Aneya & Lauren: Presidential Inauguration ... and a possible tsunami?

One of the many marching bands in Valparaiso, awaiting the new President.
Such funny hats! They look like lampshades.
That's the ugly Congressional building, where Pinera was sworn in. See how empty it is?
Ahhh scary bomb squad guys! I asked them to pose for a picture, they weren't amused...
Lost of policemen on horses, not doing much "protecting" since I was right next to them.
Pinera! Look at the lax security around him...
Lauren and I couldn't believe how close we were...
I'm literally walking right behind his car, there's no barricade, nothing....
Later, at Mondea, the sparse crowd awaits the President's return.
And there he is! We were way closer to him hours earlier, in Valparaiso.
He gave a heartfelt speech from the balcony, very Evita of him.

Aneya: So Lauren and I had been cooped up in the apartment for the past two weeks, just lying low, adjusting to all the aftershocks and trying to get our bearing again. But after awhile, we were itching to leave the city. So on Thursday, when we heard President Pinera was being inaugurated in Valparaiso (yes, crazy amputee town) we got the first ticket out of here.

Lauren: We were finally in better spirits, and this was a historic moment we wanted to bear witness to. It was going to be in Valparaiso, but it was also the inauguration of a president, so we decided to buy two bus tickets out of town and check it out.

Aneya: Neither of us loved Valparaiso, the first time we visited, if you recall. And yet, we figured it's a historic day, so why not venture over to the town of freaks and scary looking dogs? It couldn't be that bad! Little did we know....

Lauren: That it would feel like doomsday in Region V.

Aneya: The bus ride was fine, completely normal 2 hour journey to the coastal port town. There were little groups of people lining the highways with Chile flags, and lots of police. We figured this was normal, the President, plus dignitaries from around South America, where all heading this direction. When we got to Valparaiso, the road to the terminal had been blocked off, so we were dropped off on a random street. The city was as dirty and gross as every, piles of debris still lying around, cabbage splayed everywhere, sick dogs, and scary looking people. Ahh yes, it was just as we'd left it!

Lauren: It was dirty, but the earthquakes made it dirtier. Giant piles of rubble everywhere, a few collapsed buildings. Why didn't people clean up here like they do in Santiago?

On the bus as we descended into the coastal region from the hills, there was heavy fog. It was nothing like sunny Santiago, but we figured hey, it's just a marine layer. We know all about that in LA. Whatever. Valparaiso was still depressing, but that's fine, we were there to see the president get inaugurated.

Aneya: We made our way towards the commotion and saw lines of military men with funny looking hats, plus at least 5 different marching bands. This was it! So why was nobody here? There were a couple hundred people, with Chile flags and pins, waiting for the President to leave the Congressional building. We waited with them, as the band played and marched in place. There were crazy looking bomb squad guys, and police everywhere. The atmosphere wasn't very happy, it was quiet, and a little tense. We didn't understand. This is their new President! The country voted for him, why aren't they more excited? Where were all the people?

Lauren: It was so strange. No one was cheering, hardly anyone was outside. All 300 people in attendance were eerily silent. What's wrong with these people? It's a new day, a new president. Why weren't they more excited?

Aneya: Finally, people starting leaving, the big, ugly Congressional building. It appeared they were members of his Cabinet. The left the building, then quickly got into these big square mini-vans and rode off. But where was Pinera himself? People had their radios turned up and we listened as we heard cheers erupting from the building. Then, we saw him! Looking giddy with his new sash, Pinera got in an old Ford convertible and rode down the street, waving and smiling to the small crowd.

Lauren and I ran after his car and after a moment we were literally right behind him. I couldn't believe the lack of security! I could have jumped into the back of the car with him if I wanted to! There was no barricade, just 5 men walking slowly beside the car. That's it. I walked right behind it, next to a large horse with a policeman on it. The whole thing was really unbelievable. Oh and I swear he looked right at me and smiled at one point!

Lauren: It was both a lot of security, and not enough protecting the president. Police in unnecessary riot gear, yes, but maybe 10 secret service guys. And it was the shortest post inauguration procession ever. Just walking down the stairs, he hopped in a classic Ford, drove about a block and a half then got in another car and sped away. Why? I mean, there weren't a lot of people to give a speech for, but still. A little something else would have been expected. Five bands, 10 soldiers on horses, and this ten minute procession was it? There was just something not right about all this, but hey, we got closer to the president than a lot of people.

