Chile Forum

Encouraging news is that Chile is sending police to keep borders partially open. Other news tidbits:

Reuters reports, "Organizers said the strike had partially or fully closed schools, health facilities, garbage collection and customs offices. Local media eported corpses were stacking up in hospital morgues."

And then we have the last paragraph of a CNN World article, "The government also announced a series of emergency contacts, including telephone numbers and Web site addresses, for some services such as tax collection."

Hi,
after 4 long years I'm traveling again to Patagonia.
This time I will start in Bariloche (there is a direct TAM flight from Sao Paulo), go south to Esquel, Trevelin and Futa. From Futa south to Coyaique e Cerro Castillo.
Reading the last posts, I understood there is a strike happening in Chile and this can affect my plans. I will be crossing this border next Saturday.
I would be very happy if someone can keep track of this and update the information.

thanks a lot,
Marcelo

Marcelo,

Just crossed the Osorno to Bariloche border crossing yesterday, and it was the quickest we'd ever passed through. Possible it's either the lack of people attempting, or they have replacement workers who are far more efficient (or don't care and just stamp and pass). The crossing at Futa was the same. There is a sign up in the Futa Aduanas office that reads, "Aduanas en Paro!", but they are there and we skipped on through with no problem. Keep in mind, there are no buses to the border from Esquel except Monday and Friday (8 am and 1800-ish). It's always possible to hitchhike from Esquel, walk across from Argentina to Chile, and hitch again to Futa, as we did. Very quiet times right now and possibly a long wait for a ride.

Of course, that could change, but I think the Futa crossing is a sure thing...too many people here have families and livlihoods split between Trevelin, Esquel and Futa. Good Luck!

yea, if Customs does not work at the Futa boarder their families starve, their cars run out of gas, and people start throwing rocks at them in the streets. Much more abstract at say the Santiago Airport.

Those are wonderful news.
I will be driving a rental starting in Bariloche to Coyaique, and back to Bariloche.
The first night I will stay in Trevelin at Casa de Piedra and then cross to Chile, where I will spend at least 3 nights along the way to Coyaique.
It is a 10 days trip to take pictures and enjoy the nature.

Thank you very much for the information.
I have a non-commercial site with my photos from Patagonia.
Check it at http://www.photopatagonia.com

Reagards e saludos,
Marcelo

Marcelo,

Top off your gas in Trevelin. Your next gas station will be La Junta. And if you've been this way before, you know the roads are gravel top. Drive careful and enjoy. This afternoon I spoke with someone who said that they want the perception to be that borders are shut down, but that it's not practical, and in reality in the south, just not possible. So I think that it's a good thing to approach the border personnel graciously (as I always do anyway as I usually have a two-pound hunk of pickled ham in my coat pocket). Today, when we crossed in Futa, I did not have the diplomatic Spanish to express my solidarity..I wish I had. Anyway, travel on Marcelo! If the wind isn't blowing too hard, stop in Futa and check it out!

Vicki

thanks again,
I will be levaing home one hour from now, and Futa is a place I will definitelly spend some time around.

Regards,
Marcelo

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/rec ... 08zqak.php

earthquake report, saw it looking for other stuff...

That one is way off the coast.

In general in Chile anything under about 5.5 centered and not in the central region does not even make the news. The only reason I posted that earlier one was because it was so close to some of our members and friends houses, and also was situated near the two volcanoes in the area.

I have email earthquake alerts setup for different parts of Chile from the USG survey and it is rather surprising how few I have gotten in the year or so I have had them for southern Chile. Northern Chile is all the time, and I even set it not to alert me anymore for anything under about a 5.5 in the North. In the South I have it set for like 3.5 and above, and I get like perhaps one every 6 months and that includes activity in Argentina and way off shore. The central region I get any earthquake over a 4.0, and I would say those alerts are about 1 every six months including the baby tremors.

Hi,
updating:
I'm now in La Junta, so everything went fine and the trip is developing as planned.
The strike in Chile is finished and the road from Futa to La Junta is ok.
From La Junta to Coyhaique is in maintenance and closed from 10:00 to 14:00 everyday.

Thank you.
Marcelo

I've promised an update on ash removal in Futa, with photos...I'll get to the photos later today. It is amazing what a few guys with shovels and wheelbarrows can accomplish. The work continues, and continues and continues...with people popping up hard slabs from yards and gardens, watering in the rest, or hoeing it into the dark earth. So much still remains. I'm a bit concerned seeing workers bare-faced though with the ash, even though it's dampened down by the latest rains. A great, great concern I have is that the silica in the air (the silica ash) directly contributes to silicosis, which is irreversible and can be deadly. The silica is so fine it is inhaled and embeds deep down in lung tissue and prevents the lungs from functioning. That said...WEAR A MASK!

Today, I felt well enough to go buy a bag of bread at the little store which also serves as the post office. My little post office box, along with the other 29 little lock boxes...WAS GONE! Not that the "postmaster/baker" ever put my mail in there...it was tossed in a cardboard box under the counter with all the other cartas and sobres with strange, foreign names written on them. My mail, clearly marked with my post office box number, was never placed there. Good thing though, the key always got stuck and the baker/postmaster had to go retrieve a pair of needle nose pliers to get it unstuck, and then I would pull out of the little cubby hole what was basically a to-do list he had shoved in the box, perhaps to avoid getting things done. Sweet fellow, he would either look at me with sad moon eyes and tell me I had no mail, or gleefully yank the old cardboard box from under the counter and let me paw through it for a letter or small package he knew was waiting for me.

