After yet another lengthy bus journey, I have arrived in Cusco (sometimes spelt Cuzco). I travelled to Cusco with Andres (who I met in La Paz) ... he is working/training here as a paramedic. In June he will move to continue his training in Germany ... but before he goes, he too is hoping to visit Machu Picchu! Snap!
So whilst I´m in Cusco, Andres has offered to show me around this historical city whilst i acclimatise to the altitude, before planning an alternative route to Machu Picchu ... the regular Inca Trail takes 4 days and costs upwards of $400. After some advice and searching online, I´ve discovered an alternative trek which avoids the masses and passes other sites of interest on the way ... oh, and it involves a 35km hike on the way!! Lucky for me ... I´ve invested in more substantial footwear which I´ve been wearing-in, in anticipation of the trek ahead!
Off to make some more Flip-clips ... check back soon!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
I survived!!!
The minibus was a bit late picking us up from our guesthouse, by which point I was a tad chilly! In our group were 16 lunatics ... we´d all signed the waiver to say we were fully responsible for anything that happened to us on ´Death Road´ (at this point Mum, you know I´ve survived so you can relax!). First stop was to get some breakfast ... 2 small, cold pieces of toast and an orange juice - not exactly what I´d call a nutritionally power-packed meal to prepare us all for the day ahead! Luckily for me I´d also taken a bag full of snacks! Yay!
After breakfast, we got back in the minibus and headed out of the city, up some of the steepest roads I´d been on ... clutch control was vital!
After breakfast, we got back in the minibus and headed out of the city, up some of the steepest roads I´d been on ... clutch control was vital!
Here´s a view high over La Paz as we approached our starting point ... or so I thought! (we still had another 90 minutes to go)
Before we were to reach our starting point (the highest point of the road) we had to pay a toll to enter the National Park ... if you listen close enough to the following clip, guess which band is playing on the radio in deepest, highest Bolivia???
We eventually made it to our starting point (as did several other companies and their biking groups) and got ourselves set up with elbow pads, knee pads, helmets and gloves ... I felt invincible! At a height of 4700m this was easily the highest I´d ever been (apart from in a plane) and over the next 4-5 hours we were going to be descending 3.5km in altitude, over a distance of 63km.
The first part of the downhill journey was on a recently surfaced road, which gave everyone the opportunity to familiarise themselves fully with their bikes before we headed off-road down the narrow dirt tracks! The great thing about gravity-assisted mountain biking is that you don´t need to do too much pedalling! Good job really, as there were plenty of other things I needed to be concentrating on!
Gathering points were reached every 15 minutes or so which gave the tour leaders an opportunity to explain the stretch of track ahead ... and for some of us to snack and drink water!
Looking across the valley you could see the narrow track winding it´s way along the vertical rock faces ...
Unfortunately there were a few injuries on the way down. Early into the ride, Andres skidded on the gravel round a corner, going over his handlebars and injuring his face, hands, arms, legs ... well pretty much every part of his body! At this point there was a slight feeling of guilt having persuaded him to join me on the ride. I had in fact thought how much safer I would feel with a paramedic cycling alongside me ... as it happened I was the one administering first aid!
Another rider, actually fell over the edge of the track on her bike ... luckily for her there were some bushes which cushioned her fall and stopped her from falling over 100m down the rocky cliff face!
... well after over 4 hours of mountain biking through some of the most breathtaking (quite literally) scenery I had ever scene, I eventually made it to the finish ... as did Andres after a bit of patching up!
Without a doubt the most amazing ride of my life! If you´re ever in Bolivia it´s a must do!
´The World´s Most Dangerous Road´ ... have I gone crazy???
Well I´ve just woken up and got myself ready for the craziest outing of my South American journey to date ... you´ll be pleased to know I´ve chosen not to wear sandals this time!
Wish me luck ... not only is it ´The World´s Most Dangerous Road´ ... it´s also 63km from start to finish. If the hazards don´t finish me off then the distance at this altitude might!
Keep checking my blog to see if I survive! Ciao!
Arrival in La Paz ... with such a sore gluteus maximus!
The journey from the border to La Paz felt like it was never going to end ... at this point I was vowing never to sit on a bus ever again!!
The city limits were well over an hours ride into the centre. As we approached the city it was quite the reverse of what I had imagined. Somehow I´d thought that the ¨World´s Highest City¨ would be perched upon a mountain top (well, a hilltop at least!) ... whereas it is actually in a huge crater ... the road down to the centre wound on forever!!
The city limits were well over an hours ride into the centre. As we approached the city it was quite the reverse of what I had imagined. Somehow I´d thought that the ¨World´s Highest City¨ would be perched upon a mountain top (well, a hilltop at least!) ... whereas it is actually in a huge crater ... the road down to the centre wound on forever!!
