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Early Morning Glow
Almost too beautiful to actually be real -- seems like it's a painting! And of course a photo can only partly capture how I felt while looking at it!! How can I even begin to describe what it feels like to be living at the foot of an active volcano – Mama Tungurahua woke up once again on Nov 30th. Her name means “Throat of Fire” in Kichwa. My name for her is “Dragon Belch”! She last erupted in April, just before I left for the US. Since the upper slopes now had more than six months of regrowth, this most recent eruption set afire the upper level of young trees & bushes, making for dramatic fiery slopes. Huge chunks of magma burst aflame as they tumbled down, burning everything in their path. For the first few days a smoky fragrance wafted down into our valley, but then there was nothing left to burn; the lava was flowing over barren ash fields.
So, I’m house-sitting again for Shana – responsible for her home and her animals (but staying here this time without a vehicle). I have witnessed at least a half a dozen periods of eruption here in the past five years, but this time the path of the lava flow appeared to be changing. The “safety lip”, a rise on
Mama T Spewing Fire!
That window of time in the very early a.m. when I could glimpse the nighttime fire and the daytime ash. My very basic camera can only barely do this scene justice!! the Baños side of the mountaintop, seemed to be wearing down. There was clearly more flow coming our way. I read daily reports on the Geophysical Institute’s website – indeed they measured lava flowing more than 1 km down the volcano’s flanks. Vulcanologists assure us, however, that the integrity of the walls of the magma chamber remain intact; Mama T is not the type of volcano who will catastrophically blow her sides out!
Let me tell you about some of the sounds – imagine a low-flying fighter plane circling in the cloud cover for hours on end; or the ruckus of a gigantic mixmaster, churning boulders into magma. At times the volcano rumbled on and on like deep, powerful thunder with an occasional electric crackling noise. Sometimes there would be a burst of booms – not quite as sharp as a firecracker’s retort. I could envision the low grumbling growl of an impossibly enormous canine or perhaps a guttural lion’s roar reverberating all around.
Mama T’s activity level seemed to ramp up at night. Since the garden guest house where
Stereo Sound!
During the same week the volcano was most "vocal", the High School just down the hill held Marching Band Practice! Booming drums from above and below! I was sleeping is perched over the carport, the slatted wood floors would vibrate with each big boom, rocking my bed. I’d leap to the window and try to catch a glimpse of the “candela” of fire shooting up from the crater. On clear nights I’d feel compelled to stay up and watch the spectacular display; my heart racing with excitement. After a few nights of being jerked awake, I decided to sleep down in the big house. Its cement foundation makes it more sturdy, but the rickety old windows still rattled & shook.
Ah, the breathtaking sight of Tungurahua’s majestic beauty. As I’d sit at my laptop, working on English lessons or answering emails, I had to struggle to keep my eyes on the computer screen. The window above my desk looks directly onto the volcano. The best viewing time was just before 6 a.m. – clear skies and rosy morning light slanting from the east. In the early dawn light a fiery tongue was still visible, pushing upwards within the ash plume. It amazes me to think that all day while columns of ash gushed forth, the lava continued
Lava Flow
I had to put away the binoculars after waking up 3 nights in a row at 4:00 to watch nature's powerful display. Such a riveting sight - impossible to fall back asleep. This shot taken around 5:15 a.m. to spew & flow even though it wasn’t visible in daylight. By the same token during there must have been constant ash billowing upwards during the night.
A stunning tableau; changing hour by hour, from one minute to the next – my camera clicking away as the sun shifted across flowing billows of ash, the tight curling patterns softening and releasing as each plume drifted upwards. A dark grey ash column contrasting against the bright blue early morning sky would appear less dramatic as the sky darkened with ashy particles. How I wished for a more sophisticated camera to better capture the intricate beauty of these ever-evolving scenes.
