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The following are the latest steps towards recovery:
- The entire operations and touristic services in the Chilean Patagonia, Torres del Paine NP, the Lake District, Atacama Desert, San Pedro de Atacama, Altiplano, Santiago, Valparaiso, Easter Island and the Araucanía are fully normal and safe.
- Total recovery of the tourism infrastructure located in the wine valleys of the 6th and 7th regions including Cachapoal, Colchagua and Maule valleys might take up to 3 months depending on each valley particular damages. Nevertheless there are unaffected sites and many wine tours are currently working without problems.
- Santiago City is working in total normality. The Chilean National Aeronautical Authority announced that Santiago’s International Airport is working at 100% of its aeronautical capacity and the total recovery of passenger transit infrastructure is schedule for the next two months.
- The Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) -The Chilean agency in charge of national protected areas- announced that most national parks and natural reservoirs in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th regions have been reopened and there are just a few cases still closed partially or totally, mainly those near the earthquake epicenter.
- Recovering works are well organized and fully implemented in the specific zones strongly affected by the earthquake in the 6th, 7th and 8th regions.
We encourage all world travelers, agencies and tour operators planning trips to Chile during this year to continue their plans as set originally since our nation is ready to welcome you all.
Sometimes Nature is a tough teacher but Chile is a good student.
Rodrigo Mata
Product & Destination Manager at Cascada Expediciones, Chile.
In 2007 began the research, led by German paleontologists from the University of Heidelberg and the Natural History Museum of Karlsruhe, as well as a paleobiologist of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the INACH, also with the cooperation of the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF).
The scientists conducted three major findings in the Tyndall Glacier area: an ichthyosaur with two embryos inside, traces of bone marrow (soft tissue, something quite rare in the world) and a Jurassic ichthyosaur (199 to 145 million years) much older than the others found in the area. These developments positioned the site as a new paleontological point of reference in the world, it is now the most important place for Cretaceous ichthyosaurs due to the number of individuals found, from babies to adults over 5 meters, as for having at four different species at least, and the finding of preserved bone marrow.
Ichthyosaurs were reptiles that lived over 150 million years in the planet seas, while dinosaurs ruled the land. The first appeared during the Triassic (250 million years ago) and reached their greatest diversity in the Jurassic, they began the extinction during the Cretaceous (90 million years ago). They resembled today's dolphins at first glance and its size could reach 15meters in some cases. Although they breathed atmospheric air, unlike today's reptiles that have to leave the water to lay their eggs, anatomy and adaptation to the marine environment allowed them to incubate the eggs internally and give birth in the water.
Torres del Paine, Ichthyosaur, fossils, Tyndall Glacier, Jurassic, Cretaceous
Cascada & EcoCamp teams want to say THANKS to all our past travelers and business partners who have contacted us with supporting words. For those who asked us on how to send donations to help alleviating suffering in the earthquake affected zones these links can help:
- Chilean Red Cross: Taking care of the victims and assisting the Chilean health system in the area. http://www.cruzroja.cl/noticias/noticia_413.php
- Un Techo para Chile: Local organization focused on building semi-permanent shelters for those who lost their homes. http://www.untechoparachile.cl/
If these pages do not open properly please be patient and try later as many people are trying to donate.
UPDATES
- Wed, March 10, 9:00 AM Lan has declared yesterday that all flights are now operating normally http://www.lan.com/about_us/noticias/index_contingencia-en-us.html
- Mon, March 8, 12:00 PM The Chilean National Aeronautical Authority announced Santiago International Airport operations has reached a 70% of its operational capacity and recovering works continue as planned. http://www.cefaa.cl/noticias/ver_noticia.asp?id=5-3-2010-788
Earthquake in Chile: 75% of Chilean Territory Untouched, download the PDF
- Fri, Mar 5, 11:45 AM Cascada and Ecocamp Patagonia operations are running smoothly and only few cancellations were made this week, mainly due to Santiago's International Airports issues. We expect that flight traffic through Santiago City -which is improving daily- will reach a normal level early next week as the Airport's International terminal will be reopened by Monday. More details at (Spanish only): http://www.cefaa.cl/noticias/ver_noticia.asp?id=4-3-2010-787
- Thu, March 4, 12:30 PM Lan informs that has reached 45% of its operational capacity in Santiago´s airport. http://www.lan.com/about_us/noticias/index_contingencia-en-us.html
- Wed, March 3, 12:30 PM Lan is updating regularly its website with information on international & national departures/arrivals from Santiago. See http://www.lan.com/about_us/noticias/index_contingencia-en-us.html(tables at the bottom) for detailed information on those flights.
