We usually have electricity most of the time in the Colonial Zone area. It seems that since they started the work on the Renovada Ciudad Colonial (pictures of the project), remodeling the streets of the Zone, that our electricity circuit has problems. Lights go out, power fluctuates, poles fall, sparks fly and whatever else can happen to electricity it probably has happened. Almost every time it rains the lights go out, sometimes for a short time sometimes for hours.
On the 15th around 7PM the water went out. This happens sometimes when the pump goes weird or sometimes the switch flips off and no water can get up the the top floors and the roof top tank that stores water. I have a medium sized garbage can to store water and also my plastic coolers and jugs when not in use on a trip are filled with water for those just-in-case moments.
Welp, I got up in the morning and still there still was no water. Now this was turning into a problem. I called the landlord at 9ish and they said that there is a problem with the electricity going to the pump and that they were working on it.
The only thing to do is wait, bucket shower, bucket flush the toilet and don’t “get my bowels in an uproar”, as my dad always said. No big deal.
The water came back around 4PM. Right away I refilled my water stash to be prepared for the next time. This was nothing. I remember one place I lived there was no water at all for at least 7 months. So a day or 2 is nothing.
Later this same evening I was just getting ready to take the kids, Teli and Buenagente, out for their evening walk. It was around 7:30PM when it started raining softly. Just a light shower, nothing much, but the electricity went out anyhow.
I got out the little flashlight and the candles. Lit the candles and placed them in their strategic locations throughout the apartment. It was not too bad because the next electric circuit, which is right next door, was still on so the lights from the street illuminated the apartment enough to make out where things are.
What do you do when the lights go out? I did not want to go to the street because it was raining so I got out my wonderful Kindle, took my flashlight and some candles and went to bed to sweat my buttox off and read and play a game or 2 before falling asleep.
My trusty Kindle and Flashlight
The electricity did not come on and I spent the night sweating. The sheets and pillow were soaked. I had to lay in my own wet spot! Teli did not sleep the best either. She kept squirming. It was not a good nights sleep for either of us.
Teli trying to sleep without a fan when the lights went out
The morning comes and I still hear the generator from across the street running. I do not hear my refrigerator motor on. Damn, still no electricity.
Buenagente spent the night outside in the street. He did not want to come in after the short evening walk. He was waiting at the door with Zippy, a cute little street dog, for us to come out and go for the morning walk a little before 6AM.
We went to Plaza España first. The flowers are in bloom and they were such a bright red in the morning light. The dogs, Teli and Buenagente, shadows appeared on the wall beside the flowers. I so love the shadow pictures.
Teli and Buenagente shadows at Plaza España
All the while I was enjoying the walk and the kids playing I was hoping that by the time I got home the electricity would be back on and I could continue life like normal. I was thinking about the food in the fridge going bad. I was thinking about the work I needed to do on the web site.
The power plant at the bank was going strong. Strong in sound and strong in the smell coming from the hot black smoke coming from the pipes. They must have lost their electricity in this area also.
Planta pipe smoking at Banco Reservas
I took the dogs to the Fortaleza Ozama for a run. They ran around a little bit but they were more content just hanging out beside me. I think Teli was a little tired because of the heat and me tossing and turning all night. Have I mentioned lately that I love my Teli and Buenagente?
Teli and Buenagente relaxing at Fortaleza Ozama
I was so hoping that when we got back home the power would be restored. It was not. Many of the neighbors are in the street milling around and talking. We discussed the situation. I shared a few of my mangos that I picked. What else is there to do? Just hang out and wait for EDEESTE (the electricity company) to come and rescue us from this plague.
Neighbors milling around “sin luz” in the street still in repair (Renovada Ciudad Colonial)
I returned to my apartment thinking about what I can do without electricity. Since I cleaned a few days ago I did not want to push it and clean some more. I so hate to clean.
I opened up the computer and dusted out the inside while watching the rainbows dancing around the floors and walls as the sun hit my sun-catcher crystal hanging in my window.
Sun-catcher throwing rainbows in my apartment
I made some Mango Bread – Cake (click for my recipe) with some of the mangos I picked that morning. The entire apartment smelt so wonderful. I took a little break had had some warm mango bread with my morning coffee. Yumm…
My mango cake – bread.
I roasted some sunflower seeds for munching on. They are called semillas de girasol in Spanish. That just sounds so nasty to me. I so love roasted sunflower seeds, or sunnies as I have always called them. They are one of my favorite snacks and not easy to find here. I just get the bird seed type of seeds, wash them off, lightly salt and roast them.
Semillas de Grisol / Roasted Sunflower Seeds, better known as Sunnies.
While I was keeping busy and dripping sweat-balls. Yes, I said sweat-balls. Sweat-balls are not just a little bit of sweat on the brow that you dab away. They are giant drops of sweat dripping off the body making large puddles and plop sounds whenever they hit the floor. Anyhow, I was keeping busy and the “kids” were sleeping away like nothing is bothering them at all.
Buenagente sleeping on the cool floor while the electricity was out.
Finally around 9:30AM, 14 hours after the lights went out, I heard from outside ¡”Hey Luz”!. There is always someone that needs to announce to the world that the electricity is back. Like we have not noticed this ourselves. Simultaneously with the announcement from the street I heard the silence when the electric plant across the street shut down. The best sound was the small hum coming from the motor of the fridge as it started working to get the food inside back to the correct temperature.
All was good and back to Dominican Republic normal.
