Since I’ve gotten here, I’ve kept my eyes open for signs of the recent earthquake that occurred in the early hours of February 27, 2010. Though this area isn’t very near to the epicenter in Concepción, you can see cracks in walls, piles of rubble that have yet to be cleared away (especially in the capital), and everyone here felt it and has their own account of their experience in those three minutes. But yesterday I had my own first experience with the seismic activity of this country on the eastern edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Everyday in el campo we take an hour and a half for lunch and a siesta. Yesterday we had just eaten and were all settling down to rest. I guess I had already dozed off, because the next thing I knew the girl next to me jumped up excitedly, and was asking me if I felt the tremor. I hadn’t, and didn’t think much of it, but then, there it was. Unmistakable. Un temblor. I’ve never felt anything like it. It was as if my vertigo was thrown off for a few seconds; like my mind couldn’t believe that the whole world was shaking like that. Incredible.
Just now I was told that there was also another tremor the day before yesterday. I didn’t feel it. Well, I imagine that this is only the first of my seismic experiences here in Chile. I just hope that nothing big happens. For everyone’s sake, eh?
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