When I arrived at the bus station it had begun to rain ... but by this point I was glad just to be able to stretch! My guesthouse was only a few minutes walk from here and I was soon having a much needed warm shower and heading out to find hot food ... I´d been living on cold snacks whilst on the buses!
After a sleepless night (think my body is getting used to the high altidude again) I headed downtown, which as you will see had similarities to Phnom Penh ...
As La Paz is situated in a ´bowl´ there were lots of hills to climb and descend as I explored the city. I´d met a great guy at my guesthouse, who was a paramedic in training, from Ecuador. He was on a visa run from Peru, as his visa had expired and he needed to leave Peru and re-enter to enable him to continue with his medical training. Rather than just head to the border and back again straight away, Andres decided to visit La Paz for a couple of days.
On our walk around the city streets we came across a rather unusual (and gross) lucky charm on sale down ´Witches Alley´ ... i think you will understand why it is so aptly named!
One of the activities I had decided to undertake whilst in La Paz was a mountain bike ride down ´The World´s Most Dangerous Road´ ... known locally as
´DEATH ROAD´!
I´d read quite a bit about it on the internet and it didn´t take much persuading for Andres to be up for the challenge too. We booked our places (it was going to be an early start ... 6am), headed for dinner (delicious pizza - lots of carbohydrates for the bike ride ahead) and then called it a night!
BOLIVIA ... here I come!
Travelling north through Chile ... on what has to be the longest bus journey I have ever made in my life (43 hours in all!!!) ... I passed through the Atacama Desert (not the rolling dunes of fine sand I associated with a desert environment, more like grit and scree!), Antofagasta (a mining city which looks like it has been built inside a large quarry on the coast) and Arica (the northernmost city in Chile and the terminus of my first bus). Here I had a 2 hour wait before boarding my next bus onto La Paz in Bolivia.
I didn´t sleep much on either bus and by the time we reached the high altitude of the border crossing into Bolivia I was keen to get off, stretch my legs and get some fresh air ... what I didn´t bank on was how difficult it might be breathing at such an altitude ...
After lining up with the other passengers (from my bus) in the immigration office, I was directed to move forward as we had to stand in seat number order ... ¨How efficient!¨ I thought ... that was until I realised I didn´t have the all-important paper in my passport which confirmed that I had actually entered Chile legally all those weeks ago. I knew it had to be somewhere, but thinking back to the night I arrived at Santiago airport (post earthquake) there wasn´t an actual immigration office, just a few police on laptops ... I´d been so engrossed with thinking about how I was going to make my way into the city with no buses running, so late at night, that I forgot to check if my passport was in order.
Luckily after a frantic checking of my bag on the bus I found the document needed ... PHEW!
I didn´t sleep much on either bus and by the time we reached the high altitude of the border crossing into Bolivia I was keen to get off, stretch my legs and get some fresh air ... what I didn´t bank on was how difficult it might be breathing at such an altitude ...
After lining up with the other passengers (from my bus) in the immigration office, I was directed to move forward as we had to stand in seat number order ... ¨How efficient!¨ I thought ... that was until I realised I didn´t have the all-important paper in my passport which confirmed that I had actually entered Chile legally all those weeks ago. I knew it had to be somewhere, but thinking back to the night I arrived at Santiago airport (post earthquake) there wasn´t an actual immigration office, just a few police on laptops ... I´d been so engrossed with thinking about how I was going to make my way into the city with no buses running, so late at night, that I forgot to check if my passport was in order.
Luckily after a frantic checking of my bag on the bus I found the document needed ... PHEW!
I was now in Bolivia, the second country i had entered in South America ... both with memorable arrivals!
As the bus continued on the drive towards La Paz, through the mountains and lush green valleys, one sight which caught my eye were the numerous llamas grazing on the verge of the road ... I´d been use to seeing Dartmoor ponies and sheep when living on the moors in Devon, but never llamas!
Ciao Santiago!
After an emotional goodbye to Santiago and the family I had been helping, I jumped on a bus and headed north to La Serena (7 hours ... which was only a fraction of what lay ahead!), where I based myself for a couple of days. La Serena is a coastal town which seems to be permanently covered in cloud! However, a two hour bus ride inland, between the mountains and into the valleys brought with it clear blue skies and lush vineyards, where grapes are harvested to produce the Chilean alcoholic drink known as ´pisco´. Pisco Elqui is a small, sleepy village where many of the distilleries in the Elqui Valley are based. It definitely had a relaxed feel to it as you will see ...
The vineyards are a sharp contrast to the surrounding mountains with their barren slopes ...
In the valley nets have been erected to trap/catch the morning mist to provide much needed moisture for the valuable grape crop ...
