A couple setbacks. . .

Hello! Sorry I haven't been updating for a while, it's been a bit hectic here. Because of the excess amount of rainfall, the flood gates to Brokopondo dam were opened last week, causing the river to swell. The swelling was a bit more than expected, actually, and it caused some major setbacks to the project in Bergendal. Our entire area in the forest was flooded! The house we've been working on and staying in was transformed overnight into an island. We lost the use of our restroom, and also were unable to cross the bridge in the dark. Needless to say, this was quite the inconvenience.

This is the water level we woke up to the first morning. I have highlighted where it rose to by the time I left for the city. It was quite a difference!

 These steps (normally) lead to the dry path that takes us to the kitchen. It had risen to the top step in this picture, but had gone even further and spilled into the bottom part of the house by the last day of water rising. 

Crossing the bridge was actually another matter entirely. The narrow wooden bridge that used to lay two feet above the water was now floating on top, running the risk of being washed down stream! Sylva and the guys spent the morning putting sticks into the bank to tether it into place, but there was still the matter of getting on and crossing. Since it was floating, it sank to the bottom when you stepped on, tipping to the side while you tried to keep balance. Finally, once the bridge settled to the bottom, the crosser would walk carefully to the other side, thigh deep in creek water all the while. This is the same creek where earlier last year, a 4 meter (12 foot) anaconda was rescued, cayman are regularly sighted, and piranha inhabit the waters. Don't worry though, we were always cautious.

Mike crossing the bridge. Here, he's already gotten past the deepest point and is waiting for it to sink to the bottom. This is also near the beginning of the flooding, so it was much deeper as the days passed.

Oh, and my garden project might as well be the new swimming pool project for all the water on top of it!

So, as it was my time for a day off in the city, I took the bus to town. The flooding prevented me from returning on time, though, and I've been in Paramaribo for longer than expected. Luckily, Monique was gracious enough to put me up for the night. The hot shower was MUCH appreciated.

Sylva has told me that the water level is dropping now, and it's alright for me to return to Bergendal. So I'm off on the 6:30am bus tomorrow morning for another week in the bush. There is going to be a lot of work cleaning up the camp and putting it all back together - I already have a chore list. But I think this has been an important experience for me as well; learning to be flexible and deal with adversity is just as important as everything else I'm learning down here, and I can't wait to see what lessons I have in store for the next 4 weeks.