Continuing to Chile

As it turns out, my flight tomorrow to Santiago is still going. The airport has had significant damage to its passenger terminal, so they've had to create makeshift facilities and as a result are only operating with 20% of their originally scheduled traffic, but as it turns out my flight is one of the 20% that is going. So for better or for worse, I’m continuing as originally planned.

So long as I can get there, things should be OK. I’ve touched base with the hostel where I’m staying and a friend that happened to also be there this week and it sounds like the things in the places we are going and the basic infrastructure of the city and public transportation systems (with the exception of the airport) are pretty much back to business as usual. Of course the hostel owner might have a biased opinion on this as she doesn’t want to lose any more income streams than she already is as a result of the earthquake. I can always play it by ear, and if I find it’s not appropriate for me to be there once I arrive I can always bump up my plans and catch my bus to Mendoza the very next morning after I arrive (I was told the bus system in Santiago has been fully operational since Monday).

The biggest problem at this point was not being able to meet Laura there as we had planned. She wasn’t as lucky as I, and her flight was canceled. She was able to set up some alternate flights so she can continue the rest of her vacation, but we won’t be meeting in Chile. As a result I had to cancel a day trip with a private driver to a few wineries, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar. I’m pretty bummed out about it as I was really looking forward to it, but I’m certainly not dwelling on it. In comparison to all the people in the parts of Chile that were hard-hit by the quake and have had their homes destroyed or lost family and friends, messing up my trip itinerary a bit is a rather insignificant issue.