The village next to Pisco Elqui is Monte Grand. This has become famous as the birthplace of a Chilean winner of the Nobel literature prize ...
The vineyards are a sharp contrast to the surrounding mountains with their barren slopes ...
In the valley nets have been erected to trap/catch the morning mist to provide much needed moisture for the valuable grape crop ...
The village next to Pisco Elqui is Monte Grand. This has become famous as the birthplace of a Chilean winner of the Nobel literature prize ...
In this valley most of the buildings are constructed from a mud and straw mixture, from which bricks are cast...
As I was now entering a region which approached the Atacama Desert (the driest place on Earth!), I got my first glimpse of cactii in their natural environment ...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A-HA!
When I began my South American adventure I never thought I´d get the chance to see A-ha perform live again (iCAN … remember my all time favourite song when I was interviewed on iCAN Radio?). I knew that they had been scheduled to play in Chile, but that was on the night I arrived, so realised there was no way I´d be able to get to the arena from the airport in time.
However, the Chilean government asked A-ha to reschedule the date of the concert following the terrible earthquake. So in the end, I was able to buy a ticket and add Santiago to the list of cities in which I´d travelled to over the past 25 years to watch A-ha perform (this year is their farewell ´Ending on a high note´ tour) … from Nottingham Royal Concert Hall in the early days … at several cities throughout the UK … onto Dublin … and eventually making it to Norway, where my friend Louise and I had a memorable (albeit cold) weekend in the city of Bergen watching A-ha perform on a floating stage in the sea … whilst my mate Neil watched us, watching A-ha, via a CCTV camera in Bergen from his home in York, UK … how random is that!
Once I bought my ticket for the Santiago show I posted a message on FaceBook to see if there were any other fans heading to the show … I was inundated! (I jest not!!), so I arranged to meet up with one Chilean fan who was flying down to Santiago from northern Chile. When we met she realised that my ticket wasn’t for the standing-only area right at the front, but managed to persuade the ticket office to change it so I could join her right in front of the stage … watch these clips for a taste of the concert!! It was truly memorable!! My mate Neil and his wife Sarah have a pair of tickets for A-ha´s final show of the Tour which is in Oslo, Norway in December 2010 … but it´s the same weekend as the annual iCAN participation in the Angkor Wat half-marathon … if only someone had invented time travel!
However, the Chilean government asked A-ha to reschedule the date of the concert following the terrible earthquake. So in the end, I was able to buy a ticket and add Santiago to the list of cities in which I´d travelled to over the past 25 years to watch A-ha perform (this year is their farewell ´Ending on a high note´ tour) … from Nottingham Royal Concert Hall in the early days … at several cities throughout the UK … onto Dublin … and eventually making it to Norway, where my friend Louise and I had a memorable (albeit cold) weekend in the city of Bergen watching A-ha perform on a floating stage in the sea … whilst my mate Neil watched us, watching A-ha, via a CCTV camera in Bergen from his home in York, UK … how random is that!
Once I bought my ticket for the Santiago show I posted a message on FaceBook to see if there were any other fans heading to the show … I was inundated! (I jest not!!), so I arranged to meet up with one Chilean fan who was flying down to Santiago from northern Chile. When we met she realised that my ticket wasn’t for the standing-only area right at the front, but managed to persuade the ticket office to change it so I could join her right in front of the stage … watch these clips for a taste of the concert!! It was truly memorable!! My mate Neil and his wife Sarah have a pair of tickets for A-ha´s final show of the Tour which is in Oslo, Norway in December 2010 … but it´s the same weekend as the annual iCAN participation in the Angkor Wat half-marathon … if only someone had invented time travel!
Termas Geometricas ... the clips!
As promised, here are a few clips from when I visited the Termas Geometricas last Monday ... I wish I was there now, as I´m so cold in La Paz (although, I did send all my clothes to the laundry, leaving only a t-shirt and pair of shorts to wear today ... you live and learn!)
I visited an outdoor pool complex close to Temuco the same day that iCAN were joining the latest swim meet ... I´m guessing none of you would fancy swimming in this pool!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Villarica volcano, Pucon and Termas Geometricas ... a chance to relax!
Access to internet (or at least a connection which has been reliable enough to post) has been limited this past week, hence the lack of blog entries. Will endeavour to try and catch up a bit now, in between buses!
After Osorno I travelled north to Temuco last weekend and onto Pucon, which is a town in the shadow of the Villarica volcano. Following the earthquake the eruption warning lights in the town had changed from green to amber ... I was sure that I´d be able to outsprint any lava flow in my sandals though!
