Buried in Ashes...again.


On June 4th  while we were celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary, down in Chile, a volcano called Puyehue erupted  and sent an ash cloud 6 miles up into the sky. Unfortunately San Carlos de Bariloche is only 62 miles downwind... 

Photograph: Francisco Ramos Mejia/AFP/Getty Images
This is the famous hotel Llao Llao, a few kilometers outside of town.

According to reporter Laureana Fuentes, "It turned dark from 4pm (1900 GMT) and a kind of rain started.  We can hear thunders and you can't see anything in the streets.  There is a two to three centimeter ash accumulation"
Photograph-Sofia Sandor
Ashes covered everything.  My friend Sofia shared this photo of her father's car with me.  When we lived there in 2008, I posted this. It was the first time ashes had rained down on the city in either a long time or ever, but since then it has happened three more times.

Photograph: Alfredo Leiva/AP





It was obviously quite a mess to clean up.  It also closes the airport, and puts a huge damper on the city's tourism (their whole economy is based on it).  I remember my friend, Betina was worried back then that this one would erupt.... Only 60 miles away she said forebodingly.  It's really such a beautiful place, such a shame to see it turn gray!

 On a different note, we are busy preparing to visit San Diego Comic Con.  I just received confirmation today that I'll be drawing at The Cartoon Art Museum booth again this year, and I will also be reporting on the event as a new writer for the Examiner in the "San Diego Artisans and Crafters" section.

Comments

Sunny said…
Like the dust in Arizona, one never understands or realizes what things like this are until you see the pictures. Having to use a grader to get the ashes outmofmthe streets emphasizes how much there was.
Yes, I read about the big sand storms that just hit Phoenix, that must have been awful. The problem with volcanic ash though is that it's toxic. As of last week kids were still home from school due to the ashes.

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