Two homes - transition time

Who would have thunk it! Marg cooking over an open fire and shelling corn by hand! It is not something I had every imagined for my midlife crisis but here I am.

Last week we came to the chaco (farm) for the first time as owners. We packed the truck with the things we thought we needed for a three day stay. Some times I feel like Gilligan! We did pretty well as far as bringing along supplies. The things we didn’t bring were things we didn’t think we needed – coats and an extra blanket. It gets quite chilly here at night and there is a lot of dew so the mornings are brisk.

Jake immediately became a typical Bolivian and does not go anywhere without his machete. The first day he cut down an area where we hope to build the house. Unlike the Bolivians we did not cut the area and then burn it a couple of days later. Instead I hauled all the debris to the side and piled it. If they come and see what we did, they will think we are crazy. The debris what not heavy since most of it was haliconia and light trees. The worst is the miles of vines. I had already pulled miles from inside the ‘chalet’. Another pesky item is a tree in which the ants live. I am sure of the name but it is the one that they tied people too and let the ants eat them alive. Of course, this tree grows nice and straight and looks like an excellent pick to fix the poles of the chalet. Not a good idea. Jake also cleared a place on which to put the sand and gravel when it comes.

In the evening he was called to a meeting. The forestry company wants to harvest trees and needs a better road. So, in exchange for some labor, the community will get a road. We are not sure what the labor is but I am sure we will find out. One part is that each person has to clear 2 meters on each side of the present road—better called a path-- so that the cat can come in. So Jake has more than his share of machete work cut out for him. He is enjoying it after spending 5 months in school.

I have been busy setting up house in both Yapacani and Patajusal. The house in Yapacani is a bit more permanent with a proper roof and floor. We have purchased the major appliances and a mattress so we live in comfort there. We have two rooms, one is the kitchen/office and the other is the bedroom/living room. No one visits in the living room so we are OK. Only the one room is secure so we have all the valuables in there. The third room is a storage room for both ourselves and the landlord. Until we need it, we will leave it that way.

The house in Patajusal is portable. It is called a tent. We take it along each time we come and then take it home again. We also have four containers that have become our traveling companions to the chaco. One contains our bedding, another the cooking and eating utensils, another the perishable food and the last, the non-perishables. They we have the things Jake is supposed to take along which includes his tool box, machete (of course!), the powerpack and a number of other small things that are needed. Oh, yes, we should also take along chairs but we forgot them this trip.

I am writing this in the chalet with the computer on my lap. I am thinking that I should write Canadian Tire and get them to do an advertisement on us using the Eliminator PowerPack and Solar Panel for energy in the jungle of Bolivia. Maybe we could get some good funding for out projects!! Anyone have an ‘in’ with Canadian Tire???

The biggest shock is that it is pitch dark by 6:30. We try to have our supper, shower, and dishes done by that time but then there is not much to do. Jake can’t work until 11 every night. We read by flashlight –or the Canadian Tire PowerPack—and I am able to do work on the computer. I am learning Adobe Pagemaker and it is a bit of a challenge with no directions. Just wait – when Jake gets a proper generator he will hook up a light so that he can work at night. We can’t expect everything to change, can we?