So last night our entire town was evacuated because of an impending tsunami. It was actually pretty scary for us. Deborah and I were in our room when Angela came in our room with her daughter to tell us that our coast had been issued an alarm for a tsunami and that we needed to pack what was necessary and leave immediately.
The television weather advisors were telling everyone in our vicinity to evacuate, and they predicted the tsunami to come a few kilometers inland. And we can see the ocean from our house.
Joshua, the little boy, was crying and and breathing hard and Angela was scurrying around her house, putting anything of importance into plastic garbage bags.
When people are speaking at a normal pace, I can generally understand what they are saying, but with everyone´s voices raised and talking so quickly I only got the basic message, which was, we need to leave, and we need to leave now.
The worst part was just how scared everyone seemed...you could feel that something was very, very wrong.
Debs and I put our passports, all our money, our camera, journal, first aid kit, one change of clothes, and our journals in a backpack thinking that everything else would be gone when we came back.
We went outside and there was a stream of cars leaving the city and throngs of people walking, trying to hitchhike, carrying a plastic bag with them.
Luckily our family´s dad is a taxi driver and he was able to take us several miles inland to wait out the storm. He and Katy´s husband dropped us off at a gas station and then returned to help tourists staying in hotels evacuate to the highest floor of a condo building.
We slept in the car they had left behind for several hours until the television report indicated that it was safe to return.
Luckily, the storm missed our piece of coastline, but that didn´t make those few hours any less scary.
On a brighter note, the day before was gloriously sunny and were able to drive to a remote and deserted beach that is pretty much inaccessible unless you know exactly where you´´re going and happen to have 4 wheel drive.
We kayaked on the ocean and saw dozens of crabs and played the beach game that involved throwing heavy balls as close as possible to a smaller ball.
It was Katerinas )the Slovakian) birthday, so we at cupcakes, although the icing had melted before we were able to eat them )but it was definitely still delicious)
We were lucky to know a classmate of Deborah´s, who´s husband is currently working to develop some land in that area. It was a beautiful beach and we were very lucky to see it.
We also saw the workers who are currently counting every single tree in the area by spray painting them in order to complete an environmental analysis of the area. They live in bodegas, or metal shacks with no electricity or running water, and work 16 hour days for $2 an hour.
They live in the mountains and come down to work for several days at a time. One had just come back from finding his girlfriend murdered by a jealous acquaintence who had slashed her head open with a machete.
Tonight is our last night here in Brasalito, tomorrow our last day at C.P.I. flamingo. I can´t wait to see J and my family, but I´m sad I can´t stay here and learn more Spanish and live with my amazing Tico family any longer......
Pura Vida!
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