This morning I woke up terrified when an aeroplane flew overhead because I mistook the vibrations for an earthquake. After the earthquake in Lima last Wednesday, traffic rumbling by or even the vibration or my mobile phone keep making me jump...
It was my first earthquake and was pretty scary even though I was in the nice part of Lima where buildings are built to withstand earthquakes. In Miraflores, after 2 minutes of quaking we were all basically OK – people shaken rather than hurt, a few broken windows, possessions and damaged roofs.
For thousands of people elsewhere in the country it was devastating. It was 7.9 on the Richter scale and left over 500 people dead, 1500 injured and 35,000 buildings destroyed. As always the poorest suffered most, with flimsy adobe or makeshift housing collapsing and people being left out in the cold with no power, water or communications. Aid efforts are underway but reconstruction will take a long time.
Everyone I know in Peru is fine but when I left at the end of last week people in Lima still could not get in touch with their families in the worst-hit areas.
It was one of those experiences which makes you feel very small, insignificant and vulnerable- and it makes you reevaluate what's important. In the mayhem and stress immediately after the earthquake in Lima, everyone’s top priority was getting in touch with loved ones. The day after there was an atmosphere of fear mixed with relief and on the streets a real sense of solidarity - a wierd friendliness amongst strangers that comes from having survived something together.
If anyone wants to donate to relief efforts, the Peruvian consulate in London has details.
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