So, the big 8.8 hit on Saturday, the aftershock tremors lasted a few days, and here we are on Wednesday. A 5.9 aftershock hit today so……more tremors. This afternoon we were on the roof (18th floor) and our building started to tremble. Tonight, we were playing online chess with our nephew and….you guessed it….more wobble. Not a good feeling.
We’re trying not to dwell on it but if you watch CNN you’ll see that not much has improved over the past 4 days. Personally, things for us aren’t bad…we have cold water (no hot showers), electricity, and internet…..and we are extremely lucky compared to the towns on the coast. AND we get to enjoy sunsets like these out our window:
Our local grocery store is only one door down and, as soon as we step out onto the sidewalk, we are standing in a line that is easily 40 deep. The grocery store is a really popular spot right now – water, bread, items of sustenance – so they are serious about regulating the traffic flow. For the past 3 days we wait outside the grocery store for about 20 minutes, shop inside for about 15 minutes, then wait in the check-out line for 30 minutes. Again, not a big deal as compared to life on the Chilean coast but that’s just how things are going for us at the moment. Today we took the elevator in our building for the first time since Saturday……the stairs feel safer.
Tomorrow we’ll get out-and-about again and try to take in some more local cuisine, see some museums, art shows, and live music. We’ve searched for local volunteer opportunities that simply need our time and effort but, very surprisingly, those aren’t as available as we might have hoped. We’re looking for a food bank or a blood drive or some sort of central dispatch where we can bundle care packages for those in need but…..still looking.