Let’s sum up the highlights of this weekend with a fun vocabulary list:
Peanut Butter (a novelty down here - but thanks to Walmart purchasing a chain of the grocery stores, creamy great value peanut butter is available to us homesick gringos. No one can escape the effing walmart, not even Chile)
666 (the area of Vina del Mar we managed to find TWICE in a 2 hour time period before being rescued)
Hot American Guy (pretty self explanatory)
Whoa (my awkward and very audible reaction upon spotting hot American guy)
Nick (hot American guy who rescued us from 666 and put us up in his apartment for 2 nights)
3 deep in a double (when 3 gringas pile in a double bed together)
TEREMOTO (Spanish for EARTHQUAKE. The lovely natural disaster that awoke and threw the 3 gringas from their slumber)
Body Odor (what we started to exude after a few days of no water or electricity…oh and apparently hot American guy doesn’t shower. Ever. Minus 190 points for Hot American guy)
Rochelle, Julie and myself were ecstatic to be getting away for our last weekend before school commenced…while tying up all our loose ends, getting home from school, packing and getting to the bus station on time proved QUITE stressful (ok, we all know I have anxiety issues)…we did it. We sunk into our bus seats, popped open a cervesa and were ready to rock and roll all the way to Vina del Mar, the beach resort 90 minutes west of Santiago (RT tix costing us each $12 USD). Once our destination was reached, we threw on our packs and headed straight for the beach – as it stays sunny very late down in these parts. After I peed in the frigid water I returned to our towel to find a very obese child had made his perch directly behind me. After I reluctantly fed him some of our peanut butter he decided to thank me by pulling out his testicles and pulling on them. “Luckily” his grandfather came to my aid and claimed his very large nino only to be “pants-ed” by his loving grandson. All I needed was dad’s man parts and I would have had all 3 generations in less than 2 minutes. In retrospect I consider this a bad omen.
Shortly later, we found ourselves back in shady ol’ 666 (again…in retrospect…perhaps this was a bad omen as well). Just as we were walking up to a hostel my eye was caught by a cute boy – as I double glanced and uttered “whoa”…he came up to me, asked if we needed help and informed me that we shouldn’t be in this part of town alone. One way or another, we ended up in his spare bedroom. All three of us in one bed with lucky me (seriously lucky…as I’m the only one who didn’t fall out of the bed) in the middle. We drank some beers and got to know our new “landlord” – a very kind and intelligent artist. Sensitive and creative and completely clueless that he smelled like day old armpit sweat. We took him out for dinner and then we hit up one of the local discotecs for a pitcher and an interesting conversation on abstract art and evolution (seriously, my game is lame). We returned home a little after 2am and settled in for the night…
The next thing I know, Rochelle and Julie are on the floor and we’re shaking. I was so groggy and still asleep that I was not able to process what was actually happening. It wasn’t until glass started to rattle and break, things began to fall off the wall and shelves and the plaster from the ceiling and corners began to fall on the bed that I realized something was definitely wrong. As the building continued to sway and shake Julie, being from San Diego, immediately bolted for the door frame…Rochelle shook my sorry ass awake and pulled me on to the floor and under the bed the best we could fit. I’d say it lasted around 2 minutes, but there is no telling how much we slept through. We ran outside as we were unsure of this oddly constructed building’s strength and infrastructure. It was chaos; screaming in spanish, dogs barking, car alarms blaring and glass shattering continued as the threat of a tsunami loomed (we were only 3 blocks from the water). Then…the aftershocks commenced…since the quake there have been over 100 aftershocks…more than ½ of these were stronger than a 5.2. everyone’s nerves were high and sleep was impossible. Every time we’d fix a tilted picture frame or sweep a pile of rubble an aftershock would set back our efforts.
Our biggest concern through all of this were our parents. We had no way to contact ANYONE. I have a cell phone which cannot call the US…thank goodness I gave this number to several people…Kit, Mel and Dad/Mom. Phone and internet networks were down, power was out, water wasn’t working…nothing and I mean nothing was open. We had no food as we were traveling – but managed to find one market in the whole town which opened out of the kindness of their heart to make sure people had access to whatever food/drink they had left. I finally got to hear Mel’s voice around 2pm our time who informed us that yes, the quake was bad and yes, everyone had heard about it. I’m not going to lie, Mel…you made my day. My family and I are so grateful for your perseverance and determination to get a hold of me. The only other thing that compared to Mel’s call was finally getting to skype my parents and hear the panic in their voices subside….and I can’t even tell you the lump that formed in my throat when I finally got on FB. I am truly touched at the concern and outpouring of love. You all are amazing and I hate that you were worried, but know that your big hearts and kind thoughts are so deeply appreciated.
We had to stay in Vina an extra night as there was no way to get back to Santiago as we all wanted. Santiago is the only real home we have right now and we needed the comforts of whatever familiarity we had. PLUS...being so close to the beach during a tsunami warning can by no means be considered a "comfort" Nick was wonderful and put us up for an extra night. He found us dinner and beer as it still wasn't considered safe to wander the streets for the fear of falling glass/rubble/whatever the hell might fall and bludgen us to death. to make a long story short...we got back to Santiago sunday afternoon...still hard to find food but at least there is hot water and electricity. i have a 1/4 of a loaf of bread left and some peanut butter - the hostel has been generous with whatever food they have left. as school did not start as planned today...we are about to go out in search of an open store...however looting has been a serious issue and most stores are closed, empty or ransacked. but i'm ok and will be ok...so don't worry :) the devastation is bad, but we're staying in the hostel as much we can for safety concerns. when i got back to my top bunk in the hostel, our bed was in the middle of the room and covered in plaster! right now we're just waiting to hear about our schools and hanging out in the hostel...so i am ok, safe and sound :)
Please continue to pray for this wonderful country that has been so welcoming to this crazy gringa.
