Everything is reinforced concrete structure in uprights and floors and 4" concrete blocks for all exterior walls and partitions. The first building shows tile for walls, but it is mostly concrete block that is used. Everything is covered with stucco and painted. The results are quite nice. Wood is outlawed for structure because of a fire years ago that destroyed much of the city. Termites eat it anyway, so it is not wise. It is hard to even find good woodworking tools, there is so little demand for them. The main use for wood is concrete forms. There is some pretty fine ceramic work done though, and lots of it. Not much use for carpeting.
The second picture shows a condo going up. Note the bamboo staging, with no back rails. All lashed together with twine. With the exception of the floor slabs, which are done with concrete pumper trucks, it appears that all the rest of the concrete is mixed by hand, either in small batch mixers, or right on the ground or on the slab just completed. Loads of hand work. Shovel into buckets, pour into forms.
The third photo shows a building that is just getting the stucco completed. No bricks showing, except the piles on the ground that will be moved inside for interior walls. Note the guy about 6 floors up standing on a ledge that is about 2' wide applying stucco. No safety straps.
The last picture shows a large house or condo as yet uncompleted. It really shows how these places go together. I don't know how these houses would fare in an earthquake. We had a tremor here this morning that shook the place. Haven't heard where the epicenter was or anything about it. There are a few active volcanoes in the area so it is possible they are the source.
We are into the rainy season. It is actually summer here, but for some reason they call it winter. We have seen a few real downpours, but not a lot. The rain is very considerate. It comes mostly at night. Except for the slightly higher than the usually high humidity, I don't see a lot of difference.
Starting on Monday, the temple will be closed for two weeks for maintenance. Three other couples plus Debbie and I have hired a driver and his 15 passenger van ($125 per day divided by 8) and are going to head for mountains and jungle and wondrous sights and markets. We are going to Riobamba, Banos, Tena, Quito, Otavalo, and a bunch of other places I don't remember the names of. We thoroughly enjoy the company of the folks we are travelling with and it helps to be with people who know the language. Debbie and I are still far from conversant. We will be going by and visiting active volcanos in the mountains, and going into a part of the Amazon. The steam and mineral baths at Banos are geothermal. We have met with the driver and planned our route with him. He is completely flexible, and very nice, and will most likely be bringing his wife along to keep him from getting lost, and to tell him when he is driving too fast, and to do all of the essential things that wives do on long road trips.
There are many things that I like a lot about Ecuador. One of the things that I especially like is the way men and women treat each other and their children. They seem to treat each other with great respect and love. I never hear fighting. I am not even sure that there would be a need for Spanish words for bicker or natter, nag, bully or bitch here in Ecuador. I never hear parents raise their voices to their children, yet the kids seem happy and obedient. You don't see alienated kids trying to be noticed by being weird. No piercings, no tattoos, no shabby clothes or costuming to catch attention. Just nicely dressed polite kids who seem genuinely happy with their lot in life, whatever it is. Everywhere I look I see happy, well dressed, self confident though humble people. Ecuadorians may be poor as to material things, but they are not poor in spirit. Somebody should tell them. They don't seem to know it.
I am sure your prayers are with us as we continue to struggle to serve in a third world country.
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