Aneya: That was definitely the highlight of our day. Pinera eventually got out of his convertible and into a safer, covered car, then sped away. It was definitely the strangest inauguration we'd ever attended but hey- this is Chile, maybe they just do things a little differently here? Anyway, after he left, we decided to get lunch. But where? Everything was shut down, and everyone seemed to be fleeing the area. Again, we didn't know why this was happening, but we decided to get a bus to Vina del Mar, the supposedly glamorous sea side city that's 15 minutes away.

Lauren: Everything was closed. Everything. It was like a ghost town. The few people in attendance were the only people in the entire city. So since everything was closed, we thought we'd take a municipal bus to Vina, and walk around there. Hopefully it would be sunnier, and we could just relax, walk around before heading back to Santiago.

Aneya: So we get on this tiny little bus, and we get the last two seats available. We're still on a high from being so close to the President, and we feel so lucky we got to be a part of it. We're also still surprised at the lack of people, but we figure everyone's still shook up from the earthquake. We enter Vina fairly quickly, and then realize we have no idea where to get off. And the bus is getting more crowded by the minute. People jam themselves in, standing wherever they can, some hanging off the side. I'm starting to feel really claustrophobic, and this stupid baby carriage is poking me in the arm (just fold the damn thing, the baby's in your lap!)

Lauren: People were hanging out of the car, and the bus driver said nothing. He sped along, and as we got into the hills, there was this incredible traffic. We've never experienced traffic in Chile; we figured it must be from the president's visit. All the streets had to be closed off, and other streets were impacted. This bus was so crowded, it was unbelievable. Where was the entire city going at the same time?

Aneya: So we're on this bus, and now we're starting to panic, because even if we did want to leave, there's four huge guys blocking the door! And the stupid baby carriage! So we sit still, and look for signs of life. But the entire town is shut down! There's no one on the streets, and no restaurants appear to be open. What the hell is happening?

Lauren: It was eerily quite in Vina, too. There was no obvious place to get off, because the whole town was closed. It was Thursday at 2 p.m., an odd time for siestas, vacations, or any other excuse for closing up shop early. Whatever. We just wanted to see a new city, get out of Santiago for the day, relax. This crowded, tiny bus was anything but calming.

Aneya: We finally get off, at the last possible stop. Now we've driven all the way through Vina and we're on top of one of the many hills. Everyone seems to get off the higher up we go. I have no idea why. We're both hungry and tired by now, and we have no idea where we are. Oh, and we have to pee too. Things aren't lookin too good.

Lauren: I talk to a passenger who tells me that we must get off at the next stop. So we have no options, it's here that we must get off. But by now we're in a tiny pueblo, with dirt sidewalks, and about five shops. I ask someone if we can use his bathroom, but he says the whole town's water had been shut off. Strange. Why would that be? Whatever. We'll just have to wait until we get back. But, no bus, cab, colectivo, no one is offering to drive us back down the hill. We're stuck on this hill, in a tiny pueblo, and I just want to know how we're getting back home.

Aneya: We get a snack and try to think of a plan. We ask about toilets and are informed no one has any working water here. What?! Now we're really starting to panic. We quickly spot a cab and ask him to take us the the center of Vina, wherever the hell that is. And down the hill we go, Lauren questioning the driver about, well, everything. That's when we discover there's been a tsunami warning, and everyone was told to evacuate, that's why everything's closed. Oh shit.

Lauren: It was so crazy. I ask him, "So, um, why's everything closed? Where is everyone?"

"Oh, it must have been the two sizable replicas and the tsunami warning," he answers. Oh my, God. There is a tsunami warning and this guy is driving us straight toward the ocean. That's when things begin to click. People panicking, packing the bus to the brim, fleeing for high ground. The crowded streets on the hills, the fact that every store is closed, the doomsday/earthquake weather, the rubble that wasn't cleaned up. It was new rubble, piles 4-feet high and at least 3-feet across, and we're headed straight for the most unsafe place to be. Faaaantastic. It was almost laughable.

Aneya: This is really scary news. We don't know what to do. We get out of the cab and wander the ghost town of Vina. We spot a restaurant, and quickly use their bathroom. We ask if we can eat. The woman is totally bitchy and clearly stressed and sends us packing. Before we leave we see people screaming and running for their lives on TV. I check to see where they are. Valparaiso?! What? We were just there! This is getting too weird.

Lauren: That woman totally refused us service, in the meanest way possible. But we are in a "state of catastrophe." Naturally, she's a bit on edge. People are panicking, running, the streets empty except for us, a few derilicts, homeless and the dogs. Everyone else went straight to high ground. What were we thinking? Why did I suggest we go here? Of course, it was my bad idea, my fault.

