Saturday, January 24, 2009

A day in Honduras...

In one of my last posts I said I was going to try to post my adventures and stories in chronological order, but I have changed my mind. I am a woman, and I am pregnant, so I am allowed.

I think many of you know that I belong to a Yahoo group called Honduras Living. And in this group one of the main peices of advice that they give people who are looking to move to Honduras is to go to where you think you may want to live, and rent a place there for six months to a year. Among other reasons, one reason is that during the dry season where you want to live may be paradise, but during the rainy season that paradise could turn into five feet of water in your house. And I agree with this advice 100%. (even though I technically didn't follow that advice, LOL)

When we bought our land - the one where our house is built - I bought it sight unseen, because I trusted my father in law. My husband knew somewhat where we were going to live, but he hadn't seen the land either. My father in law lived on that land for 3 or 4 years until Lale went. Then Lale got there right at the rainy season. Not once was there a problem with flooding or anything else.

Then I showed up. In July 2008 there was a day where it rained almost all day. Not unlike other days where it would rain all day. I love when it rains because it sounds so pretty and so nice because of our roof. Anyway, after about 4 or 5 hours of rain, it REALLY began to rain hard. And within 5 minutes we had water on our front porch. And another minute after that we had a river going in the front door, and out the back - and it was filling up the house as well. Now after I got the cement bags up higher, and getting all the electrical stuff off the floor, I couldn't stop laughing. Why was I laughing? Because all I could think about was the advice that was given - that I had given to others as well - about live there so that you can see what you are getting into.
Now what had happened was that across the street is a place where when it rains real hard, the water comes down the mountain and goes into a creek, and from there it goes to the river that runs behind our land. Well this day for some reason, the water jumped where it usually goes, and made its way across the street - right into our front yard and into our house.



Here is Jordan, fighting the rising water with a broom. Not very effective, LOL.




This is the water in the house. You can't really see it very well because it is dark - but the glistening that you see is the river in the house, LOL.




You can see Lale and someone else digging in the street - they are digging a ditch so that the water can go to the creek on this side of the road, since it wasn't trying to go to the creek on the other side of the road, LOL.




This is the front yard during the flood




The view from the back door.




And here we are during clean up. It was this day that I realized that I really really wanted a squeegie. When I go back, I will be bringing squeegies.


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Here are some pictures of the fun that day.

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Johan and Levi watching the rain.

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The front yard is beginning to fill up.

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The skinnies in front of our "pool".

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My mini waterfall. Ain't it pretty? LOL

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The water is now in the house. The wood you see is in front of a step trying to keep the water out. Obviously it isn't working.

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We now have a river in my backyard.




My kids enjoyed the adventure - especially because they got to go to Tocoa and spend the night with Mama Toya while Papi got all the water out of the house.

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6 comments:

Susan Lechuga said...

Can I say that Honduras looks beautiful? Even with all that rain! I want to go there now. You are so blessed to call that home. It is so green and pretty. We missed you mama.

Heather said...

I love all the smiles. The kids are so big, i missed seeing you all so much!
-h

Amie V said...

At least the kids were smiling and having fun... that makes it not quite so bad. =D

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see your kids having fun. They impressed me, really. They seem to be so adjusted to their new life there. Grandma seems to be a sweet lady. Are all of them with you in the Us now?
Take care.

Karen said...

Holy cow, I'll bet that was a huge mess. Your place looks heavenly with the space and quietness. Well, after the flooding.

Andrea said...

Oh my goodness. Girl, I would have been crying, and then I would have siad, "Who wants to move back to the US!!" You are a much better sport that I would have been. Water can be devistating!!

I love the pictures of your kidos with their grandmother, and Girl you are pregnant again!! Congrats!!!