| A one mile bay separates Bahia Ecuador from a little | | | | see who actually wins that battle. |
| town called San Vicente. Any day of the week you | | | | I don't have any idea who the winner may be but I |
| can sit on the Bahia malecon wall and watch the two | | | | suspect that everyone will win. As we travel this one |
| ferries go back and forth all day long. | | | | mile concrete structure to get to the other side and |
| The ferries are full of old cars and trucks and people | | | | they cross to get to our side, we will wave to one |
| as they speed across the bay. The one mile trip | | | | another as we pass. If you look carefully, I'm sure |
| takes about twenty minutes and it's peaceful to | | | | that you may see a little smile appear from each of |
| watch the people on the ferry as they lean against | | | | us as we silently realize a freedom that we have |
| the old rusty rail, of the ferry, and stare at me as I | | | | never known. |
| stare back at them. I can never tell if the view is | | | | While this massive bridge is an incredible feat in this |
| better for them or for me. | | | | country many would never have thought that simply |
| As I watch the old ferries travel their route I can see | | | | driving across a one mile bridge could bring such |
| the new bridge, in the background, which will one day | | | | emotion as it certainly will. |
| soon replace these old ferries. You see, these ferries | | | | As I sit here, on this malecon wall, watching the two |
| have been the only way to cross this bay since the | | | | ferry boat captains pass one another in the middle of |
| beginning of time and in four short months they will | | | | the bay, I wonder if they too are smiling as they |
| be retired and a new life will begin for many people. | | | | think that this lifelong tradition will soon end. |
| The guys who operate these ferries will be | | | | Never the less these two old ferries, that will soon |
| unemployed and so will all the little stands lining the | | | | be retired, contain tons of steel. So these boat |
| walkways which are waiting for the ferries to unload | | | | captains and the owners of the little stands lining the |
| their crowded decks. But the two towns which will | | | | walkways will soon be melting the steel from these |
| finally be connected, after all of this time, seem to be | | | | two ferries and building more cars. Those new cars |
| happy about the possibilities for the future. It seems | | | | can then travel across the new bridge from Bahia |
| as though one small town thinks the other small town | | | | and the drivers will wave at their amigos from San |
| will be good for each economy. It'll be interesting to | | | | Vicente as they cross their new bridge to Bahia. |