Pearl #18 ~ Excerpt from Walking With Inkas

This is an excerpt from my travel blog, Walking with Inkas, and was originally written on May 25, 2006.

 

General Impressions and What-Have-You

SUMMARY:

Survived my first earthquake ever and am beginning to feel much more secure. I'm making friends with the other interns (as they begin to arrive) and the Marines. A couple reflections on my experience so far and life in general, and I'm finally caught up on the blogging! Lots to look forward to in the coming weekend . . .

FOR DETAIL LOVERS, ONLY:

Last night I decided to make some real food as opposed to the guacamole dip and cereal I've consumed for about half my dinners, so far. I'd bought a steak and some veggies on my last trip to Wong (my favorite grocery store), so I got to work "throwin' down" in the kitchen, as Jared put it. I was just getting creative and had decided that since I didn't feel like cutting up the two extra bell peppers that I had, but I also didn't want them to spoil, I'd stuff them with my meat mixture. I so dubbed them, "Carnivorous Cannibal Bells", due to the fact that they ate (were stuffed with) seasoned meat, some mushrooms, and one of their own kind, a lovely red bell pepper that had already been chopped to bits. Poor thing. I'm quite proud of my culinary skills, hence the description. As soon as I find a way to get pictures online, you'll all be able to see the work of art that was my dinner last night.  

Anyway, I had just formulated this recipe when the phone rang. Jared was already in bed, exhausted from the week, but I figured it was probably his fiancé calling, since she's pretty much the only person who calls our house right now. Imagine my surprise when the voice on the other end of the line belonged to Rotney, my visitor from a couple days earlier!! I was thrilled--it gets lonely not hearing any voices from home, after all--and we had a nice reminiscent chat before he had to go. After all, the guy is flying out for London today (Jealous!! Even whilst I sit in Peru). It's not like he could talk to me forever! Three completely different continents in one week. Nice going, Rony.

Not five minutes after I hung up the phone, IT HAPPENED (you got it, the climax of the story has arrived)!!! I was leaning against one of the arms of the chair in the living room, trying to find the best angle for my oh-so-artistic portrayal of the pepper concoction when, out of nowhere, there was a thunderous roar rolling beneath my feet! I looked up and the entire house was dancing! It continued for a few seconds, and felt just like it looks in the movies, where you can watch the ripple as it proceeds along its course. Except that here, the ripple was right beneath me and then suddenly GONE. I couldn't watch its progression, due to my lack of X-ray vision and inability to see through the walls of my house. But I could hear car alarms going off, one by one in succession as the ripple shook them, too. And the sound of thunder was present throughout the entire experience, growing fainter as it moved away. 

That was the most surprising part of the whole thing. I expected there to be shaking, and I expected it to come out of nowhere, and move away quickly. But I never expected the noise! It was tremendous! I wasn't even sure that it had been an earthquake at first, it sounded so similar to an explosion that I ran to my window and looked outside for a car bomb. All this security stuff at the Embassy has apparently gotten me worked up. When I didn't see any terrorists in my yard, I went into earthquake protection mode and ran to the nearest doorway, thinking that maybe that was just the prelude to the big earthquake, or there could at least be aftershocks. I tried estimating the size of the earthquake, figuring that all the big ones you always read about are in the 7-8 range on the Richter scale. I guessed that this one was in the 5-6 range. 

I overestimated a bit, it being my first earthquake and all (need I explain the sample size thing again?). This one was a mere tremor, measured at 4.5 on the Richter scale. I'm scared for what a 7 feels like! You can read all about "Jess's First Earthquake, EVER" online. It's just a little blurb, with a much less significant title than what I've given it, but you can bet I printed out a copy of this article for my memoirs. A first earthquake is a once in a lifetime experience, after all!

continued in Pearl #19 . . .