Chile Forum

It appears phone, cell, and internet service was out for about 4 hours, from about 7 pm to about 10 pm.

Our suspicion is that it is a Chaiten problem. All the communication service for the area goes through Chaiten. Chaiten is flooded, and the road between santa lucia and Chaiten is cut. Thus, Futa's communication is going in and out.

I have to admit after watching the 9 pm news and picking up the phone and getting a 'number does not exit' type automated call on all lines in to Futa, our hearts stopped tonight. We honestly thought Futa was gone.

Obviously from the amount of attention this thread had gotten from me, you have all started to understand how important Futa is to us personally; however, I do not believe I have fully explained how close we are to this place.

I know our members that have been around for a while know that a few months ago we took a vacation to Futa. The reason we took that vacation was because my father died. I was very very close to my father as the youngest in the family. When my father died this year and all my brothers and sister where at his funeral in the United States, I felt the incredible urge to go to Futaleufe. Not the States, but Futa.

Once I knew my father was dead, that is where I felt I needed to go even though my father had never been there. My father and I had spent our time together for the most part white water rafting, fishing, and doing other outdoors stuff together. Futa was the place that I felt closes to him because it is the ultimate paradise of those things. That week, even being completely new to fly fishing, I caught my first trout on a fly and thought of my father the whole time.

About 3 or 4 pages back I talked about how the good people of Futa took care of us when we were just getting our business started. It was the kind of place we could make mistakes, and good honest people would forgive us for it and protect us and our clients.

I don't think I have mentioned it here, but there is not a single private practicing attorney in Palena. My wife is it. Before the volcano there was only like three or four people with law degrees in the entire region, and they all worked for the government and where assigned there (e.g. prosecutors, judges).

When two years ago we rented a little cabin in central Futa for the summer, teenage girls would come up and want to talk to my wife because she was the first attorney they had ever met and she was a woman. It was like meeting the first woman astronaut for them.

I know, I know, all the jokes. It was a paradise because there was no lawyers. In part it was true. People buy and sell land, get along, do everything there so honestly that lawyers were not needed. Really. There is such a place on earth. Futa.

Now, we want to return the favor. We want to protect Futa in any way we can. We are relatively young, I really don't care that it might take 10 or 20 years for the land to return, if that is how it turns out to be. I very much plan to buy some land in Futa, as I did before the volcano, at the next possible opportunity.

Most of all we are crossing our fingers that Futa will recover.

On a postive note, perhaps this is God's way of making sure Futa stays Futa. Perhaps it was in danger of loosing its most improtant asset: the people.

admin wrote:Could you clarify this? Was the police and army protesting with them?

I'm not sure if the Carabineros were part of the protest in solidarity, or just following the caravan to ensure order. The protest continued for almost three hours if the continuous horn-honking was any indication. I added a few pictures in the "Futa Turns 79""*** album in the photo gallery earlier tonight. I have to apologize for the quality....my camera is slowly biting the dust -literally!

Tomorrow, after my chicken feeding rounds, Greg and I will work our way around and outside of Futa to scope things out. Today was entirely too dangerous to be traveling.

***This album was originally going to be pictures of the big celebration for the town, a parade, and lovely picnic with typical music for the entire town on the banks of the Rio Espolon just outside of town. Greg and I were even dragged out to dance the cueca, and a fabulous time was had by all. I need to rename the Volcano album and do another for the celebration.

Vicki

Vicky a nd Charles help me with a little Geography.Is Azul a town or an area. How far is it from Futa? Is the above mentioned landslide on the road to Argentina or to the west? Vicky is your fish "camp" and your "house" differnet properties? Do you drive to them? You mentioned the river wasn't affected, where are the headwaters? I have been glued to this subjec t and want to know what and where things are.
Thanks

Yea, If the government won't call it official ( I suspect they will soon ), I will. Chaiten is gone.

Morning flood reports of over 90% of the town is under water, and the photos do not look good. The nature of the flood waters are ash flows. With the type of building materials ( lots of particle board inside and out ) and practices ( lots of gaps, low sitting foundations, and so on ) that are common to those areas, it means almost every building in town is a complete loss. I doubt that most can be dried out.

So, the volcano did not get the town directly.

The terrible things a lot of people left with very few possessions. It is a town that is flooded, and no one to try and control or save things.



Quick geography lesson about Futa.