I stayed just outside Pucon (well, when I say ´just´ I mean a 24km bus ride) at a Mapuchu farmhouse I´d discovered on the internet. Irma (my host) was extremely welcoming, but found it hard to comprehend that I wouldn´t be eating her fresh meat, cheese or drinking the milk she´d just collected from the cows. There were a couple of Americans also staying there, who had spent the past 3 weeks volunteering on Irma´s farm, in return for food and lodging. However, after chatting with them, that sounds like all they had done since arriving ... I think I managed to see more of the local area in the 36 hours that I was there, than they´d seen during the previous 3 weeks.
The weather there was certainly a contrast to the hot, cloudless (if you don´t count the smog) skies of Santiago. It was cloudy and drizzling most of the time ... it was hard to imagine that somewhere through the mist stood a volcano rising well over 2km up into the air!
One of the recommendations I´d been given for my journey to Chile (from John) was to visit the Termas Geometricas ... this was about 30km from where I was staying. However due to some trees falling and blocking the road, I had to make a 60km detour around the volcano! All the effort was certainly worth it though (I´ll post a flip-clip when I arrive in Bolivia), as I spent the best part of 6 hours relaxing in each of the 17 geothermal pools built into the sides of the natural gorge, part way up the slopes of the volcano.
Check out the website: www.termasgeometricas.cl
After Pucon it was back on the bus to Santiago (12 hours) where I would meet a mystery woman who I had met on the internet and eventually lose my voice!!
After Osorno I travelled north to Temuco last weekend and onto Pucon, which is a town in the shadow of the Villarica volcano. Following the earthquake the eruption warning lights in the town had changed from green to amber ... I was sure that I´d be able to outsprint any lava flow in my sandals though!
I stayed just outside Pucon (well, when I say ´just´ I mean a 24km bus ride) at a Mapuchu farmhouse I´d discovered on the internet. Irma (my host) was extremely welcoming, but found it hard to comprehend that I wouldn´t be eating her fresh meat, cheese or drinking the milk she´d just collected from the cows. There were a couple of Americans also staying there, who had spent the past 3 weeks volunteering on Irma´s farm, in return for food and lodging. However, after chatting with them, that sounds like all they had done since arriving ... I think I managed to see more of the local area in the 36 hours that I was there, than they´d seen during the previous 3 weeks.
The weather there was certainly a contrast to the hot, cloudless (if you don´t count the smog) skies of Santiago. It was cloudy and drizzling most of the time ... it was hard to imagine that somewhere through the mist stood a volcano rising well over 2km up into the air!
One of the recommendations I´d been given for my journey to Chile (from John) was to visit the Termas Geometricas ... this was about 30km from where I was staying. However due to some trees falling and blocking the road, I had to make a 60km detour around the volcano! All the effort was certainly worth it though (I´ll post a flip-clip when I arrive in Bolivia), as I spent the best part of 6 hours relaxing in each of the 17 geothermal pools built into the sides of the natural gorge, part way up the slopes of the volcano.
Check out the website: www.termasgeometricas.cl
After Pucon it was back on the bus to Santiago (12 hours) where I would meet a mystery woman who I had met on the internet and eventually lose my voice!!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Mekong River Swim 2010 Not On
Unfortunately, due to high Phnom Penh Boat Association fees and a lack of volunteers, the Mekong River Swim will not be held this year. Several people have expressed interest in volunteering for next year's Swim, which is tentatively planned for the first weekend of April 2011.
As many of you are aware, the Swim is organized solely by volunteers, and cannot be held without their help. It is hoped that next year there will be a sufficient number of people who offer their services as volunteers to help organize the Swim.
Please note that it is still possible to participate in the Swim if you volunteer.
Please check this site again soon for information on how you can become a volunteer in 2011.
Thank you for your continued interest in the Swim. We hope you will consider becoming a volunteer next year.
As many of you are aware, the Swim is organized solely by volunteers, and cannot be held without their help. It is hoped that next year there will be a sufficient number of people who offer their services as volunteers to help organize the Swim.
Please note that it is still possible to participate in the Swim if you volunteer.
Please check this site again soon for information on how you can become a volunteer in 2011.
Thank you for your continued interest in the Swim. We hope you will consider becoming a volunteer next year.
Mekong River Swim 2010 Not On
Unfortunately, due to high Phnom Penh Boat Association fees and a lack of volunteers, the Mekong River Swim will not be held this year. Several people have expressed interest in volunteering for next year's Swim, which is tentatively planned for the first weekend of April 2011.
As many of you are aware, the Swim is organized solely by volunteers, and cannot be held without their help. It is hoped that next year there will be a sufficient number of people who offer their services as volunteers to help organize the Swim.
Please note that it is still possible to participate in the Swim if you volunteer.
Please check this site again soon for information on how you can become a volunteer in 2011.
Thank you for your continued interest in the Swim. We hope you will consider becoming a volunteer next year.
