What an amazing week. New River Academy has been based at Cara Del Indio which is the take out and put in two amazing sections of the Rio Futaleufu. I wish you could all be here to experience how blue and big this river really is. It is truly one of a kind. After a few days of training on the Futa all the students competed in one of the biggest most important competitions of the year. Its is thrown to bring awareness to the river and other chilean rivers so damming does not continue to happen. Because of this tons of international paddlers flock to the competition to compete and support the cause. You will be happy to know that NRA swept the competition. The first even being the down river race. Katie Kowalski took first in the womens class. Eric Bartl took 2nd in the mens playboat class. Lorenzo 4th, Stephen Forster 5th,David Gorski 6th in long boat class. Then NRA put a rafting team together led by Lorenzo and we got 1st in that race as well. In rafting we beat the Peruvian national rafting team. The freestyle placing was Me in 1st place, Stephen in second and Eric in Third. This is a great reflection of all the athletes working hard on their skills everyday and it paying off. I hope everybody is well. Check in soon.

Best,

Coach Tino Specht

(c) Matt Smink; Chase and Taylor on the Futa

(c) Matt Smink; on the ferry

We have had an exciting past couple of days down here at the Futa! We are in the midst of Futa Fest, a three-day event involving boaters and rafters from all over the globe. New River Academy is dominating! The first event yesterday was a downriver race, in the Puente a Puente, or bridge to bridge, section. Eric came in first in the playboat category, and Katie won the ladies playboat category. Then, to the dismay of the Peruvian National Team who came in second, Lorenzo, Andy, Tino, Stephen and David won the raft race! Our team, complete with two guys who have never been in a raft, beat the best of Peru! Pretty exciting. Needless to say, we are so proud of everyone. The kids are out ‘throwing down’ in the freestyle competition right now.

 School, while not as exciting as winning races, is going well. We are gearing up for finals week, which will begin in Pucon. Tomorrow is the last day at our incredible campsite on the Futa, then we embark on the long haul north! Until then, we will soak up this experience – sleeping in hammocks so close to the Futa that we practically get our toes wet, waking to the sound of cows and horses promenading past, and reading our favorite books beneath the endless rolling hills.

 I can´t believe that we are flying back to the states in 10 days – all the kids can’t wait to tear into some real American pizza…

Callie

New River Academy director David Hughes sought Santiago, Chile communication for two days to tell parents, “Your children are safe.”

Dear Families and Friends,

For the past two days a top priority has been to contact the parents of the (New River Academy) students and my own family to send a simple message, “Your children and I are safe.” Yesterday, the students of the New River Academy were scheduled to catch a 9-hour ferry from Hornopiren just south of Puerto Montt to the Futaleafu gateway town of Chaiten. At 3:30 am the night of Feb. 27 the seventh largest earthquake recorded hit Chile.

First allow me to explain that the day prior I was traveling separately from the high school group and lost my cell phone on a night-bus from Pucon to Santiago. The night-bus would have passed through the epi-center zone exactly 24 hours prior to the event.

A Strange Awakening
I was staying on the Rio Maipo just an hour outside of Santiago with my Chilean friend and business consultant Sebastian “Tatan” Astorga. Tatan is helping with legal issues regarding building an impressive eco-camp for New River Academy on our Pucon, Chile riverside base. At approx. 3:30 am the bed and home began to shake, tremble, and seem to float. In a moment like this you know what you are experiencing, are disoriented, half-asleep, stumbling in the shaking dark. I walked through the home as it shook observing a feeling like one of those Niagara Falls 3-D max rides that always made me sea-sick. I soon found myself outside as I began to realize that maybe it was safer outside.

The moon was full and the earth trembling on and off. Immediately the sounds of boulders rolling down the canyon walls with the sight of hundreds of feet of dust captivated me. The Andean Maipo canyon walls are steep and climb for hundreds of feet. I looked as far down and up the canyon to hear and see the sounds and sights of the continual rocks in the moonlight. That night the earth in the Maipo canyon shook and tremored for hours. Tatan was at his girlfriends so I was alone during the “terramota” or earthquake. Because of a more horrific personal earthquake experience in Costa Rica the event simply was not too alarming for me. Around 4:30 am Joe and Soco, Tatan’s aunt and uncle, came by to check on me.

The morning of twenty-seventh I had little idea of the magnitude of the event. The electricity was out and I needed food. I walked over to the nearby eco-resort, Cascadas de las Animas, that Tatan’s family owns to discover an 8.8 earthquake had hit to the south near Concepcion (400 KM south). I asked how close the quake was to Hornopiren, where the high school (New River Academy) I direct was staying, and they assured me it was not close. I then asked how close to New River Academy’s Pucon base, “Around 400 KM away and Pucon received some damage.”

