Saturday, October 2, 2010

Let the Unpacking Begin!

The water had dropped dramatically in the 3 weeks that we had been gone.  The road home from the big airstrip, which we had traveled by boat, was now accessible by land rover.  It was quite amazing to see the difference.

And once we arrived home, a big surprise awaited us.  Our truck had made it as far as Yupakari, where everything had been unloaded at our neighbors, “Caiman House”.    Much to our surprise, the staff of Karanambu began to shuttle our things over, using boats and land rovers, and by the time we arrived home almost all of our things were waiting for us!



It is really hard to describe what it was like to see various possessions that have endless memories of family and friends seemingly, just waiting for us to arrive…
as we got out of the land rover, we gazed at the countless boxes,  barrel, mattresses,  our old oven and televisions (?), Rachel's artwork and the furniture that we sat in under our grape arbor in the backyard in NJ. 
Slowly we began to make sense of it all and carefully we began to create a new home.  
The staff was fascinated by what we brought, actually so were we!  Some of it was fantastic and much needed, like the stove. Auntie Doris had been cooking for 24 people using a tiny 4-burner oven.  And now our old oven seemed like a HUGE HUGE luxury.  As Ryol hooked it up, I told Auntie Doris about all the meals I have cooked on that stove, the German Chocolate Cake I baked each year for Alissa and Shannon's birthday, (which is coming very soon now).  We unpacked pots and pans and cooking knifes.  It was amazing!  And to see the expressions on the faces as they carefully studied my favorite cooking utensils.... with a big smile, one asked; "this knife, Miss Andrea...you use this to kill cow?", she laughed and laughed...."NO!" I laughed back, "It's great for chopping garlic!"  Which of course, as the words were coming out of my mouth, seemed totally ridiculous, and the laughter continued! 
Then there was the mattress fiasco!  We brought our King Size, “pillow top” mattress.  Well, again, the laughing and the teasing had begun even before we had arrived.  It was surely the real “Princess and the Pea” story.  What else could it be!  Such a bed!

It had gotten a bit wet coming over by boat, so it was put out in the hot sun, in the middle of the compound.  The guys lifted it on top of the heavy metal table base, which was last used in our backyard in NJ…(Kenneth has promised to make a new tabletop for it). We did not bring the box spring, because the wood ants would devour it “quick time”.  The bed frames at Karanambu are quite old.  Some are metal and some are wooded.  But all are short.  There was no way that our mattress was going to fit on any of them.  But we tried.  It was way too big and the frame was way too small…and the laughter began again…then we tried to leave the old thin mattress on the frame, but then it was so high!  The laughter began again!!!  “Get a ladder!  Uncle Salvador gunna climb to bed!”  Finally…we set up the bed frame which we brought with us, but because we didn’t have a box spring to set the mattress on, Kenneth built a platform of wooden board to place under the mattress!  After hours and hours and many thanks and lots of laughter, we actually had our own bed!


We had to remind ourselves 
"it’s only been two days,  
we’ve gotten a lot done!"
 
But there is so much more to do! 



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