As many of you are aware, the Swim is organized solely by volunteers, and cannot be held without their help. It is hoped that next year there will be a sufficient number of people who offer their services as volunteers to help organize the Swim.
Please note that it is still possible to participate in the Swim if you volunteer.
Please check this site again soon for information on how you can become a volunteer in 2011.
Thank you for your continued interest in the Swim. We hope you will consider becoming a volunteer next year.
Monday, March 22, 2010
iCAN SWIM TEAM!
DIVE, SWIM, RACE, WIN,
CHEER, SCREAM "iCAN TEAM!"
So is anyone going to update me on what happened at the swim meet on Saturday ... it´s the first one that I´ve missed! :o(
Saturday, March 20, 2010
An afternoon of animals!
... this post is in answer to the question posed by Alex in 3J at iCAN, which asked about which animals I have seen here in Chile. Yesterday afternoon, armed with my Flip I took a video clip of each animal I saw. I´m sure you´ll recognise them all!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
On the search for wild pumas!
Pumas are the largest wild cats in the wild here in Chile. On the journey up Osorno volcano was a sign which warned about pumas living in the forest ... so I decided to explore!
Waterfalls, rapids, volcanoes, lakes ... and car washing!
Yesterday I was lucky enough to be given a tour of the area to the south east of Osorno around Lake Llanquihue. We visited Petrohué waterfalls and their nearby rapids...
and also Osorno volcano, which is currently inactive. This volcano is also a ski resort during the winter months (June-September) and has ski-lifts which carry the skiers up the slopes. During the summer months (now) the lifts usually carry people up the lower slopes as they venture towards the summit. Unfortunately for me the clouds were so low when I visited, that the lifts weren´t in operation and it was unsafe to climb the volcano in the mist ... I´ll just have to find another volcano to climb!
After venturing up Osorno Volcano we headed to Todos Los Santos lake which is a deep green colour and really clear. Afterwards we took a boat to explore the lake for a couple of hours before continuing on our journey.
The most bizarre sight of the day was seeing a local man drive his car into the lake and then proceed to wash his car whilst his wife sat inside ... this really made me smile!
and also Osorno volcano, which is currently inactive. This volcano is also a ski resort during the winter months (June-September) and has ski-lifts which carry the skiers up the slopes. During the summer months (now) the lifts usually carry people up the lower slopes as they venture towards the summit. Unfortunately for me the clouds were so low when I visited, that the lifts weren´t in operation and it was unsafe to climb the volcano in the mist ... I´ll just have to find another volcano to climb!
After venturing up Osorno Volcano we headed to Todos Los Santos lake which is a deep green colour and really clear. Afterwards we took a boat to explore the lake for a couple of hours before continuing on our journey.
The most bizarre sight of the day was seeing a local man drive his car into the lake and then proceed to wash his car whilst his wife sat inside ... this really made me smile!
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Hoping to upload lots of pics in the net day or two!
Ciao!
Hoping to upload lots of pics in the net day or two!
Ciao!
Vocanic craters!
On Tuesday this week I travelled 930km south of Santiago (12 hours on a bus) to visit Osorno and the surrounding area. The cousin of the family I had stayed with in Santiago, had offered to show me the volcanic craters which lie close to the Andes mountain range.
We ventured into this first crater, which was much larger than I had ever envisaged, and made our way across ... I´d set my sights on reaching the snow!
We ventured into this first crater, which was much larger than I had ever envisaged, and made our way across ... I´d set my sights on reaching the snow!
It was certainly much harder to venture across the crater than I thought it would be ... as in my haste to ´pack light´, I´d only brought my sandals to the south with me!
The views from the top, were certainly worth all the effort. See for yourselves ...
Valparaiso: The new President is sworn in
Last Thursday I was luck enough to be invited to Valparaiso, a small city on the coast, to witness the inauguration of the new President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera. Each President in Chile can only serve for one 5 year term in office before the next President is elected ... very different to Cambodia.
A profile of Chile can be found at the link below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1222764.stm#leaders
During the inauguration ceremony there was another huge aftershock which measured 6.5 on the Richter scale. This ceremony was on every TV channel in Chile and the thought that another earthquake had struck sent the nation into panic. Although I had felt some aftershocks since arriving in Chile, none had been as severe as this one. I asked the local people how this latest had compared to the actual quake and was told that although this aftershock had shaken buildings and caused structural damage, the actual quake had been 1000 times stronger! Immediately following the aftershock a tsunami alert was raised and everyone was instructed to keep away from the coast.
It was certainly a memorable first day in office for Mr. Pinera!
Later that day i explored Valparaiso and got a flavour for this coastal city ...
Chilean (vegan) food ... mmmm!
