Rainwater

In Tena it normally rains nearly every day. Since my arrival, however, it has only tried to sprinkle a few times, the days being sunny and hot--so hot, you have to go to the river to cool off. The sun at the equator is intense, and with no cloud cover, it bears down on you so much that you seek out shade--any shade--even walking around town.
But now as I listen the rain finally pummelling the uninsulated tin roof, I finally understand why they call this place a rainforest, and see now that it really can rain so hard it hurts the top of your head. Everything thirsy is getting a drink, and it cools our sweaty bodies, even though it is the warmest rain I have ever felt. It isn't just about the forest and making it more comfortable to live here though. We use the rainwater to wash our clothes; it runs down the gutters, right into a large sink in our covered patio area our roof. It fills the sink with clean water that you scoop into a shallow, textured concrete basin you can scrub your clothes with, much like a washboard. It feels a little like baking bread by hand. It takes a little more work, but feels so rewarding.
Of course, the rivers will all rise if it keeps up this way. My group of friends are paddling in this right now. I almost went with them to do an easy section of the Rio Misaualli. It would have been interesting to paddle in a deluge, but I am content to hear its clatter on this old tin roof.