The Day the Earth Shook

We are safe and well – but somewhat shocked at what we’re just now seeing on the television – at the ‘Space and Time’ hotel the little roadside village of La Junta many hundreds of miles south of the terremoto’s epicenter. At the time of the earthquake we were sleeping deep inside Pumalin Park, at Doug and Kris Tompkin’s farm on the Renhue fiord. Asleep on the second floor of the hand hewn wooden building we felt a gentle, but significant, swaying and rocking of a boat at sea. There was no mistaking it was an earthquake.

The air in this normally blustery and cloudy part of southern Chile was perfectly calm and the full moon brilliantly highlighted the mountainous landscape surrounding the farm. A surreal moment in a remote place, we immediately thought of the Chaiten Volcano, which 3 years ago erupted in a Mount Saint Helen’s like explosion spilling over 6 cubic kilometers of ash into the atmosphere and causing the permanent evacuation of the coastal town of Chaiten. Located inside the Park just 5 miles away from Doug’s farm, we had just spent the day before flying around the smoking Volcano in a small plane as we surveyed the park projects. Three years ago the ash plume went 100,000 feet into the sky. Last night, thank goodness, was clear and calm. It wasn’t until this morning that the full extent of what took place to the north has become clear. Earthquakes, volcanoes and their aftermaths are strong reminders of earth’s natural systems and the fragility of human endeavors.

Yesterday morning, all internet and mobile phone communications were cut off south of Concepcion. This is the first location where we are getting the full news of the devastation and suffering to the north. We have a truck and are continuing south to Coyhaique and then to Valle Chacabuco site of the future Patagonia National Park where we will reunite with Doug and Kris Tompkins.