Stormy nights

"We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night... "
-Forest Gump


They say that barranquilla has never seen such a rainy summer. It rains almost every day. And if it doesn't rain in la playa, you can sit on the roof and see it storming somewhere in the distance. It has easily become one of my favorite activities. I will sit on the roof and watch the clouds roll in. The lightening and thunder is like nothing i have ever seen or heard in my life. It feels like a war. The thunder rumbles so loud and long that it shakes the whole house and snaps like a bomb going off. Depending on where you are, you can hear car alarms going off and dogs barking in response. The lightening lights up the entire sky and streaks huge bolts across the horizon. It's like a light show every night. I honestly can't tear myself away. I will stay on the roof until the huge drops come down hard enough that I can't possibly stay any longer. it is completely relaxing and lovely.

Now, if you are unfortunate enough to be out in the rain, that is another story entirely. When it rains, the entire city shuts down. In the US, if it looks like rain, it merely means you might want to grab an umbrella. In Barranquilla, it means you don't leave your house. at all. not for anything. This is mostly because there is no drainage system. Therefore, after less than a minute of heavy rain, the streets literally become rivers. Major roads shut down. People can't even cross the street. Cars can't pass. and buses risk turning over. All over the city are signs saying "arroyos peligrosos" or banners with a skull in a river, warning people not to try and cross. Often, people will construct wooden stepping stones or use a cart to push people across the street for a small fee.

I can remember one time several months ago when I was meeting a friend for dinner deep into the city. it hadn't been raining when i left, but once it was time to go, the city was a mess. The water was above my knees on the streets. My bus had stopped running and if there were cabs free, they laughed out loud when I asked about la playa. I was literally stuck. So I hopped onto a tiny bus that was still running, in the hopes of at least getting closer to my house. However, not even a block away, the bus got stuck in the arroyos in the streets and had to wait. We sat in that spot for easily an hour while it kept raining. What we were waiting for, i wasn't sure. But I watched as tires, pieces of drift wood, and other objects floated past. Cabs attempted to brave the water, but it was over their tires. One cab actually slipped backwards nearly crashing into another one attempting the same thing. The bus was missing the lid on its emergency exit on the roof, which allowed water to pour in over this woman. So I took my umbrella up into the hole and plugged it. It was quite the adventure. I ended up having to walk like 20 blocks in the rain until I found a cab willing to drive me home. A 30 minute cab drive (if that) ended up taking me over to 3 hours. Quite the adventure.

Typical Barranqulla. Everything is an adventure. i love it ;) What else can you do but huddle under an umbrella and enjoy the view?