rain...............

The rain has finally returned to Quito. As I am typing, I am sitting in the window in the dining room that overlooks the city, watching the long awaited rain pelt the city.

The thunder started about 15 minutes ago. I had been reading for quite some time, but as soon as I heard the first rain drops hit the patio tiles, I came dashing into the main house. One of my favorite things when I lived here was sititng in front of the large windows in the dining room that overlook the valley of Quito. What a pleasure it is to sit here again, dry and warm while the daily rain falls.

I am not sure if I have menioned the drought that has plagued Ecuador for the last several weeks or more. This is the rainy season, so when you mention climate change here, there is no doubt in anyone's minds about the reality of it. The drought has impacted the country in multiple ways. First, the cities are unexpectedly hot since they do not cool during the customary afternoon rain. Second, are the threats of water shortages in the coming spring and summer. The biggest concern is the electricity supply. The majority of the nation's power is hydropower. When there is no rain, there is not enough river current to generate the electricity needed to meet demand. Last Saturday the apagones (rolling blackouts), were suspended. The apagones have continued nationwide since before my parents arrived here on December 27th.

The blackouts have wreaked havoc on people's lives. Businesses have to shut down and traffic in the city comes to a virtual stnadstill as the police force can only direct at the major intersections. Businesses that have generators use them for several hours during the middle of the day, adding further pollution to the air, and since there is no rain, the pollution lingers over the city. Neither are good for business and people are already hurting during these poor economic times.

I am so happy that it is finally raining, but also disappointed. The rain is now hardly more than a drizzle. The real Quito rain this time of year is that sheet of drenching rain that doesn't let up for at least 30 mintues, if not several hours....

But at least it has rained. Maybe now things will improve and the dreaded blackouts won't return.

It's nice that I was able to see the rain here in Quito since I spent so much time treking through it in the afternoons. After a while, it just becomes part of the reality of life in Quito. Simply knowing that the rain will only last a few hours at the most makes it tolerable compared to the constant drizzle that those of us in Seattle know so well.

Now the rain is picking up again, so maybe it will be real Quito rain afterall.