Anyway, the post office is now at the bus station (a small wood and tin building where you can also buy used clothing). Clothes, bread, mail. Poor gal seems absolutely overwhelmed with the mounds of mail that has appeared since the baker was either fired, or relinquished his post. I was hopeful someone sent me some small snippet of news or a photo or two, but nuttin honey. No books, nothing.

Visited the fruit market store and bought four bananas, a handful of new cherries, two tomatoes, two pares, four avocados and paid 4,000 pesos. Prices are through the roof. At least beer is still only 2,800 a six-pack. Bread is the same, and beef is stable in price. Chicken is up quite a bit. I'm always hungry for what I can't get. Last week there was no lettuce and only soft, yellow cucumbers and I wanted a salad. This week, I wanted a couple big ol' baked potatoes but found only tiny seed-sized papas! Kinda like when I let my nails grow and have the urge to pick up my guitar.

Back to the Futa revival! Ash removal continues 24-7. Well, 10-7. Road work continues and recently washed out areas have been shored up. Lookin good. Some streets are blocked off as the paving continues stealthily. Water is good, electric and internet uninterrupted. The clinic at the hospital was BUSY today, quite a few folks with respiratory problems and eye infections. I myself had a big, old red swollen eye a few weeks ago - I think caused by getting caught outside hanging up clothes when a gust of wind sprayed me with ash. Should have hung them over the stove but I was longing for that sun-dried smell!

Vicki

A few new photos of Futa from late October to now. I goofed up somehow and they ended up in another album. Pages 3 and 4 have photos of ash days, and clear days.

http://www.allchile.net/chilephotos/thu ... =47&page=3

I went to the hardware store a few weeks ago to buy varnish, Nogal in color, and I wanted to get four gallons (lots of area to cover). Nope, don't have 4 gallons. I asked if the man could order some, and he wrote it down in his little order book. Next week he said. Next week comes, but the varnish didn't. This week, I send Greg to see if it's come in. The man explains to him that he hasn't ordered it yet because he still has two pints of the Nogal varnish left, and did he want to buy that so he could order the four gallons? See how it works?!?!?!?!

I may be completely wrong, a whacked out weirdo for even posting this prediction, but I'm watching all this serious infrastructure stuff go on in Futa...admittedly some already in the works before the Chaiten eruption...but much new stuff going on, and the amount of heavy equipment, building, and activity, and to me it looks like Futa is being prepared for a new provincial capital. I've been to Palena, and I've seen Santa Lucia (logistically best poised to be the capital) and nothing is going on there AT ALL. Futa is a beehive of serious work, not just ash removal, but new transformers, new drainage systems, water-treatment facility, the streets and roads. Houses popping up like lillies in springtime, internet and Direct TV lines and dishes. Meat markets, vegatable stores, but no gas station yet. New telephone poles replacing old ones.

Palena, I'm sure they are nice folks there, but it's not ready at all. There is one hotel/hostal, the two restaurants are closed most of the time and it's a far away dead-end (sorry Palena). Santa Lucia is a perfect cross-roads area, but seems uninterested (just a daft observation). Futa is preening at least. And now seems to be doing the serious work to accomodate an influx of people and business.

So, it remains to be seen, but I suspect it's already in the works. I have mixed feelings about the capital being here, but the up side is my home isn't actually in the town and it WOULD be nice to not have to travel a hobo's journey just to renew car tags, or buy medicine. Oh to not have to travel by bus to Trevelin to buy car insurance so I can come back and drive back over just to put gas in the truck! Oh to skip into town to renew my visa.

One other note of importance...The Futaleufu First Annual Dog Show and Competition is to take place this coming Saturday. Along with the usual biggest, smallest, prettiest and ugliest dog awards to be given out, there are categories for best bird hunter, best game hunter, and a few dexterity contests planned. Hope the weather is good, and I get some good pictures.

A quick update:

Summer came at least two weeks early and we have 90 F weather in town now. Last year is was Christmas week before the high temperatures hit. Usually breezes and wind would be nice, but the lack of is good to keep remaining ash from swirling. Speaking of ash, the removal has continued at lightening speed, grass has poked up through and obscured it. For the remaining streets not paved, water trucks spray to keep the ash and dust down. It's quite impressive. We saw a semi-load of kayaks and rafting materials coming into Futa yesterday, and the early backpackers are arriving.

The bus station (I use that loosely) has moved, the post office has moved, the Telephonica Sur office and internet has moved to a new location and added a cafe and small restaurant. Someone returning from a trip last year would be disoriented. On the main street coming into Futa from the border, next to Fernando's internet, a Spririts store has opened and offers an eclectic variety of beers (Austral, etc) wines (including one labeled "Pop Wine") and spirits. You know I would have noted that one right away!

It is still dusty at times, and yesterday it looked like a light ash fall drifted down, just slight. But that's about it.