Peru

After a weekend of waiting for Mario trying to make his way to Peru he finally arrived the following Monday, exhausted and hungry and without his luggage. We bought a few essentials and expected that his bags would catch up with him before long. We were happy to be together again after our month-long separation so for now, the difficulties seemed to be behind us so I concentrated on getting things ready for the boat’s arrival.

I met with teachers at a couple schools in Lima, did some exploring of the city, and met with the manager of the Yacht Club Peruano. The boat arrived on Thursday and Mario and I enjoyed dinner at the Yacht Club with captain and crew of the good Ocean Watch. They were all notably impressed by Mario’s persistence and perseverance through his ordeal getting to Peru. We will add Mario’s stay in the Panama airport jail to his collection of unbelievable but true tales to entertain our dinner guests.

The following afternoon Mario and I took off on a trip south towards the desert region of the country. We rented a car and I somehow navigated my way safely though the hair-raising Lima traffic. Traffic signals and signs in Lima are not even taken as suggestion, they are blatantly ignored.

We arrived to Pisco that evening bleary-eyed and with no idea of where to stay or eat. As seems to be always true in Latin America, someone was standing by to take advantage of just such an opportunity. His name was Felix. Felix hailed us down as we were scanning the streets for signs of a hotel. He led us to a hotel that was cheap and close (and actually had internet) so we gladly pulled in and parked. Felix wanted to sell us his tours of the area. He opened his pitch by showing us a book about the 2007 Pisco earthquake and pointed out the members of his family pictured in the book, listed as dead. Somehow that led him directly to selling us tours of the nearby national parks. We bought the boat tour to Las Islas Ballestas for the following morning. It wasn’t until the next day that we found out we’d paid three times the price of the tickets with Felix. Alas, the lesson was relearned not to make purchases when overtired.

The islands were blanketed by birds and sea lions. Mario’s binoculars were one of the items lost with his bag so he was disappointed to have to look at birds without optical enhancement but he took plenty of pictures anyway. It was beautiful but the overpowering odor of guano will be imprinted in my memory for a long time as well.

Following the boat tour we continued on to Lago Huacachina in nearby Ica. This is a town near a fresh water-sulfurous spring (there was no sulfur odor however) surrounded by huge sand dunes. We stayed at a fun colonial hotel on the lake and signed up for a dune buggy/sandboarding tour for sunset.

The buggy ride was breathtaking (both from apprehension and beauty) as we sped up and over the crests and valleys of the dunes. We stopped for pictures and then for the main event. Sandboarding. I had tried this once before already in Chile and had done alright but these dunes appeared much larger and more intimidating than the others. Mario zipped down the dunes first, belly down, head first. It took me a little longer to build up the courage but once I did I could belly slide with the best of them. We watched the sun fall below the sandy summits together in one of the most romantic moments of our trip and then climbed back in the buggy for the ride back to the hotel.

We were up early the next morning boarding our private taxi to take us to Nazca, home of the famous Nazca Lines. The drive there was one of the most memorable parts of the day. Grey barren mountains grew out of the morning mist from the desert floor. The road climbed through the hills and then descended into impossibly green lush valleys.

Mario was complaining that morning of an upset stomach, presumably from another meal consumed overeagerly. Nevertheless, we arrived to the small airport in Nazca. This had been my idea but I was beginning to question my sanity. No matter how I felt now the tickets were purchased and there was no going back. We boarded the four passenger plane that was to fly us over the Lines. Mario had initially tried to jump in front but after I almost killed him he resigned himself to sitting behind the pilot with me. We puttered up to the runway and then with a little speed and not so much effort we were airbound. At first it was very pleasant. The ride was smooth and the mountains and fields fell neatly below us. That was, until our first turn. We came to the “astronaut” geogliph first and as the plane tilted 90 degrees to the left and then again to the right I gripped Mario’s arm with the force of a drowning victim. I was ready to go down but of course that wasn’t an option. I tried to make the best of it and I did see some of the Lines while the plane wasn’t turning. At each turn though, I shut my eyes tightly and prayed it would be over quickly.

Mario, on the other hand, made a much better showing of the affair and dutifully looked over both sides of the plane and got some great pictures and even some video. Just as we were finishing our last turn however, Mario began to feel the combined effects of the previous night’s fish and the dizzying motion of the flight. He reached for a bag and it was all over. We landed two minutes later. We bought some obligatory souvenirs (including a shirt to add to the few clothes Mario had with him in Peru) and climbed back into the taxi, stunned and shaken. Of course we had a good laugh about it all, once Mario was feeling better.

