My memories about the peruvian quake..

[Villavic]

First of all, thanks for your sympathies, and yes, I'm ok, and my family too. Sorry I couldn't write before but this was a hard week, you know.

I was just arrving at home, I live alone in a 2nd floor apartment, 3 blocks from the shore but my meighboorhod, Miraflores, is over a cliff so it's 30 mts high from the sea.

6:40pm aprox. I was hanging my suit in the closet when it started. At first was slow, not so noisy.. I'm always calm at tremors, but this was taking too long so I decided to go out. I found some neighbors in the corridor doubting if go downstairs or not. I told him if they want to, do it but slow and calm, don't run.
When we were reaching the street it got stronger.. everything was moving hard.. the windows made lot of noise.. the light posts were moving a lot.. the car alarms started.. everybody were in the street at that moment.. it took 2 minutes or more I guess, hard to say it exactly.

At soon it stopped I drove fastly to see my father. Mom died in november, you may remember, now dad lives with his older sister, and both are 75 and 80.. They were fine fortunately. He is not nervous so he decided no to go downstairs. Good idea, cause they could fall if they run.

No serious damage in Lima, except for the oldest houses in downtown and Callao port, where the sea got into the streets and squares. blackouts, some floods, Few old houses went down. But that's very little compared to the huge damage in Chincha, Ica and Pisco (where famous liquor pisco is from, and natural reserve of sealions). Those are towns south of lima (200km aprox) and were close to the epicenter. 70% of houses fell, very old made of adobe I guess.

In Ica, there was a mass at an old church and the ceiling fall down quickly killing many people. The highways are broken, they were going to help them by helicopters. To this day I guess there are 500 deaths

There wasn't a huge tsunami but the waves got strong and entered the shore. A resort in Pisco, since it's winter., its pool was empty. Now is completely filled with sea water. And the hotel is in ruines.

Here in Lima there are many places where you can give food, water, clothes (the winter this year is very strong for peruvian coast standards, and people there is sleeeping in the street).

Some quake replicas are still happening, not strong in Lima but stronger in Ica and Pisco, so more houses are falling down. Don't know how long it'll take. The tectonic plates are still moving.

And that was the earthquake how I lived it. I'm very sad for what is happening there. I already gave some money ina a bank account they opened for it. Ica is a very nice place, how sad and terrible is this tragedy!!