Well folks, it’s the rainy season in Guayaquil, and when it rains, it pours! Today we had the delight of experiencing the rainy season firsthand, as we stepped out of our Spanish class to a complete downpour at the University. Not wanting to make the walk from the bus stop to our houses in this torrential downpour quite yet, a few friends and I chose to hop off the bus at the mall until the rain let up to stretch our legs for a bit. The biggest purchase ended up being two umbrellas, with much justification might I add. After about an hour of browsing and hanging out, we thought that maybe, just maybe, the rain had stopped and we could begin the 20 minute walk home. Boy, were we wrong! As we rounded the corner in the mall, we encountered 5 mall employees frantically pushing away the floodwaters that were rising on the floor of the mall from outside. It was quite a spectacle, and we couldn’t help but giggle at their use of broom-like devices to push the water around. Where they were trying to push it? Who knows. After a quick photo op (we had the gringo excuse to whip out a camera in such an instance), we took a look outside and the chuckling continued as we realized there was absolutely no way we were leaving in the monsoon that was happening before our eyes. We headed into a restaurant for some drinks to wait it out, but with evening activities upon us and our stomachs speaking louder than our mouths, we decided our best option would be to leave the safety of Rio Centro sooner rather than later. While calling a taxi probably would’ve been the more sensible decision, we opted for adventure, employed our umbrellas, and with frequent laughter and shrieks headed out of the mall parking lot. The roads were flooded, and we found ourselves treading through almost knee-deep water to cross the street, not being able to decipher between the street and the sidewalk. While I removed my shoes for such an endeavor, Trisha called from a few steps ahead, “I picked a good day to wear my flood pants!” The walk proved to be a comical experience, as the brilliant designers of Samborondón thought tile sidewalks would be a great idea for a country that flaunts a rainy season. Slipping and sliding all the way home, the gringos were given strange looks from the dry passengers in fleeting cars. I could only laugh as my host mom greeted me, soaking wet and shoeless, and I don’t think my typical grilled cheese dinner has ever tasted so good. We continued to converse for two hours at the table about weather, and how it differs from here and the United States. I taught my host mom the difference between hurricanes and tornadoes, and she recounted a story of an earthquake that occurred last year here in Guayaquil. My family here finds much difficulty in wrapping their minds around the fact that Minnesota contains neither mountains nor the ocean, as my mom asked me a few times if I have ever been in a hurricane or a bad storm while camping in the mountains. I am still not quite sure if she completely understands, but she really enjoyed my explanation of the four different seasons and the snow in the winter. We are really beginning to learn a lot from each other as the Spanish begins to flow more easily. Simple conversations about the weather (like today!) have lead to deeper learning experiences for which I am very grateful. I am sure I will miss this family a lot when I leave, but for now I have much more to gain from our time together. In closing, the rain today has been a nice break from the heat and humidity, and a memory that will give me some laughs when I return to the States!
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