Chile Earthquake Update
 

Hi guys,

My family, friends and myself are all safe after a horrific night and evacuation from our apartment block.

Basically everywhere north of Santiago is ok and the coast from Valparaiso north as well.

We have witnessed fuel rationing in Santiago.

Tur Bus, the major company, is still driving south, which says a lot about the roads.

If you must go south from Santiago make sure you can get well south of Concepcion in one go with all fuel and gear..... don't plan on any stops - at all.

Concepcion right now is under martial law due to food riots.

The south itself is fine for visiting.

I'll try to be helpful here, or try our blog to contact me. We even have a small garden for a tent if you need an emergency stop over.

Update
 

Hi,

The main highway (route 5) south of Santiago to Puerto Montt is open and traffic flowing - there are a few diversions in place.

It is still recommended that you avoid all areas between Santiago and Valdivia.

So that would be a long day ride/drive in one go. It is approx 800 - 900 km to Valdivia - which by the way is a nice place to end up and worth seeing.

Copec, the big Chilean gas station chain, on its website say the following services are open -
Northbound:
- Km 67, San Francisco de Mostazal.
- Km 237, Talca.
- Km 410, Chillán.
- Km 697, Freire.
- Km 906, Trafún.

Southbound:
- Km 66,5, San Francisco de Mostazal.
- Km 265, Talca salida sur.
- Km 518, Los Angeles salida sur.
- Km 646, Lautaro.


As I have driven around Chile I found Copec services to be a great place to overnight - it is probably best to do just that if you must stop en-route. Some even have hot showers.


This is just information from Copec, there will of course be other services but at least here you now have definite figures.


Take care.

I am now near Puerto Montt. At least some stations in this area seem to be limiting petrol purchases, and there are lines at the petrol stations. Since I've got a motorcycle, I don't use much petrol and haven't actually had any problems myself, but I'm noticing that people are tense and there's some obvious hoarding. For example, I see people in the supermercados wheeling baskets full stacked high with bottled water towards to checkout.

There are also a lot of rumours around, including that there are armed highway bandits stopping cars between here and Santiago. I doubt that this is particularly true, but it's an indication that people are nervous and ready to believe almost anything. That's how panics start, and panic--in my view, at least--can be dangerous.

Personally, I'm heading across the border to Argentina tomorrow--not because I'm scared or uncomfortable, but because I believe it's not a good idea to compete with local people for limited resources. If gas, water, food staples, cash from ATM's or other supplies are in limited supply, I might as well leave them for the people who don't have the option of slipping across the border for a while.

Hope that perspective is helpful.

Mark

Good point mate,

Have a safe trip and keep in touch.

A nice attitude to read about, under the circumstances: alturism is a admirable trait in a person, but I hope you can hope back over later: the South is really worth seeing.

I also hope the Chilean population as whole can get back on it's feet and their hardship is as short-lived as possible.

Thanks. I'm coming from the south (Ushuaia, Ruta 40, Carraterra Austral, etc.) and heading slowly homeward, and I've already passed through much of the north on my way down a few months ago, so it's not as if I'm sacrificing much.

Chilenos, in my experience, are bearing up well and acting constructively. They are better at dealing with adversity than, for example, Americans....but then I could easily make this point about almost anyone in the world. Coming through Chaiten (wiped by a volcano a couple of years ago and just beginning to be re-settled against government policy) and heading into the current earthquake zone points up a few crucial points both about human resiliency and our vulnerability to natural forces. Since my own home is near the foot of a large, active volcano and along a similar subduction fault, the lessons are not merely academic.

Safe journeys!

Mark