One of the most traditional Chilean foods is the empanada, which can either be ovenbaked or fried. If I were to compare it to a British dish, it would have to be the traditional Cornish pasty. Here in Chile they are usually filled with meat and cheese, but I was lucky enough to try my first empanada in a vegetarian restaurant where the selection of fillings were all veg and/or cheese. The empanadas are generally made fresh to order and always arrive piping hot. I´m not sure as to how the empanada first originated and if the Cornish pasty was invented first ... if you are able to shed any light on this, please leave your commments on this blog!
Last night I discovered another truly traditional Chilean dish which comprises of smashed cooked corn which is mixed together with onion and basil, seasoned and then baked in the oven. I´m not sure as to it´s name, but will try and find out along with the recipe, so you can have a go yourself. It reminded me of mashed potato and was totally yummy!
Char kreung in Chile!
One of the families I have been helping since arriving in Santiago, have been kind enough to invite me to stay with them in their temporary accommodation. Earlier this week whilst most of the family were out, I decided that I would cook them a Cambodian meal to show my gratitude. The only member of the family at home at that time was the grandfather, who began to take a real interest in what I was up to...
I only have a basic grasp of the Spanish language so far and his English was equally simple, but between us we made a great team in the kitchen. He told me (using lots of improvised sign language) that the only thing he´d ever cooked before was meat,so a vegetable char kreung was a totally new eperience for him.
The family were surprised to see us both in the kitchen when they arrived home and it wasn´t long until we were all sat down enjoying a taste of Phnom Penh ... not quite up to the standards at K´NYAY (there´s no lemongrass, galangal, coconut milk or kaffir limes here in central Chile, Run!), but it certainly reminded me of being at home!
Check out www.knyay.com for a list of all the ingredients you need to make a traditional (vegan) char kreung!
Volunteering in the aftermath of the massive earthquake
My decision to volunteer upon arriving in Chile was an easy one to make. Several million people were affected by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake which shook the whole country the weekend before I arrived in Santiago. I flew out to Chile, from New Zealand, 4 days after the quake and arrived to find a city in shock. Santiago is some 300km from the epicentre of the quake which was close to the second city of Chile, Concepcion.The city of Concepcion was devastated, intially by the quake, and then by the huge tsunami which struck a few hours later. Combined, these natural disasters have left many communities without food, water, shelter, electricity ... the list is endless. Once in Santiago I got in touch with the Red Cross and was put into contact with a student group at one of the universities here in Santiago, who were coordinating an effort to provide food parcels to those affected. The university had suspended all lessons/lectures for one week and encouraged it´s students to get involved, both in Santiago and their own communities, to help in any way they could. With the students I have been involved in going door-to-door throughout the city asking for donations of food and essentials. A request on national TV and radio for donations, encouraged many more people to contribute. The university was one centre for these donations and once they began to arrive, we needed to sort and then begin putting together the boxes. There were two types of boxes, the first contained food items including; dried milk, tinned fish, pasta, rice, sugar, salt, tinned tomato paste, beans/lentils/chickpeas, oil, flour etc. whilst the second box was crammed full of soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, toilet rolls, disinfectant etc. Bottles of water were also included in the essentials for these parcels. Over the first few days we put together thousands of these boxes which were shippped south in large containers and distributed to those communities most in need. Other projects I´ve worked on during my initial two weeks here in Chile have included constructing temporary shelters and helping families gather their belongings from their ruined homes and help move them to new temporary accommodation. It´s certainly been an exhausting start to my South American adventure, but one which has given me a first hand insight into the spirit of Chilean people and the love they have for their nation.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Santiago from above
After a day of making up food parcels at the University of Santiago, I walked up the highest hill (some 6km) to get a view of Santiago from a different perspective!
Market & dogs
A few days after arriving in Santiago I headed to a local market to do some shopping for the family I have been helping ... the main difference was that there appeared to be no bartering taking place as all the fresh produce was already priced up!
Another observation has been the number of dogs on the streets ... they look well fed, which is because they are. The locals can often be seen feeding these dogs, so there´s no wonder they´re hanging around the streets in packs!
Arrival in Santiago, Chile following the earthquake
At first I didn´t think I´d be flying to Chile as reports indicated that Santiago airport would be closed until further notice ... but I decided to fly into Buenos Aires, Argentina and see if I could take a flight from there. Luckily for me I got a seat on the first flight into Santiago from Argentina.
On arrival in Santiago I took a day to sort myself out before I was introduced to a family of 5 who had been affected by the quake here in Santiago. Their home (along with over 1500 others in their district) had been severely damaged by the quake and was no longer habitable. I spent a few days helping them salvage their belongings from the ruins and move into temporary accommodation across the city. I spent most of my first week between sleeping in a tent in the garden of their ruined home and on the floor in their temporary shelter. They really welcomed me into their family and gave me areal insight into family life here in Chile. Below is a clip from inside their old home.
