Well this country, or at least the area we live in certainly has its extremes! A Spanish friend of ours, who lives in the town once said to us" Why would you chose to live here? It's too hot in the summer and so cold in the winter!" He's not wrong there. I'm sitting typing this wearing woolly gloves and actually have five layers of clothes on, and I'm still chilled to me ole bones! It's the stone walls and floors that do it. I can't wait for about six in the evening when we can justify lighting a fire. A warm cozy open fire, that has us squinting through tears in our eyes, from the thick smoke, as we attempt to watch the television. After a long steaming hot bath of course. That seems the only way to really warm you through.
I'm digressing as usual. Literally three days after our lovely walk to the lake to plan our alpaca trek for next year, along came the rain. In Spain you don't seem to get the drizzle we used to get in England, it just comes down in buckets. As we live off grid, if it's cloudy we can't simply put the tele on and snuggle up as we have no solar, so we stood and watched the rain. Riveting!
Well as it happens, yes it was! We noticed Miguel our local farmer for some strange reason had parked his car at the bottom on the track, beside the little "arroyo" or tiny river. This is the little river that washed away our bridge two years ago, when the heavens opened, and we were stranded until the farmers, cut down a huge eucalyptus tree, that fell across the river, for people to walk across. Since then our little bridge has had huge boulders set in place to try and keep it intact, and touch wood, crossing everything it has so far!
So the excitement was watching Miguel's car slowly getting covered in water, as the river rose higher and higher. We never dreamt that it would actually get washed away down the river, but blow me down it did! Alan and I were practically running from room to room watching the water rise at different parts of the river and then we noticed the car slowly start to move. As if it was in reverse it got pushed backwards until in finally toppled over the edge of the bridge due to the sheer force of the water.
The water on the far side was gushing down from our track
View from the bedrooms in the apartment
Miguel's car, as the water rises!
Oooopsy!
The car getting pushed backwards
Finally topples into the river
The alpacas don't get what the fuss is about!
Lots of the farmers were having a weekend in the country with their families so many came to check out the situation. A few of the children were very excited to be told they would have to stay at their country house and not go to school the following day! Once the rain stopped, Alan and I had a little wander to check out the bridge for ourselves!
Well it stayed in place!!!
When the water subsided two men took off their socks and shoes and walked across, hand in hand!
Arthur was so fed up in the rain he broke in to the apartment, and made himself comfy!
Poor alpacas were soaked, but quite happy!
Oh and Miguel's car was found about half a kilometre down the river!
No comments:
Post a Comment