Stuck in Tent City
Mood:  down
Topic: Chile
LAN bumped me from the first leg of the flight and there were no options to connect (well they offered to fly me to Cordoba where I could get a bus to BA)...I remain in SCL.

The situation at the airport was very confusing because it was evolving and still is I think.  Found the correct line after 15 minutes of searching.  There was a very long hot wait and then a burst of action. A LAN rep told us that the main tent was too crowded and we would need to follow her to get our boarding passes so we followed her to a secure area normally requiring a boarding pass to enter.  She vanished after a short while.  We ended up being isolated.  The boarding passes were all issued to those who did not follow the LAN rep (only those who arrived later, or who had gone into the tent earlier).  A new LAN rep revealed our fate and offered to fly us to Cordoba.  She took names and ID numbers and vanished.  Never saw her again.  A new LAN rep offered to rebook me the next day.  She vanished and we never saw her again.

We asked about Delta boarding and were told to wait for an announcement expected ca 6:30pm but were told we were in the correct place (still the secure but outside area).  Then we saw a line materialize--these people had Delta boarding passes!  A security person checked the manifest, saw Ida Lee's name and said he would get a boarding pass.  He never was seen again.  A second security person, who overheard our plight, examined her passport and offered to get a pass.  He vanished with the passport but Ida Lee chased him down.  He shouted at her for following and threw the passport back at her.  Still Delta folks with boarding passes streamed by.  Finally we found a senior Delta agent who left and actually did return with a boarding pass and off Ida Lee went.  She was able to leave on time by the skin of her teeth.  Delta was also not so overwhelmed as LAN of course.  She has arrived in the US now.

I was completely drained by the whole 8 hr experience.  I just took a taxi back to the apartment so I'll work from Santiago and join the meeting by whatever arrangements Koh-Ichiro has enabled.

Earthquake shakes
Topic: Chile
Ida Lee is here.  We're 180 km NW of Santiago in Zapallar on the coast. The quake hit just after 3:30am and we knew it was a big one.  It grew and grew and we ran outside with other guests until it seemed safe to come in again.  We ran out once more for a major aftershock, and there were many minor shakes (another just minutes ago).  Everything here is on steep hillsides over the Pacific--had nightmares of just sliding down the hill in the bed!  Lights are still out but water is OK (even hot water) but the hotel has a generator.  We understand the country is in a 'state of catastrophe'.  I don't know how the internet is working but the TV and radio and newspapers were not though we just got a TV station on (wish I could understand it).  We are told the airport is closed for 24 hours at least and that the planes have been flown over the Andes to Mendoza, Argentina.  Ida Lee was to fly out tonight.  Both major routes back to Santiago are reportedly closed--the northern route 5 on which we came by landslides, and the southern route 68 through Vina del Mar also by landslides.  Folks in Santiago I have reached say they are fine but shaken.  Delta confirms no flight for Ida tonight we will stay here--the hotel is very nice and has a generator and internet somehow.

One car full of Americans just got on the road, saying they had a few cases of beer and intended to make their flight tomorrow.  I think we'll just hold still for now.

Just talked to Kartik, who said it was much scarier in Santiago--both big plate sliding glass doors in his apt shattered (we are one floor up from him when we're home).  There were no emergency lights in the stairwell but he is OK though shaken.  I guess he sent a more coherent message out.

Clear skies and stable ground!

February
Topic: Chile

                Crowne Plaza Hotel Hotel Front Desk: 56-2-6381042
                136 AVE. B O'HIGGINS P.O. BOX 488-CORREO 21
                SANTIAGO, 00000 CHILE
20 Feb  8:00pm Dinner with Grotz family--I propose meeting in the bar for a pisco sour, followed by a stroll down Pio Nono in Bellavista, close to the Crowne Plaza, to dinner at El Meson Nerudiano
                http://www.elmesonnerudiano.cl/ for dinner and music.  Follow spanish links, english ones are partial
21 Feb         Could visit downtown--best things are the Precolumbian museum, the Market, shopping in Bellavista
                The Chinese warrior exhibit is at La Moneda: http://tinyurl.com/yabalhm 
22 Feb         Could visit our area in Las Condes and Los Domenicos craft market http://tinyurl.com/ye4cmos
                Both a straight shot on the metro from Baquedano near the Crowne.
23 Feb  5:00pm Kathy Grotz leaves Valparaiso on the cruise

Figure on left shows way to dinner on 20th.  On right shows downtown.  Below shows to Los Domenicos (my apartment with an asterisk).

Bolivian Winter
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Chile
I worked on my computer program to analyze data from the site today--boy it has been a while since I programmed much.  And apparently my compiler vanished when I had a new disk put in--somehow.  I had to work over the internet to my desktop computer in Cville to compile and run the program.  I'm still trying to find a dispassionate way to define the 'Bolivian Winter' during which the weather at the ALMA site is less good than during the rest of the year.  I think I have a good handle on it.  The Director proposed shutting down during two months every summer.  I think that would seriously compromise the science output of the instrument.  Besides, it doesn't save much money (people still draw salaries) and the cutback on observing time could well suggest to funding agencies that they cut back funds proportionally.  That would end up losing money, science and morale.  In the photo, the building in the center right distance is my apartment tower as seen from the office.

