Village walk

A small home near the saltwater lagoon in Chuburna

As one nears the edges of the village the houses become flimsier such as this one made with corrogated iron sheeting.  As we passed this home only metres from the salt water lagoons that lie to the south of the village, we saw three little children playing while their mother was busy preparing some food under the eave of the roof.

We spent some time looking out at the salt marshes and at the collection of tiny white boats that were poled around the marshes on the search for shellfish and other edibles.  Then, we turned to walk back into town.  In a number of disorderly yards we saw large piles of beautiful shells, discards once the soft edible seafood had been removed. 

Plucking a chicken for the mid-day meal.

Mother preparing lunch

As you can see, the homes are basic.  In this part of the world, there isn’t the need for glass windows when a screen with leavered wooden shutters covering the screens to both allow in light and keep out the frequent wind that carries sand from the sea which lies several hundred metres away.  Many have no electricity and use wood for their cookstoves.  No one heats their home.  It just isn’t cold enough.  They have little and expect little.  They make do with basics hoping that the day’s catch from the sea or the marshes will allow them a few extra pesos.

A little corner store with a limited assortment of items for neighbourhood villagers.

As we wandered through the village we found quite a few small shops, some with almost nothing in stock except a few crackers, soda pop and junk food.  We found three shops close to each other, that sold fruits and vegetables.  One also sold a bit of meat, sort of a butcher shop minus the cooler display of meat.  People lined up and when it was their turn, indicated which piece of the larger hunk of meat they wanted.  The butcher then chopped it off and the sale was made. 

Further down the road, this small corner store presented a more modern appearance, somewhat like a small confectionary.   Like other shops, junk food, pop, beer and a few basic items were on display.  The adjacent business was selling mobile phone cards.  Rarely does anyone have a land line here in Chuburna.  It’s all about keeping it simple in a community where the average daily wage is 70 pesos, that’s seven dollars.