When It Rains We Pore

What a week it's been. I returned to Cerrito from the capital city as planned Saturday morning (with a huge package in tow--thanks Vanville!!) only to return again Monday (yesterday) morning to continue my physical therapy. Early this morning (Tuesday) I had to go halfway back to my site to a city where the nat'l organization PLAN was meeting; they are going to begin work in my site, and PC encourages that we collaborate with their powerful money sources as much as possible. I was heading BACK into Asuncion after the meeting this afternoon (with my new hammock in tow) when the sky tore open and the rain began.

First of all, let me say that I feel very differently about rain in Paraguay than I do in the US. Here, everything stops and we relax and reflect in the comfort of our beds, unlike in the US, where we press on and fight mother nature despite our desires to curl up with a good book and a cup of coffee. THIS rain, however, was different because I was in a city which apparently has no drainage system. By the time we got into downtown, the streets were muddy rivers lapping at the floor of the bus (four hefty steps up off the road) and nearly covering the headlights of the drowned-looking cars. People waiting for the buses were struggling not to let the currents around their knees knock them over, and the waves were lapping at the glass front of the car dealerships and hotels that sit too close to the road. Chaos!!!

So here I am in the office, starting to dry off and facing my inevitable doctor's appointment at 5, meaning I have to go back out into the unforgiving world of Hurricane Asuncion to go get my hip heated and then electro-shocked. Oh well....