The waterline goes in...

We finally were able to buy the materials for the pipeline to bring sufficient water to Tabacal. The water is from a mountain spring which, although it is not technically potable, the people have been drinking from it and sickness is still at a minimum.

Last week we staked out the waterline alignment. Matt and Peppers (two new interns accompanied me to stake out the alignment. We brought and unloaded the food for September and used the rest of the day engineering. The men of Tabacal were waiting for us there to dig the trench as we staked it. They have been anxious for this water system. First we soaked ourselves with deet and then joined our entourage into the jungle. The men carried our stakes for us with their machetes.

Again we did our surveying with a string, an eye level, a tape measure and a notebook. Several of the men went to work digging at the dam trying to find where the spring originated from the side of the hill. The other 5 men accompanied us and anticipated our route in cleaning the jungle floor so we could “survey”. We were sure to keep a 2% fall for the pipe and put in a stake every 25’. Our team of men we called our “jungle removers” or “jungle mowers”. The whole day was spent going across the jungle. Near the end of the day we were afraid that we would not reach the end before the rains poured down. We had anticipated that we would have about 80 stakes at 25’ spacing. We were at about 45 and nearly all the day had passed. Then I looked and saw the village. “How could this be?” I thought. We went back to measure the stakes and they were all about 35’ apart. Nevertheless we had finished the task. As we were going back measuring the spacing I think my deet wore off. The mosquitos had a feast on my arms.

As we were leaving I noticed that Peppers was making a quick line for the truck. We were invited to eat lunch but needed to go because Peppers had been stung by a bee and wasn’t feeling well so I said my quick goodbyes and met Matt and Peppers at the truck. Peppers was all swollen with a rash all over. Apparently he is now allergic to bees, well Tabacal bees anyway. We rushed into Zapote to find some Benadryl. We were told of a pharmacy there and a boy walked us there. Unfortunately, as is common in the middle of nowhere, they didn’t have any. We now were bound for Esquintla, 10km back out the dirt road and then another 15km of highway. We went as fast as we could without destroying the truck but before we reached Escuintla Peppers said he was feeling much better. For the next few days he had a swollen arm but that was about it.

The pipeline and its associated parts were delivered a few days later and I inspected the trench that was already done. Heavy rains called the day early so the next day I went out to Tabacal again and this time they already had 600’ of the pipe laid. We hashed out what materials we needed for the spring box to capture the water at the spring and planned its construction. I instructed them on the placement of the springbox and its needed features. We looked at the elevation of the place already made to receive the storage tanks in the village. The rains came for another visit so we waited at Jacinto’s house until a break came and I headed out assuming that I could miss most of the rain just like I had the previous day. Boy was I wrong!!

Yet again I was stuck riding my motorcycle through the jungle in the middle of a true torrent. I found myself chuckling about it thinking of the funny story it all was when I came to the second river to cross (there are 4 rivers in total to cross). With the rain falling the flows are strong and about 28” deep at parts. As I came to the other side of river 2 I noticed that my rear wheel was sliding all over. I stopped and sure enough it was completely flat! At first I was just thinking of it as an inconvenience like any flat tire, until I was reminded that I am on a motorcycle…without a spare…in the middle of the jungle…during a big rainstorm! I could not call for someone to get me because not only would it take forever for them to reach me but even if they could cross the two rivers in front of me and find me, what would we do with my bike? My only option was to continue on with a flat tire, a sketch ride in mud I must add.

I made it to the asphalt highway slowly but without incident. At the town Rodeo at the highway, I asked a group of men waiting out of the rain where a “pinchazo” or tire-fixer-guy is. In typical Guatemalan fashion they all came to agreement that there was a pinchazo about 1.5km down the road instead of telling me the truth that they had no idea. After driving there I asked another man and he told me “there is no pinchazo here, but there is one back up the road about 1.5 km” right back where I had started. I needed to return that direction anyway so when I made it back to the shelter of the first group of men I had asked, I asked them again and they said back down the dirt road. I traveled a couple blocks there and asked a group of women which replied, “about 1.5 km further down the dirt road” I think this is just the generic answer to say “I have no idea!” At this same store there was a drunk man that asked me to come out of the pouring rain and talk with him. He encouraged me to stay and have a beer with him. After insisting that no, I needed to return to the city, he told me that he knew of a pinchazo just a block away and he would show me. He proceeded to try and mount my bike to drive me there. I stopped him and he began to jog instead. Upon reaching the corrugated gate, my drunk companion entered shouting. A matter of seconds later he returned telling me that the pinchazo would probably not be there for another 2 hours and that I should return with him for that beer. After wishing him well I accepted my only option, to continue on with a flat tire down the highway all the way to Esquintla, another 15km.

By this time the rain had lightened up and I was coming into the plains looking at a mountain with large rocks on it that has always fascinated me. I saw a storm passing over it and I could see the front of it with the rain falling and the lightning flashing. It was beautiful. I wasn’t concerned because the rain travels away from where I was going…normally! As I continued down the road I noticed that this storm kept getting closer and closer and with the flat I could go no faster than 20mph. I could do nothing other than brace myself for the punishing rain. Did you know that when it rains hard enough, motorcycle helmets leak? The water just finds its way around the shield, fill the cushion in the helmet and just drip right in your eyes.

Finally I reached Escuintla and began looking for the pinchazo. I noticed a motorcycle parts store and went to pull in but my bike wasn’t moving. I looked down and noticed that the inner tube of my tire had come out and wrapped around my gear and now the tire was just spinning on the rim. I pushed the bike across the street to the shop where my need was obvious.

After purchasing my tube I went another two blocks to the pinchazo. Because my bike
would not go I was forced to push it the two blocks there. Normally this would not be a big task but because the rim was locked in place by the tangled tube I had to force the tire to spin on the stationary rim…In the rain. If this wasn’t enough the roads of Escuintla are terribly rutted because of the heat and during the rain these ruts fill with water. Escuintla is a busy town and has constant traffic so I received a splashing about every three steps from the passing trucks. I was already soaked and was wearing a helmet so it was more comical than anything. After helping the 12 year old pinchazo change my tire I was able to return home.

The next day I headed out for Tabacal once more. The materials for the spring box were delivered and I went to the dam to see how the men were doing in prepping the
location for the box. They had a great start…in the wrong location! I asked them why the change in plans. They had decided that it would be better to have the tube lay in the open and have the box in another location to clean out all the stuff that had entered the pipe at the spring. After a simple explanation of physics I finally told them that It simply would not work and they needed to stick with the original plan. There would be no way to capture the water without a box there and a second box would do no good.

They are ambitious people who work hard. The downside is that they often do things first and then think about them later. A true field design as you go approach. Luckily I was there to keep them on the right track. I will go again on Tuesday to ensure the plan is still the plan. God has been there every step of the way guiding us and keeping us from making any permanent errors. He is faithful and is continuing to do His work there.

After a time of prayer I started off, early this day. I was able to avoid rain all the way until I hit my city and just one block from my house there is a concrete road that has no texture and is very slick. Well, while slowing to go around the corner my wheels locked up and I actually laid the bike down. I was going only about 5 mph but still slid about 8 feet. Both me and my bike got up without a single scratch. I guess it was like ice. Either way, it stayed an adventure right up to my doorstep!