On a brief tour around the city the destruction caused by the earthquake, which took place overe 300km from Santiago, was evident at every turn. Historic buildings appeared to have been most severely affected by the quake, as the clip below shows
I´ve now been in Chile for 10 days now ... in which time so much has happened. Here are a selection of links to articles on the BBC News site to give you a taste of what has been happening here in Chile over the past fortnight since the massive 8.8 earthquake.
Animated guide: Earthquakes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7533950.stm
14-3-2010 Chile plunged into darkness by power cut http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8567910.stm
5-2-2010 Looters strike after quake
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8550960.stm
2-3-2010 Earthquake devastation in Constitucion, Chile
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8546648.stm
1-3-2010 Why did fewer die in Chile than in Haiti?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8543324.stm
28-2-2010 Shaken Santiago counts itself lucky http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8541410.stm
27-2-2010 Chile´s long experience of quakes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8540522.stm
Sunday, March 14, 2010
CHILE
Good morning iCAN!
Well, I´ve finally arrived in Chile after what has certainly felt like an epic journey. I´ve spent the past 2 weeks on the north island in New Zealand, where I was Best Man at my mate Grahams wedding - it was a stunning setting on the beach (with black sand) and we took most of the wedding pics up in the caves and crevices of the cliffs - can´t wait to see how they look ... although my hair looked pretty wild (which I didn´t know about until we returned to the reception and I saw my reflection for the first time in a couple of hours!)
Onto my journey to Chile ... as most of you I´m sure will know, there was a massive earthquake here on Saturday which reached 8.8 on the richter scale - in comparison it was 500 times more powerful than the earthquake which devastated Haiti in January. Scientists have concluded that the shake was so strong, it has altered the orbit of the earth and shortened the length of each year ... do any of you know how much shorter each year will be from now on¿ (I can´t find a question mark the right way up on this keyboard!). There was lots of uncertainty whether I would actually arrive in Chile, as the main airport in Santiago has been closed. In fact when I went to check in yesterday in Auckland I was given the option of staying in a hotel in Auckland for a few days until they could confirm the airport would be receiving incoming flights and would be fully operational. But as I wanted to get to Chile so that I could volunteer in the relief effort, there was really no decision to make, so I took a chance and boarded the plane to Buenos Aires (Argentina) where I would see if I could catch my connection.
On my flight across South America towards Buenos Aires I saw the most amazing sight from the window ... we flew over what appeared to be an active volcano. The smoke/steam was pumping out of the centre and the surrounding 5km or so of land was glowing pink and orange in the heat. Can any of you track down which volcano it might have been - it was about 2 hours on the plane SW or SSW of Buenos Aires. I only wish I´d taken a flip-clip to show you all!
However, the attached clip is me looking tired, bedraggled and in need of a shave at Buenos Aires airport (I´ve tried uploading but my batteries have just died - will hopefully attach next time). After a few hours delay ... luckily the onward flight to Santiago was going to be happening (the first one since Saturday) I was on my way to Chile.
On arrival at Santiago airport we had to stay on the plane for what seemed like hours, as they offloaded all the baggage from the hold (... just my luck, when I´d only brought carry on baggage with me ... my mates in NZ think I must be the lightest traveller ever as my whole bag only weighed 6kg ... for the 11 weeks that I´m away!). I had packed all the essentials though ... 1 pair trousers, 2 pairs of shorts, 3 t-shirts, 2 shirts, 3 boxers, 1 pair trainer socks, 1 pair crocs and 1 pair flip-flops, along with a couple of books (both of which I´ve already read on the plane) and my phone and flip. It felt a bit like a warzone getting off the plane and reminded me of programmes I´d seen about evacuees during the WW2 - we were all being directed (in Spanish ... I just followed everyone else) by a lady on a loud speaker. There was no entry to the terminal building, just makeshift tents next to the runway. Everyone had to collect their luggage which was all in a pile next to the runway and then make one straight line ... I didn´t get the straight line bit at first and was put in place by the guy in front who thought I was pushing in! Once we were all in a straight line (which felt like it took another hour, whilst everyone found their luggage) we had to put all our bags on the floor and the sniffer dogs worked their way down the line, checking we weren´t carrying anything we shouldn´t be. Then we progressed, in single file, to the police who checked and stamped passports before being allowed to leave. And that was that ... I was in Chile with only a few words of basic Spanish and no means of making my way into the centre, as the ATM I´d been hoping to access at the airport was down! I eventually managed to flag down a taxi driver, Philippe, who took me to the centre and an ATM then onto my apartment, which I´ve rented for the first couple of days whilst I get my bearings and sort myself out to head south.
