Candles and Lanterns – One Year Later

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El Matal Ecuador, events in Jama for the earthquake, jama ecuador, one year anniversary of 7.8 earthquake

Playa El Matal, Jama Ecuador — 7:00 PM  16/April/2017 –   Locals gathered at Playa El Matal  just past sunset to release hand-made lanterns on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake.  For half an hour, I enjoyed the low-light show before saying a quick goodbye and driving to attend the mass at the Catholic church in Jama.

Please take my seat and join the locals of El Matal via the photos below!

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Esperanza – Hope

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earthquake ecuador, El Matal Ecuador, helping others, jama ecuador, tent camps

“Manos Arrrrriba!”        Esperanza – Hope. Without hope, people’s souls would atrophy. My friends and I witnessed esperanza in most every place we stopped.

Jama-El Matal (Manabi Province) Ecuador

Having just returned from a visit to the coast (Jama) where the earthquake turned my friends’ worlds upside down then slammed them to the ground, I would like to share what burns strongest in my mind and soul. Yes, some friends cried when they shared their stories, but their tears also released a bit of grief.  More than tears, I saw smiles. Proud brave smiles that burned as bright and strong as the brilliant sunlight on their altered landscape.

Esperanza – Hope. Without hope, people’s souls would atrophy. My friends and I witnessed esperanza in most every place we stopped.

A buzz of activity kept the center of town in perpetual motion. A steady stream of people puchased ten-cent servings  of fresh rolls at the open-air panaderia, relocated only a slight distance from its original place on the block. The vegetable vendor location shadowed the panaderia, just like it did before the earthquake, and a second one held its usual spot on the other side of the one-way street. There was comfort in walking up to the glass-fronted bakery counter and requesting caramel-colored cubes of banana bread for my travel companions and me – and oh yes, delicate rolls of chocolate bread and — ‘look at those fresh orbs of bread that are still cooling – we’ll take some of those too.’

Remembering their Kindness – The People of Jama, El Matal & La Division

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earthquake april 20116 ecuador, El Matal Ecuador, gofundme for ecuador donations, jama ecuador, kindness

The Cuadrado family couldn’t hold back the ocean, but they sent workers to help friends at Playa El Matal.

Jama Ecuador – When Hurricane Katrina slammed into Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, I was living in a remote area of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province. A slow internet connection allowed me to watch the eye’s path, although no one can predict the temperamental whims of a hurricane and it’s final choice for landfall. As with the earthquake in Ecuador on April 16th, gathering information was painfully slow via internet news stories of Katrina’s destruction. The first time I saw live television coverage of Katrina’s wrath, I watched for about thirty seconds before bursting into tears. For that story, see: Ode to 668 East Beach

Christmas Eve in Jama 2012 – The little cowboy didn’t like his pony!

As the days and now weeks go by after the earthquake ripped through a section of “my” beloved Ecuador, I am often reminded of Katrina. I wonder when it will be possible to return, to see the destruction, to visit the many loved ones, hear their stories, give them comfort as they salvage what’s left and bravely move forward. I also have my own personal inventory to face – of all of the items in Casa Loca, most people inquire about ‘the floor.’ Who knows how that Magic Carpet endured the stress of the earthquake and its aftershocks. When I am able to return, I will share those stories. I assume that the exhibition scheduled to open at Museo Bahia de Caraquez in two weeks will be postponed until much later in the year.

If wishes were magic carpets, we would fly to help those in the earthquake-damaged areas.

Most likely every single person that experienced this earthquake can recall minute details of the moment the earth began to grumble. As each day comes to an end, I take a fast inventory in my mind, “Where’s the flashlight? My basic essentials? -Contact lenses, saline, hair brush, tooth brush, passport, camera, laptop, chargers…” and I wonder if everyone else anticipates that 7:00 PM hour of remembrance.

The Other Shoe Dropped

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aguaji, beach erosion, destructive tides, El Matal Ecuador

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.

Between Holiday Events & Between High Tides

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El Matal Ecuador, piedras el matal

After high tide – Entrance to Coco Beach Village – no longer serviceable…

El Matal Ecuador – Dec 26, 2014

When living on the front line of a beach threatened by spring tides, most people stay home during that critical high-tide hour to be sure there is no threat of flooding.  The high tides usually arrive with the new or full moon and hang around for a few days.   The first high tide of each month usually arrives in the pre-dawn hours and then at sunset; it arrives a bit later each day.  When staying at my friends’ home, I usually start peering outside around 4:30 in the morning.  By 5:30 I am able photograph what’s happening at sea level.

Dec 26, 2014 “Buenos Dias” – 5:58 in the morning!

6:11 a.m. Dec. 26 2014

While working on a holiday art project,  my friends and I kept a close eye on the waves.  On the second day of painting, I took a low-tide break and walked to the center area of El Matal.  Life goes on, and the spirit of the fishermen remains strong.  I was told, however, that “the people of El Matal are scared.”