We stopped at a tower to see some more of the Lines and then a little museum that gave more background about the history of these mysterious Lines. Unfortunately there wasn’t much time for recovery. There was an hour’s rest at the hotel pool and then we were back on our way to Lima, arriving late, and then I began a busy week’s work the following morning.

The Earthquake

As I’m sure you all know by now, I was not present in Chile for the earthquake, but just barely. I left the morning of Friday, the 26th and the quake happened the following night/early morning. I was preoccupied by Mario’s struggle to enter Peru (see Mario’s Epic Journey) so at first I was not as effected as I could have been by the news. As the day passed however, the reality of my fortune began to sink in. Had I decided to leave just a day later I would not have been able to fly out of Santiago for God knows how long. It still isn’t at its full capacity several weeks later. Plus the idea of being there alone and trapped in a terrifying 8.8 quake still gives me the chills.

I wrote to Mark to make sure all was well at sea. Since they were about 200 miles offshore the tsunami wave (which travels along the sea floor very rapidly) had passed beneath them without the slightest hint of anything unusual from where they sat. Had we been in the marina, or the place where we’d passed Concepcion by only a mile offshore, it would have been an entirely different story. I joked that one of their lucky charms aboard (perhaps the dried seahorse) was doing its job, but with any other timing this could have been the end, or at least a major setback to the project.

Next, I set about writing to all my new friends in Chile. Everyone was well but the marina was a mess, several boats lost and major damage sustained. Pictured here are the before and after shots of the marina. Also, most of the people we met are among an upper class and would have been living in homes that were up to pretty high standards.

Chileans are amazingly resilient people and they seem to be rallying from the disaster remarkably well. Still, it gives me pause to think of the power of nature and those that were unfortunate enough to be paired against it.

Concon/Vina del Mar/Valparaiso

Our hosts at the Yacht Club Higuerrillas turned out to be the friendliest yet. No one was afraid to come by to say hello or ask who we were. We got to know many of the kids in the sailing school program there by name and the Club manager, Francisco attended our every request. We held a presentation, Open House events with boat tours, and kids’ classes. All of which were well attended by very enthusiastic participants.

We were also invited to a luncheon one afternoon by Mauricio and his comrades at the Naval Club in Vina del Mar. We dined with Naval officers and friends which all sounds very classy but, thanks to one man named Ronald, thing were brought back down a notch or two. Ronald is a Chilean Scottsman with a fancy for drinking and dirty jokes. Unfortunately for us, he could even tell them in English. In between conversations over our concerns for the ocean and the environment good ole’ Ron would insert a sex joke, just to keep things interesting.

The next day Mauricio and his wife were kind enough to take me on a tour of Valparaiso. Kirsty and I had tried to go over the a couple days before but despite our best efforts, the best thing we found was the most random street fair I’d ever seen. Among the items lined up in the stands: books, nail polish, flowers, light bulbs, furniture, CDs, and beautiful arrays of carefully laid out plumbing supplies. As cool as that was, I felt I could use another trip into the city.

I had been excited to ride the famous old ascensors that climb the sides of the steep hills of the city. The first one we took was near the busy port. We walked on with several other people and one dog that seemed to know exactly where it was going, and the old pully system kicked into gear. It was a beautiful view and a short ride. At the top the dog walked off first and Mauricio and I followed.

His wife met us at the top in the car and then we went into the Naval and Maritime Museum which used to be Mauricio and Alberto’s Naval school. Mauricio guided me through Chile’s turbulent history of wars at sea, showed me where his mother was born, just next door, and I even got a picture of him with his grandfather’s portrait. It really brought the museum to life. Next, we drove over to La Ascensor de Concepcion to ride one of the most famous ones in the city. I finally felt like I’d seen Valparaiso for the colorful and historic city that it is. What a special treat that day was.

I had no shortage of friends in this city as they seemed to be cropping up everywhere. Chileans are, as I’ve stated before, some of the most amazingly friendly people I have ever met. So before I left I was also invited to the home of Ana Maria and Jorge, whom I’d met at Alberto’s house in Chiloe but live very close to the Yacht Club there in Concon. Jorge is an artist so he invited me over to see his paintings and his studio and I shared a wonderful vegetarian lunch with the three of them. I would love to come back and visit them again in the future.

