No More Garbage on the Beach - No More Beach!

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Just an update from Pina.

A huge storm hit the coast on the last day at our "Work-away" where I was building concrete steps down to the water. One small step (2 risers, 7 feet long) was completed and the formwork for another all ready for concrete. Jose the resident handiman, gardener and labourer worked for three days removing rubble for me so I could build the next set of steps. The were going to be five risers, 14' long. A huge undertaking as we were mixing the concrete by hand. On Saturday the formwork was completed ready for concrete Sunday morning. Sunday morning I head down to the beach and the bottom riser is damaged by the waves and debris hitting it. No big deal and easy to fix so we decide that Jose can fix it after the storm settles down because we are leaving the next morning. It also meant that I had the day off from mixing cement (which I'm sure you could imagine my disapointment). Well the storm only got worse. Monday morning we head to the beach to see what remained of my formwork. Not only was the formwork gone but so was the concrete slab and wing walls I was butting up to. Jose had taken the rubble he had broken by sledge hammer (no jackhammers) where I was adding the stairs and filled in an area adjacent to it to build a ramp for the truck to go down to the beach. He then added sand on top of it. He also worked for about 2 weeks planting a huge hedge along the waterfront. Well, this storm removed his ramp, the hedge and ALL the sand from the beach. Under the sand was lava and that is what the beach looks like now. About two feet lower than the day before. My original steps are suspended with a void under them. By the way, freighters moored at sea waiting to go up the canal were washed ashore.

We headed out Monday morning after looking at the devastation. We are spending three days in Panama City. There are videos of the bus trip and the storm below plus 8 photos.

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Photos

The Ramp
The ramp was 3 feet longer the day before and that concrete chunk was flipped up onto the remaining ramp. It was solid filled under the ramp and now it is all void.

Side view of ramp
Before the storm

Beach Gone
A hedge was planted between me and the beach against the wall

Before the storm
Sand and logs

Building Steps
Look - sand!

Comments

[Rose]

How does that make you feel?
Was it an enriching experience? It's LIFE!