Show A V I 1 V ka I 1 17 1 l N ar 0 X v AN v ma rp nat f giant cinnamon trees were felled to make a jungle home prepared by the national geographic society washington D C service life in the wilds of ecuador R was the american dream of couple an adventurous together they have created a delightful home in the middle of an equatorial jungle the hacienda rio negro Is located on tile he eastern slopes t f the andes about two degrees south of et the equator at an altitude of some fee on the north side ot of the pastara valley the site itself is a tropical paradise A broad beautifully wooded valley rises in range after range of hills on each side of the falling failing pastara in a series of table lands the most delightful feature ot of this th is equatorial eden Is the fact that there are no mosquitoes and all noxious insects seem to be reduced to 0 a minimum the nearest town post office and general supply depot is banos whose white walled red roofed houses cling with a stoical and several times mis placed trust to the base olt of the black glan giant tungurahua a beautifully shaped volcano leavin leaving the lava swept base of tun at banos and tile the semi arld arid ness of the andean cradle one progresses down the valley of the pastara Pa staza past the falls of agoyan higher than niagara and finds oneself getting gradually deeper and deeper into the fringe of the jungle at ar last descending from el mirador rador where one sees a large section of the pastara river valley spread out partly occupied by the hacienda one emerges from the gorgeously orchid lined trails into open pae pastures tures years before an ecuadorian had partially cleared some of the land and had built a four roomed house in what he proudly called the american style the heavy tile roof had fallen in the rotten timbers which supported it sagging with fatigue had finally given up the struggle A bamboo shack attached to one end of the hoise was alive with cockroaches keep in touch with radio everything had to be done with what resources were at hand immediate purchases were impossible tor for there were no convenient shops consequently y they learned to improvise even when it was a question of creating such thIli things gs as a forge a blower an efficient water heater and pressure tank a water wheel to run the dynamo to charge the radio bar battery tery a power transmission belt dressing for the belt or r kitchen out of roofing g zinc the whole hacienda with its boube and furnishings furnishing may be put down own as a one large improvisation radio links the jungle clearing with a remote world during one small political uprising in Gu ayaquil they heard beard the news broadcast from new york ork before the newspapers in the mountains had published it the natives regarded the set with superstitious awe but were more impressed by being able to hear programs from the mountain cities of rio bio li baaba alliba and quito than they were by european or north american programs all things outside E ecuador cuador were foreign to their experience but to hear bear music from towns which many of them had visited was something at which they could really marvel marrel fortunately the special osler osier fiber known as mimbre fimbre was found growing near ilear the ranch it was readily adapted to the making of wicker furniture in an incredibly short time strongly built comfortable chairs a chaise longue and a table were fashioned by a native cabinet maker passin passing indians brou brought ht sacks of kapok which made soft cushions for the chairs chaira mattresses for the beds and pack blankets tor for the mules making their garden there is no glass in the house windows heavy shutters of wood can to be closed when the rains beat down too heavily the temperature is so BO constantly mild that no further protection is needed by dint of much hard work a complete water system was finally installed A flume of hardwood and bamboo brings water from a stream on the hillside back of the house to a pressure and settling tank also built of wood from this tank the water Is piped into the house an efficient system for heating the water was made from two SO 50 gallon allon drums the bathroom is lighted by candles set in sconces made of hollow bamboo stems one of the first things the young pioneers did on arriving at their new ranch was to look for land which had good drainage and which was not too far from the house to clear for land for the planting of a vegetable garden they found a shelf of good land overlooking the river and set men to chop choi down trees clear away brush and free st it as far as possible from roots carrots beets beans spinach and radishes thrive but lettuce and cabbage grows very tall into small trees in fact and develops disappointingly small heads tomatoes flourish even stray seeds dropped around the kitchen door grow into strong healthy plants the small pepper ajl aji so popular in ecuador grows equally well papaya trees give delicious melons for the breakfast table bananas of course were planted immediately orange and tangerine trees grow nearby also lemon and lime trees wild guava trees bear fruit just over the fence there is also the nar anjilla which I 1 is an orange colored fruit covered with a prickly hairy coat coar the inside of this fruit is a greenish yellow color and Is filled ath tiny seeds one species is tasteless but the juice of the 0 ther other when ripe has a delicate distinctive tive aroma and flavor which may be indicated vaguely to the sense of 0 va taste ste by mentioning a combination of orange pineapple and strawberry it makes a refreshing hot weather drink and also a delicious pie similar to a lemon le mon meringue perishable foods are kept by means of a homemade water cooled balsa wood refrigerator the mountain stream which Is diverted over this refrigerator box bos keeps butter hard and vegetables fresh and crisp all the comforts of home in this wilderness two modern cru have achieved the comforts of the white mans civilization their dinner is served on a hand rubbed mahogany table china Is native made and hand band decorated in a single design which resembles that of italian pottery the shawls are effective as curtains and stand out brightly against the soft satiny gleam 0 of f the cinnamon board walls against the dark wall of the living room the paintings of a quito artist emphasize the rich bold tones of native scenes and native faces between the book shelves which flank one end of that room Is a built in divan designed by one of new yorks foremost stage designers it Is upholstered in the downy kapok of the woods and covered with the weaves of nimble native fingers A wide veranda the front and sides of the house and another of geu generous erous proportions outlines the C U between the rear wings outside in the working grounds Is a blacksmith shop with an improvised forge and blower to which the stubborn little pact pack mules and the riding horses are led for shoeing across the driveway is a peon shack made of split bamboo and covered with thatch near the big gate is a corral built on the western style by using whole bamboo poles instead of pine timbers the big gate which leads to the hacienda house from the be pastara trail was an achievement in hand band labor to the top of the huge lignum vitae posts 15 feet high and 2 20 inches square the men hauled up on runners a crossbeam weighing 1700 pounds sheer manpower lack lacking ing the assistance of machinery tugged and sweated that massive lintel into info place nil all one afternoon there it Is now etched in the moonlight proclaiming to the jungle and the trail the resul results ts of two years effort |