My inner core vibrated with an undercurrent of energy; I could feel each rumble and boom in the fiber of my being. Living in close proximity to this volatile powerhouse felt deeply energizing, and at times disquieting. After one night of watching lava flow with binoculars, I decided to set them aside. One can only marvel at such an extreme force, feel awe in the face of this display of our ever-evolving planet. Yes,
Ash Column Disperses
I could watch for hours as the tightly-curled dark plume emitting from the crater gently wafted upwards, uncoiling and forming softer forms as the wind carried off. at times a tiny finger of panic tickled me deep inside. Some people asked me if I felt afraid staying so close to Tungurahua. My response, “I’m more afraid cross the street in Quito – if it’s my destiny to die under the volcano, what an amazing way to go!”
However, living under an active volcano proved to be not all beauty and awe. After 36 hrs of continuous emissions of dense ash, the wind shifted and the town of Baños found itself covered with ¼” layer of ash. Now for those of us who grew up in Chicago with a foot of snowfall in a single night, that may not sound serious but snow and ash are far from the same! Volcanic ash is basically very fine glass, as I learned last year – using my wipers to clear ash from my windshield virtually shredded the wiper blades. The fine powdery ash sifts into the cracks of windows, nestles on every ledge and outlines each brick.
The prevailing winds had generally been westward, carrying the ash away from town. I suppose
Nighttime View
For most situations, a PHD camera (Push Here Dummy) is just fine, but the early dawn light would work better with a more sohpisticated lens. Baneños should have felt lucky to suffer only a few days of ashfall. One woman at the baths made a comment that echoes in my mind. She said that is was better that the ash fall over town – we could sweep it up, carry it off, and be done with it. It was far more damaging to farmers on the western slopes of the volcano who, with each eruption, would lose a whole year’s crops or suffer major livestock losses. Hard to reconcile the breathtaking beauty of the volcano with the devastating damage it can cause.
On two consecutive days as I walked into town, flakes of ash drifted down coating my backpack in minutes and settling onto my scalp like dandruff. In spite of my wraparound sunglasses and the kerchief I wore over my nose and mouth, I suffered irritation of eyes and throat for over a week. I did remember to wear a hat the 2nd day, but my ears still filled with grey and every exposed bit of skin felt gritty. One taxi driver showed me his solution – jamming Vaseline up his nostrils to prevent inhaling
Avoiding Ash Inhalation
Rachel came down from Quito to visit -- but for just one day, so we braved the densest day of ashfall to take a half hour hike to the zoo. The tarps up above helped protect the animals from ash. ash.
Schools were closed one Monday when the skies were so gray that the sun was barely visible – it reminded me of July in Beijing! Downtown in Baños everyone was sporting paper surgical masks as they swept the sidewalks in front of their homes and businesses. The broom brigade – hundreds of people out sweeping! A boon for mask & broom salesmen!! Tied plastic bags of ash lined the curbs and were picked up separately from the trash. Even after the volcano calmed, the wind continued to drift ashy swirls down from the trees and rooftops.
Shana’s garden suffered mightily. Supposedly this ashfall was particularly acid, and virtually every bloom wilted almost instantly. Every leaf and petal was coated with a fine layer of ash. I tried hosing plants off but water spots of ash remained on the leaves. A few days later we all heaved a sigh of relief when it finally rained. I had the cleaning gal come up and help me remove the bulk of the ash from the sidewalks and window sills here at the house. We
Hawaiian Ginger Flower
This lovely but delicate blossom was "scorched" by falling ash -- not by heat but rather by acidity and suffocation. In a matter of hours it was completely brown & wilted. put more than 10 lbs of bagged ash at curbside.
My most important job at Shana’s house was to take care of her dog, Max – a boxer/pointer mix almost 14 yrs old. Last May he had some cancerous tumors removed but in the months before Shana left dozens more tumors began to appear. I asked Shana what she would like me to do in case he didn’t make it until she got back. We agreed he should be buried in the garden, under the avocado tree. Several years ago, my Chaco (Maxi’s grand-nephew) died while I was in Panama. I commented to Shana that perhaps it would be a sort of karmic payback if I were the one to help Maxi cross the rainbow bridge. Shana told me how Max’s grandma, Pua had died peacefully in her sleep. My greatest hope was that Max go in peace as well. Alas, it was not meant to be that way.