Azul is a river, and around Futa it refers to the Valley or the sector Azul south / south east of Futa. In fact almost all parts are divided up in to sectors named after their largest body of water, with a few exceptions. To the East is Argentina. Las escalas is kind to the South East of town ( I think I got that right).

helibel wrote:Vicky a nd Charles help me with a little Geography.Is Azul a town or an area. How far is it from Futa? Is the above mentioned landslide on the road to Argentina or to the west? Vicky is your fish "camp" and your "house" differnet properties? Do you drive to them? You mentioned the river wasn't affected, where are the headwaters? I have been glued to this subjec t and want to know what and where things are.
Thanks

As Charles said, Azul is a river, but the area around it is called Sector Azul, there is also Noreste, Lancano, Espolon and El Limite. They all denote an area outside of Futa

Our property is about 17 kilometers outside of town on the road to Chaiten, past the Espolon area, Lago Lanconao at the point where the road crosses the Azul. I didn't mean to imply the Azul wasn't affected, all rivers in this area were to some point. On mother's day, the river was running "fairly" clear. We had had no rain, and I assume the ash had settled some. I have no idea now that we've had three days of pretty strong rains...

On the property we had a little, rustic cabin thrown up using reclaimed wood from the area. We call it the fish camp cabin because it is down by the Rio Desague, a small river which flows into the Rio Azul on the site. We have a house almost completed further up overlooking the Rio Azul. In the meantime, we have a tiny rental cabin in the town of Futa where we are staying for right now.

Thanks guys,i found it all, I now have little pegs on the map in my mind (sounds painful).

A positive update...

The Army guys we saw yesterday evening are out and about with shovels, clearing sidewalks and walkways, and available to anyone who might need help. The streets are being cleared. Vets from Santiago have set up shop in the turismo center next to the Carabineros and offer free food, immunizations, and spaying and neutering as well as general vet care. We made the rounds with Dra. Rosita to check out some chained dogs, pass out food and get the word out about the services they are offering.

Bomberos from Valdivia made the long, long trip with a water truck and keep the tanks filled at various places around town. For most all of the volunteers here, it is the very first time venturing here. Everyone, including the Army dudes who are shoveling the cement-like ash, have smiles on their faces, and seem amazed that there is a town here.

We were not able to venture out into el campo today, and tomorrow our pickup truck is being used to get the Vets around town to distribute food and talk to folks about immunizations and spaying and neutering pets.

It seems like not a lot to report, but it is encouraging. The city water is off and on, but in addition to the tanks placed around town, water trucks make two rounds a day for folks who can't haul water.

a couple of photos of today, including an impromptu butcher shop (so beware veggie people) uploaded to the photo gallery.

Vicki

Vicki needs a new,updated, digital camera in order to keep these photos coming, Does anyone have an idea how we can get one to her. I would be glad to buy it if we can get it to her. Or if someone there can buy it, I wll gladly reimburse you. And lots of batteries

Her Mom

Timing isn't in our favor. Hubby leaves tuesday for Chile,to Santiago and then to Osorno the next daY , but from Puerto Rico, and then what. Slim pickins on my LITTLE island and very little time to pick anything up in San Juan. wISH I COULD HELP!

judi wrote:Vicki needs a new,updated, digital camera in order to keep these photos coming, Does anyone have an idea how we can get one to her. I would be glad to buy it if we can get it to her. Or if someone there can buy it, I wll gladly reimburse you. And lots of batteries

Her Mom

MOTHER!!!!!!!!!!! I am shopping online for a new camera as we clack away on the keyboards. I will order one and ship it to you C.O.D.!!!!! I can pick it up when I come to visit.

In the meantime, I am babying this one along. The huasos (cowboys) are whooping it up tonight next door. More herds driven down the streets so it sounds like a Texas Cow Town here. The cattle dogs add to the mix of chickens, geese, cats, and local dogs so that we cannot walk psycho Max anywhere but within the small fenced-in yard around the rental house.

Vicki

The free Vet Clinic in Futa was hopping today, several spay and neuters going on. Dr. Jose reported that 80 dogs, and approximately 16 cats were rescued from Chaiten today. I don't have information on how it was accomplished, or who actually rescued them, but they were safe in ( I originally said Futa which was incorrect) Santa Lucia and being evaluated.

Drenching rains came all day. Some ash slide off the sides of ridges behind calle Piloto Carmona. Four herds of cattle came in, some with ear tags, other groups with painted marks on them (a bright green "H" on one, and two gray bars on the other herd). All the cattle looked in decent shape, much better than the exhausted huasos accompanying them. Additional hay was delivered also.

Tomorrow Greg goes out with a vet somewhere (he can't remember) to pick up some animal (he's not sure what kind of animal) to do so something or some procedure (he didn't quite catch what it was). He' a doll, but not much on attention to detail!

And so it goes...

Vicki