- Wed, March 3, 12:10 PM The chilean air authority announces that what use to be the "national departure area" at the airport has been partially repaired and will now be used as international arrival/departure area. This measure will allow a higher quantity of flight operations. http://www.cefaa.cl/noticias/ver_noticia.asp?id=3-3-2010-786
- Tue, March 2, 4:20 PM The Chilean National Aeronautical Authority announced that large tented structures have already been erected at the Santiago International Airport to facilitate passenger transit, which allowed gaining 1 day to reinitiate normal operations. http://www.cefaa.cl/noticias/ver_noticia.asp?id=2-3-2010-785
- Tue, March 2, 3:20 PM Air connection problems in Santiago are improving and we are expecting normal aeronautical operations from next Monday 8 March.
- Tue, March 2, 12:20 PM Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia travel services are running normally and safe. Yesterday our trekking classic 7day Torres del Paine W Trek started as scheduled and so will do this Wednesday the 5day Short-W Trek and the 9day Torres del Paine Circuit.
- Tue, March 2, 11:00 AM Phone lines at our Santiago main office are now working normally.
- Mon, March 1, 10:00 PM Chilean air authority (http://www.cefaa.cl/noticias/ver_noticia.asp?id=1-3-2010-784) announces that national and international flights will restart this week. Phase 1 (March 3 to 5) will include national (8AM to 8PM) and international flights (8PM to 8AM). Phase 2, from March 5, will operate 24 hours.
- Mon, March 1, 09:30 PM Lan Chile announces new flight departures. Please visit: http://www.lan.com/about_us/noticias/index_contingencia-en-us.html
- Mon, March 1, 3:40 PM , Phone lines in Santiago are having connection problems and our company lines will be off for at least 3 days from now while recovering works go on. Our Santiago office remains fully operational and we can be contacted through the following ways:
Mobile Lines- Mon, March 1 3:40 PM Lan Chile updates status of its flight operation to/from Santiago, Chile: http://www.lan.com/about_us/noticias/index_contingencia-en-us.html
- Mon, March 1 1:00 PM Santiago´s airport closed. Only open for emergency flights. At 3PM local time authorities will review the situation.
Chile´s Earthquake Important Notification
On Feb 27th 2010, 03:34 hrs local time, the central zone of Chile was hit by a strong 8.8-Richter-level earthquake originated near Cauquenes Province in the Chilean 7th Region. Major zones affected are located in the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th regions and the Metropolitan Area of Santiago. The 10th, 11th and 12th regions which comprise what is commonly known as the Chilean Patagonia, and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th regions which comprise what is commonly known as Atacama and Norte Grande were not affected by the earthquake waves.
Having clarified this, we notify that all the operations and touristic services developed by Cascada Expediciones and EcoCamp Patagonia in the Altiplano, Atacama Desert, the Lakes District and Chilean Patagonia, including Torres del Paine NP and San Pedro de Atacama are totally normal and safe. Regarding food, energy and general supplies for the Chilean Patagonia –our main operational zone- have no danger of shortages as these are normally brought from the Argentinean neighbor province of Santa Cruz.
The only point of interruption of our service operational chain is Santiago’s International Airport, which suffered significant damage in the passengers’ transit area having to stop all its operations while recovering works are going on. Recently the Chilean National Aeronautical Authority announced that this airport will start operating again on a partial basis starting from tomorrow Monday March 1st. The same organism stated that apart from this Airport the entire nation’s aeronautical infrastructure is working normally and safely at full capacity.
The entire network of Cascada Expediciones and EcoCamp Patagonia employees and provider partners are working hard to keep our operations as successful, safe and normal as it have been previous to this natural phenomenon and we encourage all our past, current and future travelers to be confident with their travel plans and continue enjoying our services in Chile and Argentina.
For further information or requests please contact your Cascada’s travel consultant. We will keep updating the news as advances go on.
Saludos desde Chile,
The Cascada and EcoCamp Patagonia Team.
The trip was bigger and better than we had anticipated in all aspects. Eco-Camp and our guides there were wonderful. We were very snug in our little Hobbit domes with their comfortable double beds and wooden floor. There is a chef at Eco-Camp! Who knew!
We found Chile beautiful, the food excellent, and the Chilean people warm, friendly, and welcoming...
...You took very good care of us each step along the
Sincerely,
Cactus Cook
Bellingham, WA
Helping Haiti has been on everyone’s minds in the wake of a destructive earthquake that rocked the country Tuesday.
http://www.petergreenberg.com/2010/01/14/helping-haiti-a-guide-to-helping-haitians/We’ve got three R’s we’re going to talk about today
We’ve got to learn to
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