Shana had left Baños to spend a week in Quito before flying to the US. That ended up being the last
Max & Juan
Juan is a neighbor who has been taking Max on his daily walks for 13 years. In this photo Max is showing his "Pointer" blood. Sweet and beautiful dog. week of Max’s life. I returned from class one evening just as Juan & Max were arriving from their daily walk in the hills. Juan seemed very agitated as he explained to me that Max had fallen to the ground, legs shaking, and been unable to get up. Juan had called a pick-up truck to bring them back home. When I arrived Max was up and wandering around the garden, but Juan was really upset. Several hours later I called Juan to hurry over; Max was in the throes of a violent seizure. He was foaming and thrashing and his eyes were vacant. He looked the way Chaco had when he’d swallowed poison. I was terrified that Max was going to die then and there. By the time Juan arrived the fit had subsided and Max was pacing in a disoriented way.
Over the next two days Maxi had several more seizures, usually in the late evening or early morning. Right after a seizure he would be unable use his hind legs, but a few moments later he would urgently struggle to get up and walk around. As I watched him
Max 'n' Chaco
When Chaco was less than a year old, he & I stayed for a month with Max & Shana. The two adored each other and Chaco brought out the puppy in his uncle Max! bump into things, I realized that he could no longer see. The next day I stopped by the vet’s and explained what was going on. Dr. Puly surmised that the cancer had metastasized to Max’s brain and suggested that it was best to have him put to sleep. Shana was still in Quito and I’d been giving her regular updates by phone. Sadly and reluctantly she agreed to this course of action.
It took the vet two more days to obtain the necessary drug in a sufficient dose for a 75 lb dog. Those last few days were agony for both me and Max. It broke my heart as I watched him eagerly eating his dog soup when his hips went out from beneath him and he fell face first into his bowl. Then he proceeded to vomit his entire dinner. By this point he no longer had much control of his bowels or bladder. I had moved furniture out of the way and brought in foam mattresses to create a space where I could lie with Maxi when he had his seizures. I would hold his twitching body and pray
Maxi's Gravesite
Shana and I had worked together on this rock path (beach stones frm Alandaluz), but I just now finished the last part of the walkway beside where Max is buried. for him to let go, urging him to fly up to doggie heaven.
After each seizure he would struggle desperately to get up and walk; I would carefully guide him so he wouldn’t fall down stairs or run into trees. I had become his seeing-eye person. More and more frequently his hind quarters would collapse and I would struggle to help him hobble back to bed. ChiChi the cat would stare on in horror when Max fell or seized. She was used to sleeping in his bed, but now she seemed terrified of him. I had slept maybe a total of 8 hrs over the past 4 nights, and I was feeling dazed and almost schizophrenic as I alternately protected Max from hurting himself and willed him to die on his own.
During those last few days, friends who loved Max came to say good-bye and help dig his grave; a huge hole 4 feet long by 2 feet wide by 3 feet deep. Juan had to cut through tree roots and worked tirelessly. I watched him cry as he dug and
ChiChi's New Digs
Used to sleeping with Maxi in his bed, I made ChiChi this little pillow enclosure with a fleece bottom to keep her warm at night. She seems to like her little nook. told him I was sure that for each shovel full of soil he removed, he was putting in one full of affection. The morning that the vet came, I lay down with Maxi on a mattress beside the grave and hugged him, my head on his chest until his heart stopped beating. Some friends had stopped by and Margarita was there to hold me as I broke down sobbing while the cleaning gal and the handyman gently placed Max’s body in the ground.
Just a few weeks after Maxi went to Doggie Heaven, I got a job puppy-sitting! Rosie is still with me here as I write this. She’s a young, frisky Basset Hound who keeps me on my toes. A very mischievous girl, she especially loves pulling paper out of trash cans and chewing shoes. Her favorite chew toy, however is my forearm. I like to lie on a futon to watch TV or a movie, but she seldom lets me watch in peace. Just when she and the kitty start to get curious about one another and I think they might actually become friends, Rosie barks or ChiChi hisses
Rosie the Hush Puppy!