I had lunch with Simon Radford, who headed up to the site today to work on his QUIET experiment.  It's always good to see old friends, but especially welcome here.  He had worked with Andrew Lange, the well-known Caltech physicist who killed himself last week.  No clues as to why...

Last night in Santiago for a while--up to the site tomorrow afternoon. I printed out my boarding pass and I'll pack some stuff tonight.  This evening there is a nice cool breeze.  I got all suited up and went down to the pool to find it locked--dunno why.  Disappointing.

Guess I'll finish up my week-old chicken.  For some reason, the maid took the remainder of my loaf of bread this morning.  Oh well, easy come easy go.  Maybe I should have left her a tip.  I did have toast this am instead of cereal so I have that left tomorrow, as well as a banana.

Chirimoya Alegre
Mood:  a-ok

Morning in Santiago...uniformed maids dog-walking, gardners sweeping aside the night-fallend leaves, sun and dry cool air.  Enjoying a breakfast of chirimoya alegre, toast and yogurt on my balcony while watching the Roddick-Gonzalez match in the Australian Open and working on Chajnantor site data.

Walked over and had a nice dinner with Richard and Alison and several new folks chez Richard.  A very interesting group of folks.  Eric, who is French and worked on a Venus mission which has expired now, grew up in Senegal Africa where his folks still live.  His Dad has a company there but is 70 and though he doesn't want to leave--all their friends are there--his Mom wants to go  back to France, where Eric's two brothers live. Daniel's Dad and Mom decided (after a week) they like Chile so much they will move here from Spain.  Daniel is not so sure about that!  Nick and Dena moved here from Holland, they were there with their three kids of single digit ages.  He's English, she Indonesian.  Asada and his wife from Japan, Richard of course and his wife Beverly (American).  Lance, the other American, opted to watch the football game with friends.  It was all very interesting.  Altogether, five continents represented!

Back to the fray tomorrow.  Looking forward to Simon Radford's visit... 

A Milestone Day
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Chile

I looked in at the DV webcam and seems like it was just rain there and that they have a lot of the walkway on the pier in.

Today marked the beginning of the commissioning phase of ALMA.  We had a good discussion on how to run the commissioning phase and do it  best this am.  At 2pm Richard had a huge white cake, a 'Tres Leches' (three milks) cake in addition to a yummy chocolate raspberry cake. Diabetes is a sure thing now.  Anyway we cut the cake here in synchrony with cutting of another cake at the site with much fanfare.  It was really
exciting to be able to take part in it.  Real participation starts next week of course when I go to the site.  I have night shift so we won't overlap a lot I guess.  I don't know what to expect.

Kartik came back today so I'm going to walk down to his hotel and look for dinner with him.  Ran into Stu, Lars-Ake and Eric at TGIF; Stu and Lars-Ake joined me at the bar in the Plaza to wait.  Had a Kunstmann Pale Ale (pronounced pally ally) draft--very good.  Kartik arrived and after a quick deconstruction of the day (Kartik had framed the earlier discussion before flying back down) we headed up Isodora to Tiramisu.  There we ran into new ALMA colleague Daniel Fulla, there with his visiting Dad, Juan.  They were on the list so we jumped the line and went to a table for pizza and drinks and yet more discussion on the instrument and the personalities that guide it.  It was past midnite when I made it back to the apartment--not really tired owing to the interest of the talk but I soon drifted off.

  Last night some truck's backup beep kept going off all night.  I had left my noise cancelling earphones at work.  I didn't need them tonite!!!

Stroll down Isadora Goyenechia
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: Chile
Attended the Operations meeting at the Plaza all day today.  On the return walk, I stopped in Mundo de Vino to find something for the table.  I chose Tierra del Fuego Reserva Carmenere , 2007 which reportedly won a silver medal at the 2nd World Carmenere Competition.  I'm very partial to the grape and the price was quite reasonable.  I also picked up a bottle of Cousino Macul Cabernet Sauvignon Don Matias Reserva 2008.  This very old winery is usually very reliable.  I'll try to remember to put some tasting notes in when I taste them.

Saving Money
Mood:  vegas lucky

Managed to get a little work work done today before my visitor showed up to give her science talk.  I managed to introduce her around, and I think that the talk was quite well received.  Afterward we went to lunch, about six of us, at what used to be California Creations on Isadora Goyenechea (a street I tread so many times it is imprinted on my sole).  It is now Oporto, quite nice, all open air under expansive umbrellas reclining on cushioned couches.  I had a nice potato, caramelized onion and beef plate with a wonderful tarta for dessert, and chirimoya allegre to sip. 

