February 27, 2010, in the middle of the night, Karem shaking me awake with energy. Seeing my astonishment, she does not pronounce a word: "Temblores" and then proceeded to the doorway of our room, where I am. They say the lintel of a door is the best protection in the event of strong shaking. All
Chilean (do), knows this and I (the) believe gifted (e) a sixth sense to evaluate the importance ....
In the next moment, the terremoto assume paramount importance. I have already suffered a few tremors land, Peru, Colombia, no doubt, and of course in Chile, but never anything as hard, nor too long My ...." "Chilean snuggles cons that I am no more reassured her. The quake calms down finally after an eternity that does not have more than a minute.
the end of the corridor, the señora Violetta, owner of the house, finds solace in the arms of one of his guests to the imposing stature, which attempts to provide him with soothing words and has nearly seventy years and the heart fragile.
To prevent the risk of fire, electricity was cut off and all the hills of Valparaiso are plunged into darkness. Armed with a flashlight, Manuel Hernan, son of the house, soon joined by giant, made an inventory of damage. Some long cracks on a wall, a bit of broken glass, but nothing to worry about ... It is indeed strange to see how these houses consist of a tangle of girders. adobe and corrugated iron are able to resist, and often better than real hard, a jolt that will be evaluated when the day came to 7.5 degrees on the Richter scale and 8.8 in its epicenter, 300 km further south, the largest earthquake in fifty years ......
We descend to the ground floor, near the entrance of the house. In the street, calling to each one port to another: "Como estas?" "Well, there you?" "Well, well .." Out of it. is the silence that dominates even the seagulls, usually so noisy, fell silent .....
Everyone consults his watch, as if time had at that time, any significance .... Unconsciously, perhaps, to say that one is still alive. It is four o'clock in the morning. We decide, Karem and me to visit Philippe, a French friend, whose hotel is situated 100 meters.
Facing an earthquake, there seems to be two schools: one that calls out in the street suddenly in any place whatsoever, in fear of a replica, and the advising to stay home because the street with her framed walls may collapse and power cables, ready to fall, constitute a real danger.
The house where we stayed is for the second school, but on the way, we meet many people who chose to end the night outside, installing sometimes even makeshift ...
Chez Philippe, the damage is more important ... The entrance of the hotel has suffered numerous cracks pretty much broken glass and broken crockery and some of its customers fled precipitately. but it is, as often, the thing with his philosophy ... concern, however, is directed towards a part of his family residing in Santiago, where word of mouth, always misleading, has initially located the epicenter of the earthquake. But the phone rings in the air ... What Philippe interpreter, still as a good sign ... The walls are still standing, and that his daughter and the mother of the child were able to leave home. .. I do not really share that optimism, but prefers to remain silent ...
We left a few moments later, a little reassurance about his fate and return to our home.
Replicas, there will be throughout the night, and sometimes quite strong, but they no longer able to pull us out of bed ...
In the morning I drink my coffee on the front steps of the house. As he passed the parlor door, I see that the Señora Violetta preferred finish his night on the ground floor. She sleeps in a chair under a blanket, surrounded by senior's portrait of her late husband, myself and the picture brings tears to my eyes.
Street displays a quiet Sunday ... It is Saturday, but ...
At this writing, the earthquake is still on everyone's lips, there were 708 deaths, and we are alive.
And the hills of Valparaiso, I can see from my window some lights seem to still miss the call .....
