Chaiten

In May last year, Chaiten suffered under the eruption of a volcano that was thought dead but had laid dormant for 9000 years. Thousands were evacuated and much of the town was destroyed by subsequent floods. Most ex-residents have started new lives elsewhere but a hardy bunch returned and are demanding the reconstruction of their ash-covered hometown. It was easy to sympathise: the surrounding countryside was beautiful; the government, however, which has being paying a "salary" to the affected families, has abandoned the town. There is no water or electricity there now.

We passed through about a week ago on our way to Futaleufu, about 100km away, which was also blanketed in ash at the time of the eruption. Today, though,the BBC news was reporting more activity and further evacuation from Chaiten. Unfortunately, the government may have got it right. We may also have been some of the last passengers on the Navimag Austral from Quellon to Chaiten for a while.