The boat was scheduled to leave in the morning on a Wednesday but due to the all too common complicated bureaucracy of the Chilean customs system the crew was not able to depart until late that afternoon. It was a great headache all the way around but it didn’t taint our experience with the country in general, which was shining.

I headed out for Santiago with Kirsty and dropped her off at the airport and then vegged out in the airport hotel for another day before I left for Lima.

Sailing the Southern Pacific

We began by navigating our way South back out of the channels. The scenery reminded me a lot of the San Juan Islands back home, it was gorgeous and very easy sailing. Near the end of the channels we stopped for the night and anchored outside of the home of Alberto Montenellro on the island of Chiloe (cheel-oh-ay). Alberto is the author of a guide to the Patagonian channels of Chile which was instrumental to Ocean Watch’s navigation of these waters. When we wrote to him about using his guide he happily invited us to his home for dinner. His daughter Ana Maria, son-in-law, Jorge, and their teenage son also joined us. Alberto did all the cooking. His wife had passed away several years ago so he was very pleased to have guests and company. He was a very lively host and cooked a very fine meal. There were mussels (which I don’t normally eat but I could still appreciate) and grilled salmon and potatoes. After dinner we rode the dingy back to the boat under the bright southern stars and all slept full and happy.

The following morning we weighed anchor around 6:30 to catch the outflowing tide into the Pacific. It was a perfect blue sky and deep blue sea and relatively calm. Around eight off to the starboard side I spotted some whales. They were too far away to identify but we’d been told that Blue Whales were common in that area and time of year.

Soon the seas and the wind picked up at our backs and we were scooting right along at about 12 or 13 knots. By that evening the swell had grown to a wild and wooly 14-15 feet! Because we were traveling with the wind the motion wasn’t as bad as it sounds. One wave would come up underneath us and then we’d surf swiftly down the leeward side. Sleeping wasn’t entirely easy in these conditions. I had a hard time getting my neck comfortable. Every time it was just right the boat would roll and I’d lose my spot. The leecloth that ties up across the side of the bunk was definitely necessary. I came to really like the privacy and coziness it afforded as well.

I was on watch with Mark, David T. and Kirsty-four hour day shifts and three hour nights. I impressed the crew by always being the first up for my shifts. It was just too painful to lie there longer, lamenting the loss of sleep. Better to just get up and do it. Conversation flowed easily and after the first day or two we had built up enough jokes between us to pass the hours very quickly. But beware of what you let Herb overhear because it just might make it into the public blog…

Time becomes as the sea aboard Ocean Watch, fluid and dreamy. One morning we had another pod of dolphins join us. They swam alongside us for a couple of hours, dodging and surfing through the large seas.

The sea flattened around the time we were passing by Concepcion (epicenter of the recent Chile earthquake) and we finally had to turn the motor on after two quiet days of pure sailing. We plodded on for another day and finally pulled into the marina in Concon, about forty miles south of Valparaiso.

We had a large party of welcomers including some press, Yacht Club members, a host of excited children, Mauricio Ojeda (friend of Herb’s and classmate and coworker of Alberto’s) and two of his thirteen grandchildren. We conducted a couple interviews and then climbed ashore for a beautiful lunch on the terrace overlooking the marina.

Mario's Epic Tale of Pain and Folly over a Visa to Peru

To all who have seen the bizarre facebook status updates as they've gone by, here's the whole story of Mario's difficult journey to Peru and back over the past three days.

He came to meet me here in Lima on Friday so he left early Friday morning. He had an all day layover in Panama City and he arrived in Lima about 10:30 Friday night. We were all excited to see each other and then I got a phone call from him saying that he couldn't pass immigration. I thought he was just teasing me so I laughed at first until I realized he was serious.

Apparently, citizens of Central American countries need a Visa to enter Peru. It only costs $12 but they make you buy it in your home country. The airline allowed him to check in without checking to see that he had this Visa. So he got stuck in the Lima airport all night on Friday to be sent back to Panama on Saturday morning.

He needed to get to a Peruvian consulate so I thought it made more sense to just stay in Panama for the weekend until the consulate opened on Monday so he could fly directly from there without risking another long layover. He spent all Saturday talking to airline officials and finally they said he could leave the airport.

As he left the airport however, the arrested him. I guess because he was in transit, technically deported, he wasn't allowed to exit the airport until Costa Rica. Of course no one had told him that either.

So they put him in a room with 8 smelly guys and nothing like a bed. And someone had even stolen his toothbrush, which, if you know Mario, is a really big deal. This is his second night spent in an airport since he left CR. He called me exhausted and upset, as you can imagine, and there was nothing I could do. I told him to go eat and buy a new toothbrush and that I loved him.