A Celebration of Birds – El Matal (Ecuador)

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beauty of birds, El Matal Ecuador, Frigate birds, pellicans

El Matal, Ecuador (and Jama)
In contrast to the previous post that illustrates the vanishing beach and the work to protect the front line, these images showcase the amazing beauty of the frigates, pelicans, gulls and boobies of the area. (Yes, boobies!)

Pelican, Seagull and Frigate

(These photos were uploaded on Friday and scheduled to fly to you on the day of the December Solstice.   Enjoy!)  Z

Let’s crank the boats and fly with the birds!

El Matal – Trot Along With All Your Heart

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El Matal Ecuador, High Tides El Matal, Large sand bags for coastal erosion

“Ok.. It’s not a sword…”

“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

El Matal (Manabi Province) Ecuador

A big “Thanks” goes to all of you for your concern and support for the people who are facing the ocean’s wrath at the little fishing village of El Matal, Ecuador.  Your comments are appreciated not only by me but also by my friends who live or own property there. With slow internet, this has been difficult to write and proof, so all mistakes are definitely mine. Thanks again, everyone… Z

The thundering waves captivated the dogs’ interest…

We can talk about what has happened in the past, and what might have been (So easy to say on hindsight!) but the community now faces the ‘What can we do about this?’ dilemma.   No single person or even a collective group of property owners can afford the expense* for the options that have proven successful in other coastal areas of the world.  (*If by chance you CAN afford the expense, would you please take one giant step forward NOW?!)

El Matal (Ecuador) – Don’t Give Up!

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E Matal, El Matal Ecuador, geotubes, high tides, Large sand bags for coastal erosion

Oct. 27, 2014… Will the ocean claim the light post in the next few days?

When the boat returns in 12 hours, will the ocean have gobbled more of the landscape?

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
― Dale Carnegie

El Matal, Ecuador – (Manabi Province)

Words fail me.

Several people said that strong waves rolled in at high tide late yesterday afternoon (Sunday Oct. 26) and assaulted the beach in sets of five or six at a time.   Several more said that the worst happened at dawn this morning, when another high tide brought more angry waves.

Alcade (Mayor) Angel Rojas visits with locals and inspects the most-recent damage to the beach.

70 or 80 locals crowded into the corner restaurant, where Mayor Angel Rojas discussed options and patiently listened to feedback from the crowd.  As one person said, “Too little too late,” there are few options.

Alcade Angel Rojas listens to feedback from the crowd.

Large rocks, which the mayor really didn’t want to use, seem to be the only immediate choice.   The rocks and debris would prevent the fishermen from launching their boats and returning home each day.   Building a pier is one option for the long-term plan, yet it doesn’t help anyone now.

El Matal – “It’s Bad.”

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destructive tides, El Matal Ecuador, state of emergency el matal

Do the oversized sand bags work? Seeing is believing…

After a fast trip to the Andes, I returned home on the river late yesterday afternoon.  My friend Xavier and I stood on the back balcony and watched the river ‘jump’ faster than usual.

“Is there an aguaji?”  I asked as we admired the idyllic mangrove-studded river.  A haze shrouded the end-of-day scene as the incoming waters surged higher.  Sunday fishermen cast their nets and hand lines from the bank and canoes.

“Yes,” he replied.   (Shrimp ponds are usually harvested during new and full-moon aguajis…)

We watched in silence, and I wondered why a place that I knew so well suddenly seemed foreign.

 “Something feels wrong,”  I added.   “This feels eerie, like a storm is approaching.  There’s something different; something’s wrong.” 

My internet did not work at all last night, and this morning I was greeted with a message from Becky and Lesli with the subject, ‘Matal.’

Not, “El Matal” or “The Tides” or “Meeting at El Matal.”   Just one word, “Matal,” and I braced myself for bad news.   

Timeout for Art: Subtle Surprises

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El Matal Ecuador, Hope, Timeout for Art, transforming an ugly space

“Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

El Matal (Manabi Province) Ecuador

Life planted a subtle surprise in my path last week when I visited El Matal’s quickly-vanishing beach.  After walking the low-tide line from one end to the other, I turned around and walked back along the boat-crammed street.  Almost instantly, a flash of just-painted color caught my eye, and my serious mood (see:Esperanza-Hope) transformed into one of joy.

Esperanza – Hope — A subtle message of hope smiled at me along the upper end of El Matal. (Ecuador)

The bystanders confirmed my suspicions:  Yes; “Maestro” painted the post.   They seemed baffled at my enthusiasm.  I pointed out that he painted the post out of the joy of his heart and not because he was competing in another post-painting competition!    I took a few photos, retrieved a 4 x 6″ card of Diablo Uma and asked if they’d give it to him as a token ‘Thank You’ prize.

They peered at me as if I was the Caped Crusader!

As walked away,  they called me back;  a surprised Maestro stood there buttoning his shirt and wondering what had triggered the infectious enthusiasm that domino-ed along the neighbors until the card reached his hands!  I congratulated him on his kind and giving spirit and said that the freshly-painted post represented hope – esperanza – for the residents of El Matal. (See previous post)