Tar, health and ingenuity


While in Moyobamba I had the chance to repeat my daily walk to the river. I did this a couple of years ago after my stroke, so going back again made me feel a bit philosophical, reflecting on life and so on.

The river is caught up in the world's global warming, decreasing in height annually and causing nasty financial problems for those who farm its fertile banks. But as a transport route it's still equivalent to the Inverness-Glasgow A9.

One thing I had failed to do a couple of years ago was to go and talk to the man who makes boats. He was still there. It gave the effect of visiting a cousin of the Inca stone masons. His is a labour intensive work without saw, sandpaper or electricity, and only a machete, tar and ingenuity.

One day the boat's would be owner appeared; a water engineer who worked in the villages of the river establishing a supply of clean water and noticeably cutting disease and increasing life expectancy. The ancient Romans too knew this and built 144 public toilets with flushing water in their capital.

Good public health is something we take as given but is not ours naturally. It's also part of the church's concern and in Moyobama part of the San Lucas clinic's work as son John is finding out: http://blogs.bafreechurch.org.uk/bonaccord/2007/05/05/horseback-in-the-rainforest-of-peru/ Sadly I hear that San Lucas' water engineer is having to leave since a decision has been made to cut funding. Those cutting the funds live in a country where clean water flows in abundance.


Boat builder, Río Mayo, Moyobamba


Comments

  1. Unknown3:18 pm

    ciao David & Olwen,

    glad the time in Moyobamba went well. Thanks for the link to John's blog too!

    I am trying to learn 3rd declension Greek nouns today :-)

    love, Caitriana

    ReplyDelete
  2. David Ford3:10 pm

    Mmm... doesn´t sound too much fun. Can send you a γοοδ Γρεεκ γραμμερ en español.

    ReplyDelete

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