So, after a HUGE sleep (waking up at 3pm local time ... does anyone know how many hours ahead of PP I am here¿) I headed into the city to buy a sim card and find this internet cafe! I´ve also made a contact at the Red Cross so will hopefully be able to update you with my volunteering in my next mail. My planned route whilst in South America is:
March in Chile
March/April in Bolivia
April in PeruMay in Argentina
iCAN on Monday 17th May!
Let me know if there´s anything I should definitely be visiting on my travels - the next couple of weeks or so will most likely be spent volunteering in the south of Chile.
Amigos Mr. D
Well, I´ve finally arrived in Chile after what has certainly felt like an epic journey. I´ve spent the past 2 weeks on the north island in New Zealand, where I was Best Man at my mate Grahams wedding - it was a stunning setting on the beach (with black sand) and we took most of the wedding pics up in the caves and crevices of the cliffs - can´t wait to see how they look ... although my hair looked pretty wild (which I didn´t know about until we returned to the reception and I saw my reflection for the first time in a couple of hours!)
Onto my journey to Chile ... as most of you I´m sure will know, there was a massive earthquake here on Saturday which reached 8.8 on the richter scale - in comparison it was 500 times more powerful than the earthquake which devastated Haiti in January. Scientists have concluded that the shake was so strong, it has altered the orbit of the earth and shortened the length of each year ... do any of you know how much shorter each year will be from now on¿ (I can´t find a question mark the right way up on this keyboard!). There was lots of uncertainty whether I would actually arrive in Chile, as the main airport in Santiago has been closed. In fact when I went to check in yesterday in Auckland I was given the option of staying in a hotel in Auckland for a few days until they could confirm the airport would be receiving incoming flights and would be fully operational. But as I wanted to get to Chile so that I could volunteer in the relief effort, there was really no decision to make, so I took a chance and boarded the plane to Buenos Aires (Argentina) where I would see if I could catch my connection.
On my flight across South America towards Buenos Aires I saw the most amazing sight from the window ... we flew over what appeared to be an active volcano. The smoke/steam was pumping out of the centre and the surrounding 5km or so of land was glowing pink and orange in the heat. Can any of you track down which volcano it might have been - it was about 2 hours on the plane SW or SSW of Buenos Aires. I only wish I´d taken a flip-clip to show you all!
However, the attached clip is me looking tired, bedraggled and in need of a shave at Buenos Aires airport (I´ve tried uploading but my batteries have just died - will hopefully attach next time). After a few hours delay ... luckily the onward flight to Santiago was going to be happening (the first one since Saturday) I was on my way to Chile.
On arrival at Santiago airport we had to stay on the plane for what seemed like hours, as they offloaded all the baggage from the hold (... just my luck, when I´d only brought carry on baggage with me ... my mates in NZ think I must be the lightest traveller ever as my whole bag only weighed 6kg ... for the 11 weeks that I´m away!). I had packed all the essentials though ... 1 pair trousers, 2 pairs of shorts, 3 t-shirts, 2 shirts, 3 boxers, 1 pair trainer socks, 1 pair crocs and 1 pair flip-flops, along with a couple of books (both of which I´ve already read on the plane) and my phone and flip. It felt a bit like a warzone getting off the plane and reminded me of programmes I´d seen about evacuees during the WW2 - we were all being directed (in Spanish ... I just followed everyone else) by a lady on a loud speaker. There was no entry to the terminal building, just makeshift tents next to the runway. Everyone had to collect their luggage which was all in a pile next to the runway and then make one straight line ... I didn´t get the straight line bit at first and was put in place by the guy in front who thought I was pushing in! Once we were all in a straight line (which felt like it took another hour, whilst everyone found their luggage) we had to put all our bags on the floor and the sniffer dogs worked their way down the line, checking we weren´t carrying anything we shouldn´t be. Then we progressed, in single file, to the police who checked and stamped passports before being allowed to leave. And that was that ... I was in Chile with only a few words of basic Spanish and no means of making my way into the centre, as the ATM I´d been hoping to access at the airport was down! I eventually managed to flag down a taxi driver, Philippe, who took me to the centre and an ATM then onto my apartment, which I´ve rented for the first couple of days whilst I get my bearings and sort myself out to head south.
So, after a HUGE sleep (waking up at 3pm local time ... does anyone know how many hours ahead of PP I am here¿) I headed into the city to buy a sim card and find this internet cafe! I´ve also made a contact at the Red Cross so will hopefully be able to update you with my volunteering in my next mail. My planned route whilst in South America is:
March in Chile
March/April in Bolivia
April in PeruMay in Argentina
iCAN on Monday 17th May!
Let me know if there´s anything I should definitely be visiting on my travels - the next couple of weeks or so will most likely be spent volunteering in the south of Chile.
Amigos Mr. D
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