After lunch we wandered the streets of the town centre, enjoying the sights and sounds of the artisan market and the beauty of the surrounding mountains.

Earlier in the week we had supper in Puyo with 5 missionary wives and their children.  All of the women were single parents at that moment, as their husbands were away attending conferences, meetings or other business of their mission assignment.  We have become more aware of the specific needs and support the missionary families require since we have been here.  Many times the families are left behind as one parent or another must travel and be away for extended times in the course of their duties.  The supper out was a kind of support gathering for the women, Garth was the token male, and we enjoyed the ultimate snack food of Puyo.  The restaurant served only one dish called Volquetero, which loosely translates to Dump Truck.  It consists of large portions of chochos (bean), tostados (toasted corn), chifles (plantain chips), diced red onion and tomato and topped with a can of tuna.  You season with lime juice or aji (hot sauce) to taste.  Eaten with a spoon, it is very tasty and filling.  We shared a grande order and left some behind...a pequeno order would have been enough for both of us!

Volcano Sangay, visible from kitchen window

We are fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful views of mountain ranges to the west and lush jungle to the east, that is when it is not raining or the humidity is so high the haze in the air blocks your vision.  The image above was captured yesterday around 7AM, but even at that time the air was warming and the clouds were gathering.  There have been a few days that have been clear and bright, but mostly the sky is overcast.  Not too much risk of sunburn most days!

We have kept a record of the temperature and rainfall since we arrived in Shell about 3 weeks ago. We have experienced low temperatures of 60F (15C) and highs of 84F (29C).  We understand that 84 is about as warm as it gets, but when the sky is clear the sun is really close and it feels much warmer!  We also have experienced some rain and have measured an accumulation of 12.2 inches!  Even so, the drainage and absorption rate is such that you seldom see surface accumulation even after a hard rain.

Recently, on Facebook, we have noticed some photos and discussion of the beginning of harvest at home.  One recent email from home commented "no frost yet".  This seems strange to us because here we are in a constant state of summer.  It is easy to forget that the seasons change and autumn is upon you.  We will no doubt notice a dramatic change when we return in November. 

Today we plan to go to the vegetable and fruit markets to see what is being offered.  One might think that in a tropical country all varieties of fruit and vegetables would always be available. Some are, but many are seasonal and simply not available in the local markets.  We have also noticed that fruit, such as bananas, are very fresh but must be consumed immediately.  They are the real thing....not engineered for transportation and long shelf life!  It is difficult for us to get in the habit of shopping daily for fresh produce.  Being Canadian we tend to want to stock up, but this is not wise in a tropical climate.

We have just returned from the market, shopping at two stalls.  Potatoes didn't seem to be available today.  This is what we bought....for about $4.00.

In the previous two postings, we now realize, we have never mentioned where we actually are! Some of you may already know, but for those who are wondering, we are living and serving in Shell, Pastaza, Ecuador.  God has brought us to this place to support the missionaries and their families as volunteer workers.  Valerie is teaching at the Nate Saint Memorial School and Garth is helping out wherever he is needed.  Our intentions are to be here for about 6 months, but we do not know what the future might hold.

Valerie has completed her first full week at the school, including a Meet the Teacher Night!  Friday evening the children and parents all gathered at the school for an open house where the expectations for the year were voiced and a social time was had.  It was strange to think that school has not even begun back in Canada, yet classes are already in full swing here.  After the formal portion of the event was over, everyone enjoyed a variety of snacks provided by the parents.  The theme seemed to be chocolate!  It seems there are no diabetics in this community of missionaries!

Old Hangar Apartment - second floor

Nate Saint House

Garth continues to help with the renovations of "the old hanger apartment" which is located across from the Nate Saint House.  In the past year, the roof and most of the second floor has been replaced because of termite damage.  Now the interior walls, electrical, plumbing, cabinets and all the other work is happening.

From the kitchen window you can see the newly restored Nate Saint House just across the driveway.  It was also termite damaged to the point of being unsafe.  A group raised the funds and sent teams that completely rebuilt the home, retaining the kitchen and radio rooms as original.  The balance of the house has been made very functional with offices, a small apartment, and a large meeting room.  Very nice for a building that was nearing demolition!

Since our last visit to Shell, we have noticed some changes and some things that remain the same.  There had been some rough and cobblestone roads that are now smooth, and there are some roads that are still torn up!  The main street has an excavator parked on it and you must walk through and around the mud to get to the meat or vegetable market!  It seems that it is business as usual even though the access is less than it should be.  At least you don't have to worry about being run down by traffic as you cross the main street!  The main highway is getting some attention also.  It seems strange to us that the road can be ripped up without having survey crews, signage or speed zones, but that is what happens!  The crews move in and tear it up......it might be repaired this week or next month but the traffic just continues on at the regular 'too fast' speed, honking and passing, with children riding in the truck boxes.  It seems every driver has some degree of road rage and it is "pedestrian beware" when you cross the road.

Living Room

Kitchen

Here are two photos of the apt. renovations.  Later I hope to post photos of the finished work.

This posting was intended for Saturday August 27th, but the computer world wouldn't let me in!  Hopefully I am past the initial problem and not creating any new ones!

Back in the land of bottled water and non-flushable paper!

We are both grateful for a weekend to rest.  The last several weeks have been very busy with preparation, travel and settling in.  Valerie has had 4 full days; two spent in meetings and preparation, and two with the school kids in class.  Garth spent his time helping Valerie set up her classroom and assisting with an apartment renovation.

Welcome gift

Our accommodations are quite nice.  We have a 2-bedroom apartment with a kitchen/dining area, living room, bathroom and a laundry!  We arrived to a welcome gift of kitchen supplies from the missionary community.  It was very nice to have these food basics, as we had not found time to get downtown to shop.  The difficulty is that the labeling is in Spanish, making preparation and cooking a challenge.  I’m sure we will have some interesting “pot luck” meals.

The weather has been cool.  According to the locals, cooler than normal with nighttime lows of 57 F, and daytime highs about 75 to  80 F.  And, apparently, it has been dry.  In the week we have been here it has been sunny three of the days, overcast the others, and only a couple of showers but last evening (5PM to 8PM) it rained about 2”.  At times the rain was so loud on the tin roof it actually hurt our ears!!

The view from Valerie's classroom

Although the locals have indicated it has been dry, to us the jungle is very green and lush.  It is quite beautiful to see the plants and trees flowering and producing all types of fruit.  I only wish I was able to identify some of the varieties and felt comfortable in sampling. 

It looks like a good day to go grocery shopping and reconnect with some friends we made on previous visits to Shell.   Valerie will also do some lesson prep and Garth might go to the airport shop to tinker and get familiar with the tools.

These photo's might give you a feel for our new home town and some sense of what our surroundings are like.

School courtyard

Walking to the school

Valerie's classroom is ready!

West from our front door