OK on Easter Island

As everyone now knows there was a massive earthquake in Chile early this morning - I am writing late at night. By some extraordinary stroke of fortune I had booked my trip to Easter Island and flew out yesterday morning arriving here in the afternoon. I had spent the previous 24 hours in an over night bus to Santiago going past many of the places that have been so badly affected.

So at 6.15am we were woken by a car going by with a loudhailer announcing that every one living along the coastal roads had to go as fast as p[ossilbe to the church (on higher ground) because there was a risk of a tsunami. Sharon, who owns thje cabin I am staying in understood as it was in spanish and immediatley was shouting to get us up, I quickly dressed grabbed money, passport, specs, camera and computer and we got in Sharons car (I and two other guests ... two others had a hire car). The church was only a few streets away. There a crowd was forming and some kind of bush telegraph of instructions was that they expected a wave to hit the other side of the island at about 7-8 but that it may ripple around the island and come quite high up the coast - possibly over the road ... and the cabins are just the other side of the road. So as the sun rose there were people just hanging around for more news: people sitting on the roadside, milling about, cars, horses, dogs,,,,,,

News slowly trickled through about the earthquake .... as you probably know Easter Island is part of Chile so many people here have relatives onthe mainland. Alll very worrying and even now Sharon has not heard from her great friend who works with her running the cabins who was visiting her family in Conception and was due to fly back here today.

So, I am all right and feel blessed that I am here rather than in Santiago or anywhere else there.There are no flights in or out of the island at the moment until LAN who have a monopoly on the flights here has anything today.... website jammed and office closed. Airport has no info either. While Santiago airport is reportedly closed for 72 hours.

I am due out on a flight on Thursday .but there are loads of other people due out before then. Not sure what will be on offer as alternatives. There are rumours that they are diverting people to Mendoza in Argentina. That would be fine by me as I have decided that is where I would be aiming for now.

So as long as the food lasts here this is where we stay. Sharon made us go straight to the supermarket to stock up ... found it very difficult to decide what to buy... so I have spaghetti and porridge ...oh and I found some coffee which is a rarity anywhere in Chile who seem to live off nescafe and the boring thin powder stuff at that.

Finally it was deemed safe to return to the cabins and so we had a late breakfast and just slowly came to over what had just happened. It was a glorious day with beautiful blue skies and seas ... it seemed hard to believe that such devastation was unravelling across the seas.

Finally I put on my boots and set off to hike up one of the craters and see the ceremonial village of the birdman rituals. I felt I should celebrate being safe in a positive way. It was hot and the crater itself was magnificcent. Pictures later. Must got to bed.