Earthquake in Chile

The news of the 8.8 earthquake in Chile shook me. There was a minor earthquake where I was in Santiago, Chile last April. I was on the 4th floor of a small hotel and I felt the building shook a bit. At the time I wasn’t completely sure it was an earthquake. And I wasn’t scared. But 8.8 is another matter. The loss of lives and the damages were enormous.

We were there for a conference and we stayed around Santiago. We did not go to Concepcion, where the damage seemed to be most serious. But we did go to some of the places where damages were reported.

I remember the many magnificent churches, public buildings and the crowds in and around Plaza de Armas. The beautiful night scene looking down from the hill of San Cristobal.

I remember the colorful houses on the sloping hills of the port of Valparaiso. And the cable cars taking us up to the British enclaves on the cliffs.

I remember the beautiful beaches of Vina del Mar. And the seaside resorts.

Are they still there?