In the wake of the quake - Dalooney's on the ground (but thankfully not in it) in Chile.

Regular colyoomistas will be familiar with Dalooney, the Cork Cowboy and my most excellent friend.
By means of reaching out to him and his Chilean girlfriend, below Double Vision runs the alarming and gripping email he sent from Chile, after I and many others had tried to contact him. Thankfully, he's alive, but hey buddy, when you're safe back home in Santiago, maybe you could leave a comment on the blog, telling me you're okay and suitably furious about my posting your private email on the internet for the world to see.
Sorry mate, it was just great reportage. Couldn't resist it.
Vot can I say?

email runs:
Howrya!
All grand ... Quite a f%$king sight to see the highway disappear before your very eyes tho...
We were travelling by bus(about 100km from epicentre) when it began to veer wildly between lanes. Thanks be to Jaysus our driver managed to stop about 200m from a bridge that had just collapsed.
No water,electricity etc. in most places. Managed to score a packet of crackers and some fruit this morning. Wahoo!
Hope to be back in Santiago Wednesday.
All in one piece. Be in touch soon
Simoncito x

Boy was I pleased to get that. The west of Ireland scores wind and rain and a bit of snow and more wind and rain and a bit of sun. We have floods and rare droughts, mudslides and frosts, but the ground tends to stay still beneath our feet. During my 4 years living in northern California, this paranoid fool worried each and every single day that the Big One might be about to rip.
Love that Connemara granite.