I took care of Mary's 5 month old basset hound while she was traveling with her daughter. This silly pup is full of mischief!! and the burgeoning trust is broken. ChiChi retreats to her safe haven in the back of the house, doors closed to protect her from the big bad puppy.
I enjoyed a quick visit from Rachel, a young woman (my niece’s age) who had come along as a volunteer on one of the Engineers Without Borders visits. She came back to Ecuador and is now teaching English in Quito. Alas, the two days that she was here in Baños were among the ashiest we’ve had, but we didn’t let it stop us from taking a hike down to the zoo.
More visitors who came last month were Lucie & Daniel. I met Lucie in 1988 when I was living in Quito. We have kept in contact through the years, and she has been living in Paris for over a decade. When I took a group of students to France in 2001, Lucie took the train down to Toulon and we explored Calais and the Calanques. I’ve also been to visit her and Daniel several times in Paris.
Not too close to the edge...
Day trip down the Route of the Waterfalls with friends from Paris. I've never met anyone as afraid of heights as Daniel is; careful around overlooks and ledges! We went to two different local thermal hot springs, and enjoyed some lovely meals together. Since I am still “truckless”, we hired a taxi to take us on a day trip down the Route of the Waterfalls. Amazing natural beauty! It’s fun to show visitors around, and it reminds me again why I love living in this area!
I again hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for a group of expat friends. This year there were ten attendees representing six different countries. Not many Americans, but my Aussie and Kiwi friends who have come the past two years were here again and are fervent Tgiving fans! For several weeks leading up to Turkey Day, I stopped by the grocery store and they assured me their shipment of turkeys would soon be arriving.
Alas, the birds did NOT arrive in time, yet another case of folks telling you what they think you want to hear, whether it’s true or not! Faced with the prospect
Me & Lucie at Machay
A steep hike down (and then back up!) led us to this fabulous waterfall called "El Rocio" (The Dew). Fun adventure!! of an hour bus ride to Ambato and an hour back with frozen poultry on my lap, I looked for another solution. Flipping through my cell phone contacts, I decided to call Ivan, my computer repair guru who is originally from Ambato. To my good fortune he was up there, in fact he was the Supermaxi grocery store right when I called! He agreed to find me a $35 bird and was driving back to Baños that evening. I prepared the turkey, stuffing, potatoes & gravy and everyone else brought the side dishes and desserts. A delicious time was had by all! (PS – I made a nice plate of leftovers to bring to Ivan in thanks for his kindness!)
A few weeks later I hosted a Ladies’ Luncheon in honor of Mary’s birthday. We were eight expat women, mostly in our 50’s and 60’s. I’d been wanting to introduce some of these gals one another and this was the perfect opportunity. The meal & the conversation went on for over four hours! Good food, good company and lots of laughs!
Lovebirds Lucie & Daniel
We took a detour to a favorite swimming hole spot where the Rio Blanco meets the Rio Pastaza. Too bad we hadn't brought swimsuits! My friend Donna came back after only a couple months away, and brought some goodies for me: Tea Tree Oil and four pairs of cotton ankle socks! I will pay her back with Spanish lessons! Alas, several of my English classes have fallen by the wayside – it’s really hard to find folks who commit to studying and carry through for more than a month or two. It’s ok since I will have to go to Quito twice in January (passport renewal, paperwork to change my resident visa) and for two weeks in February (to do some travelling with Sue – hopefully in my new vehicle!)
Thanks for reading this long and rambling missive. I got a bit carried away with the volcano descriptions, and writing about Max’s last days was cathartic for me. I hope that you are able to share time with loved ones during this festive season. Much joy to you and yours, at the holidays and in the coming year!
(NOTE: Scroll down to see more photos!!)
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Peg
non-member comment
Volcano
Hey, we live in Cuenca and would like to come over to Banos and see this powerful sight. Could you recommend a hotel where we might stay and have a view of the volcano at different hours? What else does Banos offer besides the hot springs? Thanks!