Situated along the banks of Lago Villarica, in the shadows of the Villarica Volcano, Pucon has long been a destination for those who have a passion for nature and adventure. Virtually every type of outdoor sport, from horseback riding and…
Craving an Indian Feast
At some point in an expat’s sojourn, the craving for a familiar comfort food becomes so intense that there is little rest until it is satisfied. For our friend and colleague, Juan Carlos, the craving was for an Indian vindaloo…
My Weekend for a Fish
It was a cold, drizzly Autumn Saturday, and the afternoon cried out for a return to normal weekend life. In Chile, regardless of the weather, weekends are perfect for drives along the coast to enjoy the beauty of the ocean…
My Life is in my Books
A few weeks ago, the New York Times published an editorial on the impact of Apple’s newly released ipad, which essentially heralded death to print and long live the electronic age and ebooks. As we were still living in the…
A Day of Escape to the Real World
When living in the midst of a disaster, it takes time to realize that, somewhere in the world, life, as we knew it, continues to flourish. The struggle to survive and make it through another day keeps us contained to…
Survival After Surviving a Great Quake
As a child of the 60’s, I was fully indoctrinated with “duck and cover” in grade school, crawling under my desk or covering my head and crouching in the halls. However, such education sorely lacked what to do after crawling…
There has to be a Morning After
The morning after shed light onto a new way of life. In the matter of three minutes, the Earth had changed life as we had come to know and enjoy it. Gone were the conveniences that made human life human.…
Another City of Ruins
Now the sweet bells of mercy Drift through the evening trees Young men on the corner Like scattered leaves, The boarded up windows, The empty streets While my brother’s down on his knees My city of ruins My city of…
The Aftermath
When I awoke, the earth had settled into occasional convulsions. It was finally safe enough to return to our campsite. The picturesque campground that we had come to enjoy was in a shambles. Most of the shelters were damaged, with…
Earthquake Rocks Chile
The earthquake struck about 3:30am. Sergio and I were asleep in our tent, when we were awakened by a tremendous rumble. Suddenly, the tarp, flaps, tent and floor began to shake rapidly. Sergio’s first sleepy thought was that a storm…