New Friends

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:

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!

Epic Center en photos

Hi again, amigos.

Today, thanks to LJ's computer and a wireless internet connection, I have the luxury of being able to post photos that help tell the story of the last few weeks. Hold on to your hearts!

A picturesque camp marker, along one of many country roads in Chile's south-central coastal region.

Packing up supplies in El Furgon. Note to self: the people here don't need potatoes (three bags of potatoes are all we have left after distrubuting everything). They have potatoes coming out of their ears.

We arrived to the coastal region at night, greeted by ominous signs of the damage, such as this sign which reads Bridge is in a bad state. Only light vehicles. El Furgon esta bastante liviano. Ha!

Yes, we get it. The earth shook very very hard here!


Each family's camp is marked with a sign like this one, and a flag, so those who are helping will know where to look, in the countryside, when bringing assistance.

This region is known for its beautiful, antique, adobe houses. Like this one, many of them were structurally compromised by the quaking earth and will have to be torn down.

This cross is still standing, but a little worse for wear. How beautiful, still.

While there is a lot of road damage, construction teams have been working very efficiently to make roads and bridges safe. We haven't been stopped yet.

Another example of the previously-beautiful adobe architecture in this region.

A lot of deconstruction and reconstruction needs to happen. It is happening.

The Chilean pride is a beautiful thing to see. It's everywhere!

"Fuerza Chile" are caravans of people from all over Chile who have joined together to help people in the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Just as we were arriving to these camps to deliver our second round of supplies (mostly plastic tarps to protect tents from the rain), the first of three helicopters swooped in from above. It was pretty amazing.

Ryan and LJ run in to help unload supplies from the helicopter.

Beautiful cooperation.

One of Chile's powerhouses, Teresa, looks on from beside her family's camp while the helicopter lands.

One of Chile's noble caballeros watches the helicopter from his family's camp. Yes, that's the ocean in the background. Que lindo!

Notice Ryan and LJ there in the lineup. Surfing muscles appreciated!!!

Young people look on from their camp, while the helicopter is being unloaded.

People, who have been camping on high ground in the countryside for a week, wave goodbye to the helicopter as it leaves, after depositing supplies.

We're inspired. Can you tell?

Someone has come through and determined which houses need to be torn down. The house behind this wall was one of the most beautiful in the whole town. We had the privilege to walk through it during deconstruction, and to imagine its glory days.

What a window into people's lives we've received.

Here, I am doing my Spanish-language best to converse with this woman, to learn something about her experience during and after the terremoto.

Tia Herminia is 78 and was alone in her adobe farm house during the terremoto. I went with her and her grand-neices to her farm to help move valuables and furniture out of her house, because it will have to be torn down. She barely even needed our help; she is a powerhouse! Still, she has had to relocate to town, and live with her nephew's family, and is very sad about it. "Que horrible!" she said. :(

Me, Ignacia, and Marcela (Herminia's grand-nieces)

We have been helping this couple, Irene and Pepe, with their home. It will have to be torn down. Their extended family, currently condensed from four to two households, has virtually adopted us. They are beautiful people. We love them!

When we arrived to help Pepe & Irene, this is what their house looked like. Our task was to move furniture and valuables out, and to salvage what could be salvaged: wood flooring, windows, corrugated tin, etc.

This is the house after some deconstruction work.

Ryan and LJ move debris before helping salvage the wood floor.

Another beautiful home that will have to go...

We have found a great balance between work and play. Here is Ryan carving one of Chile's pristine lefts.

Another beautiful wave.

When he's happy, so am I. :)

Another Furgon special feast by our favorite chef! Yes, that's sausage!

This is LJ, overseen by the saint who protects fishermen.

LJ carving it up!

We're remembering to always celebrate life.

Joyride!

Yay!

Needless to say, they are so glad to be both helping out AND getting to surf. Que increible!

There are so many stories to share, from so many beautiful people, but we'll save some of them for next time. So, that's all for now. We love you all dearly and are thinking about you every day.

With love and gratitude,

Jess, Ryan, and LJ

Epic-Center Continued...

