La Ciénega: The last days of a rural town

"Life is not the life you get to live, but the live you remember and the life you get to tell" - Quote from a cheesy poster in Bolivar's houseLa Ciénega is the only town in Ecuador with no kids.

"Life is not the life you get to live, but the live you remember and the life you get to tell" - Quote from a cheesy poster in Bolivar's house

La Ciénega is the only town in Ecuador with no kids. The youngest person (of the 13 remaining in town) is 63 years old, which means the place is bound to become desert. In the middle 70`s, a severe drought, the lack of work and the promise of wealth in the big cities lead every young person in La Ciénega to move out of town, leaving the elders who wouldnt change the lifestyle they love.

Each year, during the day of the dead, the people who left return to visit their late siblings. This is the only day when the town is seen in its old glory. At the end of the weekend, they all leave again.

It is the first time in humanity that there are more people living together in the cities than in the countries. As things go, many other towns all around the world will share La Ciénega`s fate.