 Afterward it was off to the Ops review, where we had to save oodles of money with no clear idea how to do it.  The speaker didn't seem to help, reeling off numbers which had no support as the basis of the costs, with some few proposed savings.  Not sure how useful the meeting was except to expose some underpinnings which might better have been left closeted.  Then to Flannery's Irish Pub where the beer was all Scandinavian.  Of course, all of the days problems were quickly solved, if only we can recall how tomorrow morning.

Election Day in Chile
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Chile

Another sunny warm day in Santiago--a few clouds moderating the sunshine way up high.  Today is election day in Chile.  I spent the day reading and writing in my flat, then watching the playoffs.  The Vikings outscored the Cowpokes by an order of magnitude, under a great effort by 40 year old Brett Favre in his 17th year as quarterback.  His rushing yards are down, but his passing yardage this year is his best in ten years, and in the top few of his career. 

 

Nate convinced me I should to watch the Jets-Chargers game at a bar, but then I realized that on election day and sunday the choices would be limited.   I turned to CNN Chile to see Frei's concession speech--he lost by about three points to Pinera, billionaire owner of LAN Chile airlines and other businesses.  This will be the biggest change in government for quite a while--the center left coalitions of the last few presidencies will give way to a more rightist government.  Frei signed the proclamation which brought ALMA to Chile so there is some fondness for him but let the new adventure begin.  I left on a walk down Isadora Goyenechea.  Everywhere there were car horns sounding.

Cars full of cheering folks, mostly young, were traveling the boulevards waving Chilean and Pinera flags from the windows.  They are all honking -- ... which means 'MS' when they should be honkind 'CL' -.-. .-..  Well no one knows Morse Code any longer.  Sure enough the bars were closed, and most of the restaurants.  Ruby Tuesday was open but it seemed hardly what I wanted.  I stopped in a 7-11 type place and picked up some salad and a container of chirimoya allegre and headed back.

 

Sipping a tall drink of chirimoya allegre on the veranda while watching the game.  Go Chargers!

 

 

 

Year-end updates
Topic: Chile

Just stayed in the apartment most of the day, first working on the various yearend reports, then deciding to take the kitchen for a test run.

First breakfast--easy enough as I had cereal.  Everything in the store seemed to be high-sugar, nothing like the healthy selections at my Kroger.  I did find a fruit and nut filled granola, which I tried with the longlife milk which came in the apartment fridge.  Also, instant coffee--no filters or drip cup here, and the supermarket again was instant-heavy.  The Unimart also had a limited selection of fruit juice, from which I chose grapefruit, which turned out to be the oversugary red variety.  I didn't find any fresh-squeezed juices.  After a little work catchup, it was lunchtime.  The cooktop is gas, which is great.  I cooked to Pavo dogs for lunch in olive oil; that turned out pretty well.  Not particularly tasty as I had no condiments for it, but it allayed the hunger.  I decided to roast the chicken I had bought for dinner.  It had pretty much thawed, and I had garlic powder (very very fine here), salt and oregano to mix with olive oil for a rub.  Oops no pepper--onto the grocery list.  The oven had strange symbols on it so I looked up the make and model on the internet.  Not much info.  I think I put it on 200C bake and got ready to put the chicken in.  Oops no foil.  Onto the list.  In it went, naked, for 15 minutes, after which I lowered the temperature to 160 C.  I decided to go for a walk to the store during the bake wait.  It was a warm lovely afternoon, with occasional breezes and the ten minute walk went quickly, though still my walk was a little hobbled by the blister left from the day before.  I looked over the veggies and fruit in the store--only a single hand of rather brown bananas was left.  I didn't see any chirimoya, which I was interested to try.  I decided to press on, finding a cloth grocery sack with which I could haul back a larger catch.  I picked up a 1.5l carton of carmenere ($3) and a few other items and headed back.  I was unable to locate tin foil or plastic wrap anywhere.  No microwave (or other) popcorn.  I grabbed a dry-roasted container of mali (peanuts) and whizzed through checkout back to the apartment, now redolent with roast chicken aromas.  I peeled some potatoes and made an oil coating to roast them.  Into the oven.  I watched a terrible movie, the last part of it anyway, while the roasting completed--Deadliest Sea--sort of a Perfect Storm Discovery channel knockoff.  The view is sunset toward the mountains from my balcony.

With some microwave peas, dinner was fairly good, though the low budget carmenere left a lot to be desired.   I finished it off with my other purchase of the day--chirimoya allegre sherbet, which was very fine indeed.  I worked a bit more on a report, then discovered the Ravens Colts game on TV.  Wow ESPN Chile had something besides soccer!  The announcer spoke in Spanish, which was a good language exercise as I pretty much knew what he was going to say.  As a kid I was a fan of the Unitas Colts in Baltimore and I've never forgiven them for skulking out of town in the middle of the night for Indianapolis.  But they were too good for the Ravens--Manning was impressive, and it was clear by halftime (midnite) the Ravens were going down.