Just a quick note to tell you all that we are well. I am biting at the bit to post photos of this amazing experience, but as I am in someone´s living room right now, it doesn´t seem appropriate to pull out the camera and go through that whole process. Suffice to say, for now, that we have been on a path of one amazing experience unfolding into the next, and then another, and then another.
A few days ago, when we were delivering plastic to some camps, our visit happened to coincide with the arrival of three Chilean helicopters that were delivering supplies. I can´t even begin to describe how beautiful it was to be a part of so many people helping so many people.
Yesterday, we helped an elderly couple here in Buchupureo salvage the wood floor and keepsakes from their adobe home, because they have to tear it down. Turns out their grandsons are two of the six local surfers, who today showed Ryan and LJ some hidden waves in the area. That young man and two friends are currently at our cabin preparing an 'asado' (BBQ).
Today, I went to the farm of a 78-year-old woman to help her remove whatever she could keep from her house, which also will be torn down. I worked with her grand-nieces (20 & 13), which was fun because we spoke spanish together and were able to laugh and play a bit. There are so many details I want to share, but I think I will wait....
We have been invited to eat lunch, which is the big meal of the day, tomorrow at the house of the family we have been helping. They want to share the corn we harvested today, and to thank us. How beautiful!
We have engagements to help lined up for tomorrow and the next day: other people who are trying to move out of houses before tearing them down. It feels so good to have time and energy to help here.
On a different note, we are thinking so much about Kimmy, who is full with baby love, and ready to burst. Stay tuned for an upcoming 'It´s a .....!`We are so excited, and are going to share that joy with our blogfans, too. Stay tuned.
Thank you to everyone who is wanting to contribute to our efforts to help down here. For now, simply understand that your supportive thoughts are fueling our desire to help. You are helping to motivate us, and we appreciate that immensely.
I will try to post a more illustrative entry when I have a slightly more private venue. Until then, know we are thriving in the Epic-Center.
Lots of love,
Jess, Ryan, and LJ

Epic-center

Hi everyone,
We have returned to Chillan to gather another load of supplies to take to the coast. Our first trip out there felt successful. We basically just loaded El Furgon with supplies that we anticipated or heard might be useful--water, milk, rice, cooking oil, cleaning supplies, carrots, onions, potatoes, matches, toilet paper, etc.--and drove around the rural areas south of the town of Cobquecura visiting camps and offering what we had.
What we found was that the homes built of brick (home-made brick) have been badly damaged, and families who lived in them have had to evacuate. Many families are tent-camping in fields or yards of family members. Each camp is marked with a flag, and most have signs that say the family name and the number of people staying there. I suppose this is to help people who are bringing aid. We have been impressed by the mobilization of Chileans to help their people. Trucks loaded with supplies are heading out to the coast all the time, but some areas & towns are definitely receiving more than others. This is one reason it felt great to help in outlying rural areas, because the small towns along the coast seem to have received more help.
What is good news is that the area we have been in was not further devastated by the tidal wave which followed the earthquake in other parts of the coast. I haven´t quite figured out the reason for this, but it is clear that the water did not reach the coastal homes. Still, it is/was at the epicenter, so there was a lot of damage from the quake itself.
The people we have encountered have been gracious--always only taking what they need, and pointing the way to another family, in another camp farther down the road who need it more than they do. They have been grateful and respectably proud. Their beauty, strength, and resiliance are evidence that they will persevere. It is inspiring.
The current concern is that there is rain in the forecast and the camps are very exposed to the elements. After this, we will head to the hardware stores looking for plastic sheeting, tarps, nails, etc. to help people build temporary shelters. This is what they are asking for, so we are trying our best to help make it happen.
I am having trouble with the photos right now, so they will have to wait.
We will be in touch next chance we get.
Thank you for all of your thoughts.
Jessica & Ryan

New visions

Hi all.
A new plan for the rest of our trip is emerging, and we feel good about it. Together with our friend LJ, we have decided to load El Furgon with supplies and head to a few of the smaller towns along the coast that we became acquainted with on the way down here. We have a few contacts--both with local people we previously met, and with organizations that are working down here--which will be helpful when we get over there. Our intention is to help in whatever way we can.
Right now, we are back in Pucon. We returned here to pick up LJ and get everything squared away. Yesterday we built a rack inside El Furgon, so we will have more space for materials. We have heard the most useful items are water, non-perishable foods, etc., so that is what we will be gathering today. Our goal is to leave Pucon this afternoon, drive north a bit, and then head out to the coast, via Chillan, to Cobquecura and Buchupureo.
We will do our best to keep in touch, but it may be difficult once we are there. Please know that we are being cautious and planful, and that we have chosen to help in these places because they are full of kind-hearted, peaceful people.
We love you and are grateful for your love and support.
Jess & Ryan

