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Derrumbe! (Mudslide!)
This past Monday, both Krystal and I decided to get off our bored and moldy bums, get out of our shack and head up to Perquín to see how we could help those families in our municipality displaced by the non-stop and tropical depression driven monster rains. We put on our rain gear and started the wet trek up the hill to Perquín. We passed by the Lenca, waived at Prudi and Lantis, said hello to a sweet abuela (grandma) swinging in her hammock on the porch, and continued on. We arrived at Perquín’s town hall and were asked to help organize food and clothing donations displaced family. We got to work and started sorting through bags of clothing donated by local community members and organizations in San Miguel. The contents of some of these bags both looked and smelled (ugh) as though they had come directly from a Salvation Army/Goodwill in the good old USA. There were a number of incredible fashion gems: from Hawaiian print shirts/skirts and bedazzled denim to designer jeans and bikinis, it was a treasure trove of fashionable hand me downs. We sorted through the mounds of clothing, threw out the useless (bikinis, single socks and sheer blouses), and organized everything for distribution. We hoped that the clothing would keep the wet and displaced families warm and dry in their community shelters.
As we finished up the organizing for the distribution of goods, we started hearing people around us talking about a mudslide near the Lenca that had completely blocked off the Calle Negra (literally Black Road, and the main road of Morazán). This was troublesome for both the distribution of donations and emergency response to those affected by the rains. Luckily, a backwoods road that went around the mudslide was still passable. After hearing more chamber (gossip) about the derrumbe (mudslide), Krystal called Ron to make sure everyone and everything at the Lenca was okay. Ron confirmed everyone’s wellbeing but informed us that Cabin 3 at the Lenca was now located on a cliff, rather than set back behind some beautiful pine trees. Completely shocked, we decided to walk down to the derrumbe and investigate. The pictures I have posted tell the story of what we saw. Krystal and I had walked past this very point just an hour before the slide and had said hello to the grandma swinging in her hammock, whose front porch was now covered in mud and tree limbs. Puchica! (holy cow!) Luckily, no one was hurt in the accident, save for shock, surprise and awe.
Because of the still unstable earth and downed power lines, Krystal and I hiked the back road back to the Lenca. We arrived to find Ron and his wife Ena surveying the scene, helping to conduct the cleanup efforts and making sure no one was put into harm’s way. They were incredibly calm and level headed, considering at least one of the hotel’s cabins was literally hanging in the balance. Cleanup was delayed by the fact that the local energy company failed to answer and return calls urgent calls to have power in the area temporarily shut off while downed power lines were recovered and removed from the road. Ron and his network finally got the power company to the scene and cleanup began. It was a huge group effort, including: the national police, regional firefighters, municipal workers, electric company workers, the phone company and Ron, Prudi and company from the Hotel Lenka. Cleanup went far into the evening (moving dirt, cutting down trees, collecting down power and telephone lines, etc.) and we awoke to a Calle Negra stained a reddish brown by all the red soil brought down in the mudslide. Police officers are still monitoring the scene, making sure pedestrians and traffic move quickly past the site and looking for signs of further soil movement. The rain has stopped as of this posting, and hopefully if this dry trend continues, the soil supporting Cabin 3 will dry and become firm. Ron plans to build a retaining wall to support the damaged area of his property as soon as possible (after the rainy season is truly over). Cabin 3 will have to be deconstructed and moved, as the cliff top view, though beautiful and thrilling, doesn’t meet the Hotel’s safety standards. Ron is hoping that insurance, combined with national and local government financial support for economic loss from this nationwide disaster, will help him fund the important and necessary construction of the retaining wall. Considering that the Lenca is one the biggest draws, if not the biggest, for tourists, I hope this support arrives soon!
A crazy, wet and wild week. Please continue to send your support, thoughts and prayers to the beautiful country and people of El Salvador, to Ron and everybody at the Lenca, and keep your fingers crossed for days of sunshine in our future. I’ll update you as things progress.
Lots of love and sunshine smiles from Perquín,
Daniel John