Aneya: Lauren looks like she's starting to panic, and tells me we need to get the hell out of here, now. I tell her no, we need to eat first. Let's be sensible here. We find another restaurant and eat quickly, everyone is clearly on edge. Our waitress keeps looking outside, as if a giant wave is gonna come crashing by any moment. She informs us the tsunami alert went into affect at 2 am. She looks really scared, which in turn scares us. We eat quickly and leave, on the lookout for the nearest bus station.

Lauren: I needed to leave. Tsunami warnings? Two strong aftershocks?? Get me on the first bus home. Our little apartment sounded like paradise. But Aneya was insistent that we lunch first, and hey, why not? We're hungry, nervous, and we needed all the energy we could get. We still were one city away from our departure city and not sure if an exchange in Vina will work.

We find the second open restaurant a small fuente de soda, and the waitresses look on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Two people from the restaurant keep looking outside at the ocean, like watching the ocean would do anything. The other is being comforted by a cook in the kitchen, resassuringly rubbing her back with the "It's-all-going-to-be-fine" look. Oh, and the apocalypse was on the TV, playing people fleeing Valparaiso in a panic. Not exactly a calm meal. After that we're ready to get home and I ask around for the bus station to see if we might exchange our tickets for two hours earlier and from here instead of Valparaiso.

Aneya: We wander around Vina for awhile, looking for the bus station. We get there and Lauren asks if we exchange our tickets. The man calmly assures us we can, and the next thing we know we're on a bus, heading back to Santiago.

Lauren: It was the easiest thing I've ever done. "Excuse me, sir. I'd like to exchange these two tickets leaving Valparaiso at 6 p.m. for two leaving here immediately." "Sure thing." I feel like if the same thing happened in the States people would be screaming, angry, panicked, but not here. People were calmly doing business, making sure everyone could get where they needed to as soon as possible.

Aneya: Lauren and I had seriously started talking about tsunami plans. I asked how her grip was, because she'd be holding on to a pole for a while. I worried I wasn't that good of a swimmer. She said she was, but she was scared things would fall on her and knock her out. We then started planning on possible evacuation techniques, if the bus was swept away in a wave. We decided we'd climb on the seats and pop the emergency exit door open. Lauren informed me that being on a bus was one of the worst places to be during a tsunami. Great.

Lauren: That was scary. "Now, get a hold of a pole, because that's deep in the ground. How safe do you think a bus is?" "Not safe at all. It's maybe the worst place ever to be in a tsunami. We'll have to break out a window, so the pressure equalizes. Wait, there's an escape hatch. We'd have to climb out of there."

Some guy started pitching a fit because his bulkhead was taken by another person. The company apparently overbooked those seats. Who cares, you fool! Have a seat. I want to evacuate already. Now wasn't the time to argue over petty things like seating arrangements. That being said, I was so glad to get the second bulkhead seats on the way home. If it was going to be the end of the world and I need to see what was coming at us, I wanted a good view.

Aneya: But everything worked out fine, and we got back to Santiago safe and sound. Of course when we got home we had tons of missed calls from our parents. They informed us about the two huge aftershocks (we were on the bus at the time and didn't feel either of them) and the tsunami warnings and everything else we'd missed.

Lauren: We weren't aware of half of the insanity that had happened. The strength of the aftershocks were a blur, we were on the bus and hadn't felt a thing. We were at Pinera's inauguration moments after the whole city evacuated. We were both fortunate to have missed such chaos and unfortunate to be so uninformed when we needed to know what was going on.

Aneya: Later that night we walked over to Moneda, where Pinera was to give a speech. The place was all set up, with big TV screens, a red carpet, the works. And it was empty. Maybe 1,000 people, total? We were shocked. We waited and waited, then, Pinera arrived, and he shook hands, kissed babies, the works. But as soon as he got up to the balcony to speak, people starting leaving. Really? Your new president is giving his first speech and you're walking away? It was so disrespectful, we couldn't believe it! You would never leave if Obama was speaking! Never. People said everyone was scared and didn't want to leave their house. Understandable. But still, the whole thing seemed pretty odd.

Lauren: People's nerves are still on edge from earthquake No. 1, and this one just scared people who were already really sad and scared. I understand if they don't want to be outside. They want to be safe, and so did we. I was so happy to be back in our little apartment on Merced I didn't want to leave. But it was historic, so we ventured over to Moneda to watch a bit of the speech, which was fine. We got our pictures, we witnesses something few other Chileans saw first hand. Cool, now let's go back home.

Aneya: All in all, one of the craziest days we've had here.

Lauren: It was certainly something.

-- Aneya & Lauren