Rain Forest

Life has, as always, been entertaining here in Macas. About 3 weeks ago, we started having blackouts, when all the electricity would be shut off in town. Last week it was more frequent and this week it's happened every day. Now, the question isn't IF the electricity will go off, but WHEN. The entire county is in the same boat, with rolling blackouts by city in each province. The problem is that nearly all of Ecuador's electricity is produced from 1 or 2 hydroelectric dams. That doesn't sound so bad when thinking about all the rain forest in Ecuador, but the dams are actually in the mountains, which is suffering a tremendous drought (think the levels of the Santiam going into Detroit Lake in the winter and you have an idea of what it looks like directly behind the main hydroelectric dam). Even here, on the edge of the Amazonian rain forest, we've been having unusually warm, dry weather. Everyone keeps telling me that the weather isn't normal, that usually it's colder and rains every day. This last Sunday was the first time it was cool and rained in probably several weeks. So far, this week, the weather's been cooler and rainy (I even had my fleece on this morning!) :) Please pray that it keeps up, that it keeps raining and starts raining in the mountains!!! Any Oregonian who wishes to send the rain away, I know where it can go. :)

It's been rather entertaining, though, when the lights go out. The other night the electricity was out from 7pm-11pm so my roommate and I lit a few candles and sat around and talked in the dark until after we normally go to bed! It's also an adventure to get any work done when the electricity's cut in the afternoon, since my office is also the library and in what is essentially like a basement room, with only a little window in the back of the room next door. Since the walls only go half way up in the back, it allows a little light in, so I'll sit in the back and work or go upstairs, hauling everything upstairs and the down again. From what I understand, this will continue for another couple months, and hopefully by then, the rains will be back and there'll be enough water in the rivers to produce more electricity!