Chile Forum

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

admin wrote:Greg and Futa were made for each other. The wonder of Futa is that no one cares if you understand them, or they understand you. All the same, and everyone has time. One of the best places to learn Spanish. Some old guy will sit there and talk to you all day, and not care if either of you understand a single word.

As Greg would say in his hopeful Spanish, "Exactamito awesomito!" ("ito" at the end of any English word making it Spanish in his mind)

However, I suspect patience will wear thin, and it is important that we make a SERIOUS effort to learn the language better. Charles can tell you that his Wife even has trouble understanding some folks here, and she is Chilean. So, we grapple along. The one thing about this disaster is that language does not define it. People are not divided or isolated by language in times of need. A wave of acknowledgment, a hug, a handshake, a shovel on your neighbors sidewalk, you know the drill.

That leads me to this thought.....we are in a unique position here in Futa. We can drive to Esquel for food, and gas. While we live frugally, and aren't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination...we are certainly not in the same position as the people of Futa find themselves in. They depend on their subsistence living and on tourism (which is only about three months a year). Let me put it like this...

How can Bosque, our landlord live when he has no pension at 69, or 70. Before he depended on other Futans who derived their incomes from tourist season, and farming, to supplement his income by digging their potatoes during season and renting out this cabin. ( We pay 70,000 peso a month). The potato farmers will not have income from tourism to fund their potato fields, and the potato fields are under mounds of clay slurry. The rivers - will there be good rivers for rafting and fishing? Even so, who will come under a cloud of disaster, a chance the volcano may go again, and again and again. And how will they get here? The trickle down and out effect is tremendous. All of the internets are closed here, so unless you have an account privately, there is no way to send emails or get news out. Well, cell phones, I suppose. What was once offered by nature, grazing, fruits, grains, and fresh water are not available. So people have to BUY those things to sustain their animals, and hence, themselves. Few folks ever paid for eggs, or veggies or herbs. And they trade for things, and dry apples, and meat and make jams, and their own bread.

"Water is back on, but here is the warning:

Ante la emergencia viviendo, debernos indicarle que el agua que se esta entregando en la red de distribucion de ESSAL, NO es potable.

EN NINGUN CASO SE DEBE BEBER.

No puede ser utilizada para la preparacion de alimentos, tanto para persona como para animales.

Se recommenda no utilizarta para el lavado de platos or articulos en donde se preparan alimentos.

SOLO PUEDE SE UTILIZADA PARA LA DESCARGA ESTANQUES DE BANOS.

So, my rose-colored glasses of the situation is just that. It is not the view from a Futan's eyes, or reality. All that is happening here is not so disruptive to me, because I have means to circumvent the discomfort. They do not. I am ashamed of some of my "happy posts" during this disaster. A family member of some evacuees from Futa tells us his family cannot afford to rent a place in Puerto Montt because they want too much...how much is too much when you have lived your whole life not paying rent? When your income is the eggs your hens produce or the meat your cows will provide next year as a hedge for your winter needs? Doesn't matter, it's more than they can manage. They are afraid to come back and have their children in this situation and the elderly cannot manage without the younger generation, so they left with them.

As I said though, Futa will survive, how it will look in five or ten years depends much on how the rest of Chile values a place like this. As a Treasure, or an Opportunity? Or possibly both. I have not met one single person, of all the wonderful people here from other parts of Chile, here helping out in this situation, who had heard of Futaleufu before. With even the ash fall, and slurry, and rain and impending doom that surrounds this place, they love it, and the people. A great testament to what this place is all about.

I must go and dig another trench out back to divert the clay water out back so it doesn't come in the place. I would wake Greg, but he has a mission tomorrow and needs to be rested. I on the other hand, can lollygag around with my chicken feed willy nilly!

And so it goes,

Vicki

(I can't help it, but my Dad always said, it's better to be "Lolly gagging, than to be Gaggin Lolly." Forgive me for that, it's from the guy who used to say, "we're outta here, like herd of pregnant turtles."

Hi Vic ki
I can relate to that, it is the same here after a bad hurricane, I can jump on an airplane ,if I feel like it, and go visit relatives until the power/water etc. is back. I don't ,but I do have the option.
And of course we usually have an enormous aid machine descend pretty fast. I haven't sent any money yet. for Chile. Do you see any non government aid getting to your neighbores. I'm sure, with the china earthquake and the typhoon, resources are stretched pretty thin, for the red cross types.
Are you the only full time expats there?

Morning Helibel . Aside from the Uniformed Army troops shoveling off sidewalks, I can't be sure what is government help and what is just Chileans doing what they do here when they need to get things done. I feel safe to say that the water trucks are likely funded by the government.

As far as I know there are no other ex-pats who stay (volcano or no) for invierno in Futa except for Mitch Sasser from H2O Rafting and Adventures, and in Chaiten Nicholas La Penna, who of ran Chaiturs and evacuated with everyone else there.

During the night and early morning we heard four thunderous events we assume was wet ash fall coming down from slopes. Greg will be going out today and report back on any news he hears.

Vicki

Visiting my cow friends next door, I am told that they have a little more than 200 at this time, and trucks will arrive today to take them up to Osorno via Argentina. One man told me they have three thousand more to get out of the immediate area. He may be talking about a specific sector, which I assume might be noreste, as opposed to Azul, or Lancanoa. Noreste seems to have been a little harder hit by the fallout.

Rains are lighter but steady.

Seven trucks arrived around 11 am, many double-trailers, and began loading cattle. Efforts are being made to bring in the remaining herds.

Update on Greg's Vet Adventure. He's an honorary cat herder now. He and a vet from Santiago herded up three crates full of kitties which were taken back to the clinic for care. He is on call until further notice, sitting in the chair by the door, keys in hand, practicing how to say gatito, gatito!

It is 1:15 am, or so, and while I thought, over two weeks ago I had awakened to my first snow fall only to find volcanic ash, this is the REAL DEAL! A big, fluffy, light snow is falling in Futa. Risking death or comittment in a psych facility, I ran outside and tested the flakes on my tongue. SNOW! An inch already at this time of early, early morning. I yelled up to Greg, woke him up and made him come downstairs, and as he opened the front door, nailed him with a soft snowball. It's the little things in life.

And so it goes.

Vicki

Futa Volcano Relief Fund:

I have found these two places to donate directly on line, for immediate assistance to the townsfolk of Futaleufu.

h2o Patagonia - The webpage says they plan to charter a plane next week & bring supplies to town...I'm sure, weather pending.

http://www.h2opatagonia.com/pages/donate.html

Futafriends.org - Alan Grundy, Exec. Dir. says he plans to return to Futa " in June". Plans still in the making. Futafriends works out of Expediciones Chile (Chris Spelius) office in Futa. They have been advocating against the proposed dam and gold mine exploration, up the Espolon.

http://www.futafriends.org/volcanorelief.html

No amount is too small.

I searched for org's that donate livestock, not much luck. World Vision does help donate livestock. I wrote them, no reply yet. I think the Futa Valley will need livestock and seeds to replenish and rebuild. Yes, Vickie, you are correct. The results of the ash, loss of fields and livestock may be very devasting to the whole community. Many will leave, some will stay. In time, they valley will recover.

Tourists can and do arrive via Esquel. However, I think you are correct that there will be less in the near future. No one knows, so having Hope and living for today is the best for now. I'm glad to hear the huasco's are getting the cattle out; that's huge.

It's snowing in Futa, GOOD NEWS! A slower ash run-off will help to mix the ash into the ground, less down the rivers all at once.

Take good care.
Jill tip