The story continues to unfold

Hi everyone.
Wow. Our blog has suddenly attracted a lot of ¨regulars.¨ We love your comments, and appreciate all of your thoughts.
As I said in the last entry, it would be interesting to see what we find as we continue our travels. What we have found has been interesting, and ¨sobering.¨ We had definitely underestimated the effects of this earthquake. First, let me say that we are completely safe and healthy, even finding ways to enjoy ourselves. Chile, on the other hand, is definitely in a state of disarray. The information we have been gathering is probably similar to what you might be seeing on the news. In the north, there is much damage to infrastructure: roads are broken, the airport is closed, trucking is suspended, people have been displaced from their homes, or worse.
We are currently in Valdivia, which is a university/tourist/river town tucked in back from the ocean approximately 15 km. In these bigger towns in the south there are long lines for gasoline; the supermarkets´stocks are low; some ATMs are working, and many aren´t; the beginning of the school year (usually March 1) has been delayed by a week; some of the summer´s last vacationers are still stuck here because they can´t get back to Santiago and other cities north of here; there is some damage to a few buildings, but the roads are clear and people are generally going about their business. The rural areas seem largely unaffected.
How this all affects us? So far, minimally (I am hesitant to even mention it, compared to the grave effects suffered by others). We are dragging our heels a bit, here in the south, because going north doesn´t seem like a smart choice. We will have to alter our course for the rest of the trip, because the surf towns we were planning to visit next were basically at the epicenter of the quake, and have suffered a lot of damage (especially to their waterfronts). It´s crazy, even as I sit here, Ryan is researching the damage to some of the towns we passed through on our way south, which we were planning to revisit in this next month. What we are finding is that those towns are a mess. Some completely leveled. It looks like, in the next few days, we will be revising our vision for the rest of the trip, based on all this new info.
For obvious reasons, we have no complaints about any of this. We feel lucky for a thousand reasons: we were in the safest imaginable place during the quake; we are mostly self-sufficient in El Furgón; we don´t have a flight to catch, don´t have an immediate schedule. We have many options. The coast, here, is beautiful. The mountains are beautiful. We may even be able to find ways to help... We´ll be looking.
We will, as always, keep you posted on our whereabouts.
With love and deep, deep gratitude,
Jess and Ryan

Shaken, not stirred....

Hi everyone. Thank you for your concern regarding our wellbeing. We are better than good, with stories to tell.
When the earth began it´s trembling, the night before last, we were snuggled into El Furgòn at our friend´s land outside Pucón. When I first awoke, my groggy mind thought, ¨someone is shaking the van!?¨Then I awoke Ryan, thinking, ¨maybe a big bear is shaking the van!?¨Neither of those first two were logical explanations, so we slowly realized that what we were feeling was a real-live earthquake. El Furgón was vigorously shaking and rocking on her suspension.
We began assessing our situation. With our heads raised off our pillows, we were looking out the open back door of the van at the surrounding landscape. The big tree in our view was shaking and bending as if moved by a strong wind, but the trees near us were small and unthreatening. We were near the river, but far enough away and on high enough ground that we felt safe. We were basically parked in the middle of a wide, flat meadow, immediately surrounded by immature trees. We couldn´t have been in a safer place. Realizing this, we were able to actually enjoy and marvel at the movements of the earth´s crust. Holy shit! It was amazing. The ground shook vigorously for a few minutes. That´s a long time. The trees were swaying and bending like they´d been in training for such a challenge. El Furgón heaved and rocked, jolted and swayed. Every bird and dog in the countryside was cawing or barking, and we just felt, watched, listened, awestruck, until it subsided.

This is where we were parked during El Terremoto.

There were many after-shocks, too. I didn´t fall back to sleep until hours afterward. It was just so interesting!

My sketch from the middle of the night, of the experience.

On our way back to town, we were more aware of the smoking volcano than we were before.

The story continued to unfold throughout the day. When we returned to town in the morning, we were curious about what we would find. We didn´t know if it was a big earthquake or a small one. We didn´t know anything except our experience.

Pucón appeared to be unscathed, despite a lack of electricity. Many of the Chileans, however, were pretty rattled. A lot of the people who vacation here come from the region around Concepción, which was the epicenter, from what I understand. We found out that we had experienced a 7.0 earthquake here, and that it was an 8.5 at the center. Almost unbelievable. Most of the businesses stayed closed. People were rapidly leaving town, despite it being Saturday morning. The lines for gas ultimately made us decide to stay in Pucón another day, rather than heading south toward the coast, which had been our plan.

The amazing thing is that we had a wonderful day. Our friends who work on the river didn´t have to work (oddly, it had a ¨snow-day¨vibe). The weather was as clear and warm and calm as it has been (all summer, according to them). By the end of the day, we were referring to it as ¨Earth Day¨because the earth had, once again, stopped us all in our tracks and reminded us to appreciate her beauty, and her power.

Hanging out on Lago Villarica with the kayaking boys. There´s LJ!

As you can see, we are better than good down here in Pucón. The internet is working again. We have a full tank of diesel that we didn´t have to wait in line for.

Last night we camped on slightly higher ground, with this view of the volcano. It was glowing orange at the top all night long. My attempts to capture it on film failed, but use your imagination. It was AMAZING!
Our plan has been to head farther south, for a while, before working our way back north along the coast. From what we have heard, this is still a really good plan, because most of the damage is north of here. It will be interesting to see what we find when we leave here. We will keep you posted.

Again, thank you all for your concern. Know that we are doing extremely well, that we are on a great adventure, and that we are making memories that we hope to share with you.

Dancing with the earth,
Jess & Ryan