La Bella Crucita, Thursday, 02/21/2019

“Busy day, busy day Jackson. Have to dice the garlic.”

“That’ll smell nice.”

“Have to prepare the shrimp for sauteing later this evening.  What NO WATER! How can it be?  I can’t work in the kitchen without water.”

“You’ll have to wait for the water truck.  Don’t know if the town shut off the water again.”

“The Ts might not get to walk on the beach if they have to wait long, and there goes your request to search for other rock specimens Jackson.”

“Not a good start to the day all around Nilla.  Wonder how Aventurero did at the card game last night.”

“We’ll ask when he comes for dinner.  A water truck pulled into Las Dunas but didn’t stop here, must be that others have run out of water too.”

“Hey here comes one, looks like the same one that was in here before.  How are they going to fill the tank?”

“Look at that Jackson.  I wondered what that cap-thing was on the wall.  They just ‘plug’ in the hose and start pumping in the water right from the tanker along the curb.”

“They are checking the water in the reserve to make sure it is clear, so far so good.”

“Great, I’m going to get started on the garlic and if time do a little shrimp cleaning too.”

“The Ts are off for their walk on the beach – low tide again this morning.”

“Wow, long walk today, three hours!”

“Looks like they brought back lots of rocks to investigate.”

“Jackson, I have to organize my ingredients – you can check out the specimens.”

“Sure smells like a lot of garlic to me.”

“It’s garlic shrimp, of course you smell a lot of garlic.”

“Aventurero will be here shortly, he told the Ts it wasn’t a late game last night, he didn’t win.”

“He’s won before, so that’s okay.”

“Since you seem to have things under control in the kitchen we should have time for the topic of the day.”

“Has to be a short one, not much time.”

“What about hammocks, we see them everywhere.”

“You know that Aventurero has developed a ‘hamacaphobia’.”

“Nilla, he’ll get over that, it’s just that the rope gave way.”

“People have suggested putting a mattress beneath the hammock so that if it gives way he’ll have a softer landing.”

“Hammock from the Spanish word hamaca were developed in Central and South America for sleeping. They’re been used for hundreds of years.”

“They’ve been made from woven ropes, cloth, palm fiber, and now even more modern materials.”

“They are relaxing, earthquake ‘tolerant’ and in warmer, humid weather much more comfortable than a bed Nilla.

“As you know Jackson, later they were used on ships because of comfort and space-saving.”

“Yes. Generally when one thinks hammock you envision summer, relaxation, vacation, country and beach camping excursions.”

“Later used on ships for comfort and space.  Associated with warm weather, relaxation, vacation camping or beach excursions.”

“In Ecuador, along the northern coast particularly it is hot and humid with lots of bugs and mosquitos.  Using sandfly netting with the hammock is comfortable, breathable and protects against those annoying insects.”

“Jackson, there are so many types of hammocks, spreader bar, Mayan, Brazilian, jungle, Nicaraguan and travel varieties.  But the best hammock in my opinion, is a hammock made from opogenkawe palm.  They last forever.  I’m not sure you could buy one now.”

“Opogenkawe palm?”

“Yes, Jackson.  Indigenous groups from the rain forest have been weaving them for centuries.  A skill passed from mother to daughter.  Material is collected over time – looking for the palm while hunting for example and it bringing back to be later woven into wonderful sturdy sleeping ‘swing’.”

“Are they still made today?”

“I hope so Jackson.  The Waorani, and indigenous people living in the Ecuadorean rain forest, was the last indigenous group contacted by the modern world.  In recent accounts they now sleep on what is similar to our beds.”

“We haven’t seen one of those opogenkawe hammocks in our travels.”

“No we haven’t.  Oh, Aventurero is here – time to get the garlic shrimp underway.”

“Wow, that smells and looks delicious.”

“The Trio thinks so too, it’s being devoured!”

“Diego and Guardagatos are in Rimini, the water is coming up over the malecon again.  Want to go there after the dishes are done, wear water shoes?”

“No water shoes.  But sure, I’ll sit back and relax a bit!”

“Fabulous, gorgeous – another sunset in Crucita!”