There will be difficulty for anyone wishing to leave Ecuador as of today, and of course there are many countries that will be difficult to return to, even if it is your home. But here, I understand, from a guest staying at Victoria, you have to have a ticket already purchased in order to obtain a taxi to get you to the airport in Quito. Kinda makes things a bit difficult if you can’t get through to the airline (which she was having difficulty with), in order to book your flight.
On Sunday they prevented any foreigners from entering the country and then as of yesterday residents of this country can no longer come home. The question is for how long they will keep this travel ban in place. The borders are closed, there are no inter country buses and no persons able to walk across. I’m sure it will be a minimum of 14 days as per the quarantine restrictions, but obviously it could be longer. The problem, as it was during the strike, will be getting food. The grocery store shelves quickly empty and many places are closed already.
Yesterday I walked up to Apuela to get some groceries which hopefully will get me through the next few weeks. Many stores were closed already and those that were open had their entrances barred so you could not walk in to get what you wanted, but had to ask. Not that this was problem, but it just felt a bit strange to realize the situation was going to affect us here in the very quiet valley of Intag. Something that seemed so far away only a few days ago. Traffic will be restricted – licence plates with even numbers one day, odd the next. No public transit and limited personal activity, such as public gatherings. There is also a curfew in place. I have mentioned to some that I feel as though I am in a movie. This morning when I woke up and watched the only other English speaking visitor here at Victoria get in a taxi, I suddenly felt quite sad. She did not know if she would be able to leave, but obviously her embassy found her a flight and she had to get to Quito right away. The truth of my isolation settled in, at least for a little while. A few hours later the family looking after Victoria set up the speakers, began cooking on the grill and made cane juice. They have created a bit of a fiesta mood, and I thought to myself…..yes this is perfect. Create a positive atmosphere to ensure positive thinking.
I checked my email and found a message from Kayanna, someone I hoped to never hear from again. Her message confirmed why. She sent an attachment with her information gathered from research she has done on the virus and felt she should share. When I got to the part where she said we should all be afraid, that there was no cure, I sent it to the trash. Maybe that was premature, but there was salsa playing over the speakers and smiles on the faces of the people around me. Why would I want to succumb to fear mongering from a person who felt it best to destroy hope? How does that help anyone? And why should I trust her information? It is important to respect the process, understand the variables and accept there is a problem. But when you destroy hope or create fear, you are asking for big trouble. But then you gotta love the people here who find a way to be positive no matter what they face. I have seen this many times when they face difficulties, and I mean serious difficulties. They say everything is fine…..tranquila, then they smile and laugh even though they would maybe rather cry. I have learned much from those I am lucky enough to have spent time with here.
Dealing with Luis and Kayanna during the strike last year, taught me the opposite as I watched them become paranoid about the circumstances they were in, finding fear under every rock. Their fear caused them to become irrational, making poor decisions, at least with me. They are not people I trust in a difficult situation, nor would I trust their ability to discern the truth in any given situation, especially one such as this.
When I came back from my run, as I began to stretch out, the song above came over my headphones, the importance of the words, striking me in a way that suits our predicament. Imagine a world where money was not the focus. What if we went back to the simple values we held during the ‘50’s when we talked to our neighbors over the fence, actually knew our neighbors and had block parties where the food provided was made from scratch in our kitchens. Our kids played together, rode bikes down the street without fear and built tree forts. Women stayed home to raise their children, had bridge parties and family really meant being together. Being an individual, being yourself was important. Of course life was not perfect, but the focus was on the people around us, our family came first and we understood the value of what we bought because we had to save for it.
It seems to me life was simpler back then, we understood the value of what we had and we did not work all the time. Is it possible to go back to those times? No of course not, but maybe now, as so many are forced to remain home, not fill every minute of their day being “busy” the good memories of our past can become prominent once more. Of course I am speaking from the perspective of an older person, with the understanding that the youth today can not comprehend such a lifestyle.
While riding home on the bus the other day I ended up having a woman and her baby sit next to me. Normally this is something I really enjoy, but on this day, not so much, I couldn’t wait to get off the bus. The child was wearing a pampers and had filled it. The smell of the actual diaper was bad enough – the chemical scent of some kind of flower, but the combination was horrible. I began to wonder how anyone got fooled into believing adding a flowery scent to our more unpleasant bodily scents actually works. One does not mask the other, does not eliminate it, and if we are honest with ourselves only makes things worse. If we can’t be honest about this then either our nose is not functioning properly or we prefer lying to ourselves in order to deal with reality. For me the combination was nauseating.
It is along this same train of thought that I feel we have misled ourselves into believing that buying everything on credit, living from one paycheck to the next, having no family time and being a slave to our way of life is the right way to live. Are we really that gullible? I find this very sad, to think that we have gotten so far off the track, we no longer know there was a different track to begin with. In this moment I am watching a family with their feet in the tickling pond. The wife is sitting behind her husband showing him affection. No one has a cell phone, everyone is enjoying the simple pleasure of just sitting and talking and laughing with each other…..yes to each other, not someone far away. Watching this family, the idea the world is in crisis is far, far away. I find it is easy to accept the peaceful surroundings, rid myself of any worry I may have had, and just enjoy the beauty of this day……something I couldn’t see this morning when I awoke.
I guess what I’m trying to say, is enjoy the unexpected time you now have on your hands, enjoy the company of your family, your friends, and the incredible opportunity that comes from just waking up. Give your worries to the spirits, let them find an answer for your unexpected problems which accompanied this virus into your life. Remember to laugh, to admire those you are with, have faith in yourself, believe in a solution and find joy in the moment.
One step at a time, one day at a time…….tomorrow will come and you will find a way to enjoy it, if you want to. So on that note, I leave you with talking optimist blues.