For those of you who aren't on Facebook...let me recap briefly...
I wanted to do something a bit different with this class from SCS, so Tuesday we took the group up into the jungle to our favourite waterfalls. Yimy and I checked the road out the day before and it was fine...nice and dry and no major issues.
We had a fun (if a little rough) trip in and then the kids had the chance to enjoy one of the prettiest places I know. One of the girls said she was speechless for three minutes before she could do anything. =)
While we were swimming and enjoying lunch, it started to rain. I figured it was just a little shower like we've been having off and on for the past couple of weeks. Usually the sun is out again after a few minutes.
Except this time it didn't happen. It just kept raining.
So we decided to take off early and head back into the city before the road got too bad.
Yea...missed that one by a bit.
I was in the first truck and I knew right away we were in trouble. My truck handled the mud well enough (okay...there was a little sliding around but nothing too major), but I knew the bus was going to have problems. I sent Americo hiking back to tell the bus not to try to go anywhere (he ran for 45 minutes), while I drove my group of kids out. I figured we could ferry the kids out in the two trucks...I had no idea what we were going to do with the bus.
We waited out at the river and after a bit, Yimy arrived with the other truck and the rest of the kids. We hired another bus to drive the kids back into the city and I went with them while Yimy headed back to where the bus was stuck. He and a couple of the guys got the bus unstuck and tried to convince the driver to park the bus at someone's house and leave with them until it was dry enough to drive out. He didn't want to leave, so Yimy and the guys headed back to the city (at 4 AM).
The SCS group got away fine the next morning and in the afternoon (after sleeping) Yimy, Roberto and Larry tried to get back to the bus via another road that didn't have to cross the river. By now the news was reporting that low-lying areas along the river were being evacuated (by helicopter) and that the river was expected to rise by two metres overnight.
The guys didn't make it either. I was waiting for updates and at 2 AM they called and said they were stuck. At 4 AM they said they were going to sleep in the truck and try to find a tractor in the morning.
The next day Americo and I borrowed a friend's truck and went looking for them.
I took pictures...
The tractor guys made a killing off me. But I had no option...and they knew that. Oh well...they were nice enough guys otherwise.
We eventually made it out of the jungle (I've never been that far back into the middle of nowhere) and after one other dicey spot we were on our way home.
The bus driver is still waiting with his bus. I heard today that the rain is supposed to let up by Sunday but I'm sure it'll be a day or two after that before he can drive out.
I imagine he'll be grumpy.
We will be paying him for his time, so hopefully that will help. But I don't imagine he'll be driving for us next year. =)
Anyhow...thanks for praying for us and please keep praying for the driver. I feel bad about what's happened, even though it wasn't really anyone's fault and we've tried hard to get to him. I'm sure it'll be fine eventually but I'll be glad when it's over.
So...another day in South America...
I wanted to do something a bit different with this class from SCS, so Tuesday we took the group up into the jungle to our favourite waterfalls. Yimy and I checked the road out the day before and it was fine...nice and dry and no major issues.
We had a fun (if a little rough) trip in and then the kids had the chance to enjoy one of the prettiest places I know. One of the girls said she was speechless for three minutes before she could do anything. =)
While we were swimming and enjoying lunch, it started to rain. I figured it was just a little shower like we've been having off and on for the past couple of weeks. Usually the sun is out again after a few minutes. Except this time it didn't happen. It just kept raining.
So we decided to take off early and head back into the city before the road got too bad.
Yea...missed that one by a bit.
I was in the first truck and I knew right away we were in trouble. My truck handled the mud well enough (okay...there was a little sliding around but nothing too major), but I knew the bus was going to have problems. I sent Americo hiking back to tell the bus not to try to go anywhere (he ran for 45 minutes), while I drove my group of kids out. I figured we could ferry the kids out in the two trucks...I had no idea what we were going to do with the bus.
We waited out at the river and after a bit, Yimy arrived with the other truck and the rest of the kids. We hired another bus to drive the kids back into the city and I went with them while Yimy headed back to where the bus was stuck. He and a couple of the guys got the bus unstuck and tried to convince the driver to park the bus at someone's house and leave with them until it was dry enough to drive out. He didn't want to leave, so Yimy and the guys headed back to the city (at 4 AM).
The SCS group got away fine the next morning and in the afternoon (after sleeping) Yimy, Roberto and Larry tried to get back to the bus via another road that didn't have to cross the river. By now the news was reporting that low-lying areas along the river were being evacuated (by helicopter) and that the river was expected to rise by two metres overnight.
The guys didn't make it either. I was waiting for updates and at 2 AM they called and said they were stuck. At 4 AM they said they were going to sleep in the truck and try to find a tractor in the morning.
The next day Americo and I borrowed a friend's truck and went looking for them.
I took pictures...
Roberto sleeping in the park of a little village
after walking out of the jungle with Yimy for six hours...
We parked my friend's truck and walked in the last mile or so...
The truck was in the middle of that mudhole at 4 AM...
By the time we got there Larry had found someone with
a tractor to pull the truck out...
The guys all happy that the truck is out of the mud...
10 minutes later...
Words fail...
Yimy tried to dig for awhile and then he and Larry went
after the tractor guys while I, Roberto and Americo kept at it.
My back is feelin' it today...
The guys shovelled sand into the box to try
and weigh it down a little...
Ohhh...the cab of my truck...
Yimy had to take the truck to three different places today
before he found someone willing to wash it...
Roberto's sandals...
Well...technically they're mine since he borrowed them from me.
I got the car wash guy to power wash my shoes when
I had my friend's truck washed...
Finally the tractor showed up...
We eventually made it out of the jungle (I've never been that far back into the middle of nowhere) and after one other dicey spot we were on our way home.
The bus driver is still waiting with his bus. I heard today that the rain is supposed to let up by Sunday but I'm sure it'll be a day or two after that before he can drive out.
I imagine he'll be grumpy.
We will be paying him for his time, so hopefully that will help. But I don't imagine he'll be driving for us next year. =)
Anyhow...thanks for praying for us and please keep praying for the driver. I feel bad about what's happened, even though it wasn't really anyone's fault and we've tried hard to get to him. I'm sure it'll be fine eventually but I'll be glad when it's over.
So...another day in South America...
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