Hi friends and family,
While there is not a whole lot that is new to report, since I last wrote, I thought I'd post an update so you would know we are alive and well, here, in still-quaking Chile. Yes, the tremors (called temblores, in Spanish) are still happening daily, but they are pretty mellow and rarely cause alarm. Any building or road that survived the 8.8 three weeks ago certainly holds strong for a minor tremor! It sounds odd, I'm sure, but we have grown accustomed to them.
We are staying in a cabin in the town of Buchupureo and have continued to enjoy our time here, including the surf, helping out, making new friends, and learning Spanish. LJ has been kind enough to give us some more structured Spanish instruction lately. That, combined with immersion in conversations with the families we have befriended, means that Ryan and I both are feeling our progress with speaking and understanding Spanish.
As you began to see in the photos I posted last week, most of the work we have been doing here has involved deconstruction of damaged homes. Yesterday we went to a new level, I think, when we tore out the ceiling boards of Pepe & Irene's house and ended up covered from head to toe, including every orifice, in the dust that has been accumulating under their roof tiles for 50 years. Besides the pleasure I've gained from learning a new skill --how to use a crow-bar--we feel so good about helping them salvage building materials that they will be able to use to rebuild.
While Pepe & Irene and their families have continued to show us their gratitude by inviting us into their homes for amazing lunches, their grandkids have also welcomed us at their waves. El Furgon is currently the official surf-mobile of Buchupureo, as you will see from the following photos:
While there is not a whole lot that is new to report, since I last wrote, I thought I'd post an update so you would know we are alive and well, here, in still-quaking Chile. Yes, the tremors (called temblores, in Spanish) are still happening daily, but they are pretty mellow and rarely cause alarm. Any building or road that survived the 8.8 three weeks ago certainly holds strong for a minor tremor! It sounds odd, I'm sure, but we have grown accustomed to them.
We are staying in a cabin in the town of Buchupureo and have continued to enjoy our time here, including the surf, helping out, making new friends, and learning Spanish. LJ has been kind enough to give us some more structured Spanish instruction lately. That, combined with immersion in conversations with the families we have befriended, means that Ryan and I both are feeling our progress with speaking and understanding Spanish.
As you began to see in the photos I posted last week, most of the work we have been doing here has involved deconstruction of damaged homes. Yesterday we went to a new level, I think, when we tore out the ceiling boards of Pepe & Irene's house and ended up covered from head to toe, including every orifice, in the dust that has been accumulating under their roof tiles for 50 years. Besides the pleasure I've gained from learning a new skill --how to use a crow-bar--we feel so good about helping them salvage building materials that they will be able to use to rebuild.
While Pepe & Irene and their families have continued to show us their gratitude by inviting us into their homes for amazing lunches, their grandkids have also welcomed us at their waves. El Furgon is currently the official surf-mobile of Buchupureo, as you will see from the following photos:
Local surfers (yes, that is LJ in his tighty undies on the right...)
The record is 9 people in El Furgon. Fun times!
These are the real local surfers--our new friends!
This gatito (little cat) is one of our new friends, too. We named her Terremota, after the earthquake. So, that's the news from Quaking Chile. We are still enjoying our time here, immensely. We are doing our best to spread love and goodwill, through working and playing with new friends. We have purchased our plane tickets home, for April 15th into Eugene (just so you know that we are planning to come back). In the meanwhile, we have some more exploring, surfing, learning, and growing to do. We hope you are enjoying each day, and your loved ones.
Con mucho amor,
Jess & Ryan (and LJ)
This is from a couple weeks ago, but is one of my favorite pics of us, just in case you had forgotten what we look like!