He was supposed to fly out the following morning at 7am but just as he was about to board his flight they canceled the entire flight due to plane trouble. He tried all day to get on another flight but he couldn’t track down any airline officials all day and when he did all that was left was the next morning. He still couldn’t leave the airport. So Mario spent ANOTHER day and night, his third, in the airport.

He was then supposed to be on a flight this morning (Monday) at 5am. They said they would call him but they changed the gate without telling him so he missed that one too.

Finally they put him on a flight that left at 8:40 this morning and he must be on it because I haven’t heard anything otherwise.

Once he gets to Costa Rica he has to go to do battle with TACA to make them give him a new roundtrip ticket back to Lima, since it was their fault they didn’t properly check his passport on check-in. I think truly, it’s the very least they can do. Also he will have to go to the Peruvian embassy and hopefully get the stupid visa and then maybe, if that all comes together, he can travel all over again just to come see me.

It’s been a nightmare and every time I think it’s at its worst it worsens somehow.

So he’s had terrible luck but I, most certainly, have been very fortunate. I left Santiago just a matter of hours before the earthquake. The airport has been shut down for days and will continue to be for a while more. I can’t imagine how awful it would have been had I tried to leave the country just a day later.

So that’s our epic tale for the present. Not even including all the stuff from work. Life’s been very weird lately so I’m hoping things will begin to normalize soon and Mario and I can just have a nice vacation together in Peru.

Another good science site

This one's from Yale. The linked article is about Wal-Marts steps towards ecological transparency with their products. I'm not a Wal-Mart fan but this is actually an interesting and potentially significant step especially since it's an international corporation.

http://www.e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2190

Puerto Montt, Chile-Part 2 : Teaching and Volcanoes

The next day I gave my first set of children’s classes at the library. There were about twelve kids in attendance from the ages of 8-12. We started with some coloring and making paper boats. Next, we sat on the carpet in a circle and did the Food Web activity using the stuffed animals. We discussed how these animals were connected to each other in the ocean and what happens to these connections when the web is disrupted. Also we talked about bioaccumulation and its effects on a marine ecosystem (see Educator’s Toolkit for more information). Finally, using their paper boats the kids played the game about Sustainable Fishing (see online curriculum). All the kids were really sweet and well behaved and they all looked like they had a great time.

On Wednesday, Feb. 10th the boat finally arrived. They had been battered by storms and difficult onboard guests and all were clearly in need to a break. We all had a happy reunion and then most checked into the hotel and went to sleep. David and Kirsty were kind enough to accompany me to my next day of children’s classes that afternoon. This time I gave a slide show presentation to the kids, we talked about ocean acidification and went outside for a cloud observation activity. Word must have spread from the day before because that day the attendance nearly tripled! Plus the library teacher had been inspired from the day before and brought in some fun ocean themed decorations for the room, including some turtle pillows, stuffed sharks and even a stuffed catfish! David got some great pictures of me with the kids, there’s a couple posted on the website even (www.aroundtheamericas.org).

This was the first day that the sun had some out in Puerto Montt so after class I decided to go take a drive. I went north armed with a couple crude maps and found my way to a town called Frutillera (Strawberry town?) on Lago Llanquihue. The town is an old German settlement that still maintains its character and that afternoon along the lake there was even a band playing. Behind the lake were two perfectly clear volcanoes, Orsorno and Cabulco. I took some great pictures and wished I could’ve stayed longer. I drove along the lake on the way back with the sun shining across grassy fields of wildflowers, happy looking cows, and willow trees. Between the travel and the work my life has been stressful at times just lately but this afternoon totally recharged my energy and my faith.

Thursday was somewhat uneventful. We cleaned the boat and I beat the rugs until I got a blister but the sunshine kept everyone cheerful enough. Then Friday was the day for the Open House.

Unfortunately Dave and I had to run an errand to the hardware store which ended up making me a little behind schedule that morning, but once the guests starting arriving things went very well. Everyone was in awe of the boat and the kids had fun running around the dock looking at fish and listening to the hydrophone (underwater microphone) I brought out. The parents commented on how special this event was because these marinas are not generally open to the public so this was a chance for them to see a part of their own town they’d never experienced.

Saturday came the day to leave for Valparaiso. We checked out, loaded up, fueled and headed out into the Chilean canals towards the Pacific.