El Matal – Jama/Manabi/Ecuador
Limbo: “An uncertain situation that you cannot control and in which there is no progress or improvement” (Dictionary/Cambridge.org)
The spring tides usually stop at the height of this rock at Casa Loca. (Southern rough-wing swallows in photo)
Two nights ago, the sound of thundering waves triggered my concern for nearby El Matal; I did not sleep well and was dressed and outside at dawn. The day before, Rio Jama seemed to creep higher than normal.
The rock was completely under water.
A view of the mouth of the river confirmed my suspicions – after a year of good behavior, Mother Ocean was throwing a tantrum.
April 22, 2015 – 6 a.m. – Strong waves leaped across the sandbar at the mouth of Rio Jama
My friends’ father/grandfather, Senor Jose Nestor Cevallos, died three days ago at the age of 103; after the services yesterday, I reached El Matal just before sunset and high tide. Some locals stood in clusters and watched the thundering waves while others watched stoically from their properties. The mood was somber.
