Thursday, May 3, 2012

Earthquake!

4-30
At around 3am in the morning I was awoken to a shaking and loud grinding noise.  A bit delirious after a late night of going to bed around 2am after having a whole lot of wine with the Australians, I wasn´t quite sure what it was at first.  Then I realized what it was and thought, "cool!", as being in an earthquake was a Chilean experience I definitely wanted to have, and they had been having plenty in the Santiago, Valparaiso area.  I had been in a smaller earthquake a few years ago in Bali, I think like a low 5 on the richter scale.  The thing that still surprised me about the earthquake bc it´s not something that is portrayed on TV, is the sound.  The noise is loud and intense and just comes from deep in the earth.  In my state of drowsiness and intoxication, I didn´t make any quick movements to get outside (nor did any of the chileans as they experience so many big ones here they don´t think much of it) and just sort of let it rock me back to sleep.  In the morning I had almost forgotten about it, thinking it was a dream until someone asked if I had felt it.  Turns out it was a 6.0 on the richter scale, which is a pretty decent size.  The epicenter was only 5km from La Serena

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