Realization of the Magnitude of the Catastrophe
The resort was vacant during near peak season on a Saturday. Soon I found myself hiking the mountainside to Tatan’s parents home. This home receives solar power, has a satellite TV, and their own water. It was at this home that 24 hour CNN and Chile news coverage illustrated the magnitude of Chile’s catastrophe.

The TV room was full of cousins and friends watching the news (as this was one of a few locations to watch TV due to their rare solar power/satellite combo), saddened, and debating the event. I would ask them to turn to CNN as I wanted to see what our US families were seeing. As the TV showed the terrible images I exclaimed, “I have to get to a phone or internet. The parents of my students are scared… I have to get to a phone.” I waited patiently for over an hour and eventually Sebastian agreed to take me to a phone.

Search for Phone or Internet
Tatan and I walked down the mountainside to the community where his relatives live. Since we had one of the only operational TV’s in a large region due to no one having electricity Tatan was a news source. I was anxious to find that phone and it was not easy for me to be patient through each conversation.

The Santiago area had received aftershocks and tremors but nothing close to the magnitude of the epicenter. Yet, as we drove 45 minutes away to Puente Alto I began to observe the problems. The observations began with cracked and crumbled cement walls, extended car lines at gas stations, and everything being closed. A large water truck was stopped at the bottom of a drive way as families filled their bottles. A closer examination illustrated every driveway had families waiting with coke and wine bottles to secure their water.

We drove from one destination to the next seeking an operational phone or Internet. The day was sunny and hot and as it wore on I grew tired and hungry. At 5:00 pm Tino Specht, New River Academy’s coach called Tatan’s cell (it was the first sign we observed of workable communication), “We just got off of the ferry. (The high school group had taken a 9-hour ferry that morning) How are you guys?” Me, “We are fine. Everyone is ok? “
Tino, “Yea, we did not feel anything. We just got here (Chaiten is a gulf port town to Patagonia’s Rio Futaleafu) and wanted to check on you.”
Me, “We don’t have electricity or phone. You are the first indication of the phone working. All the students are fine?, great news. Have fun on the Futa. Can you email the parents?”
Tino, “Chaiten does not have internet. Can you?”
Me, “Ok I am on calling and emailing the parents and am looking for communication now. Thanks for calling.”
Two more hours were spent before we tired and realized we were not going to find communication. Tatan and I returned to the family restaurant for candle lit dinner at the beautiful and vacant riverside resort.

We hiked the mountain to the solar powered home and dozed off watching a combo of Chilean earthquake reports and me pushing Tatan to turn the channel to CNN to observe what parents were observing. I now realized that a home with water, electricity, and satellite TV was as good as it could get for my situation.

I was still preoccupied about contacting the parents of my students and sending my own family just a one line note, “We are safe, unaffected, and all is well in Chile.”

That night I slept well from the previous nights terramoto night. In the morning I boiled water and began looking for Nescafe instant coffee at the home. I had no luck within the Tea drinking home. Tatan and I watched the morning news, which was now exhibiting looting. I thought, “People are without water, no electricity, and looting for food and survival has begun. I believe more will die due to lack of infrastructure of food and water. Our parents must be very worried as they watch these horrific reports.”
“C’mon Tatan I really need to call the parents. I saw on the news that a girl was using Internet in Santiago.” We trekked down the mountainside, past the family community, past the family pet mountain lion, across the swinging bridge, and up to the eco-resort. I boiled some water and made myself a cup of Nescafe while Tatan gathered his things. Tatan’s personal home still had neither electricity nor water like the rest of the regional society. We returned to the vacant resort and took a needed shower. We left the resort around 11:00 am. I had a day bag, laptop, water, a cup of coffee, and not eaten yet.

Our first stop was San Alfonso de Maipo. We stopped at two Internet and two phone places. While phones were working they could not call the US due to overloaded network. I bought 3 bananas and we left for Puente Alto. Long lines were at every gas station and supermarket. As we approached the mall I proclaimed, “There is a McDonalds and a mall where I have used wifi.” Both were closed.

Tatan’s girlfriend Pascua called her grandfather and asked if we could call the states from his house. He graciously complied, but after 30 minutes of attempts it was bleak. Tatan called a friend in Santiago who had Internet access and asked him to send an email to the New River Academy office on my behalf. He complied and I conversed via cell this message:
To: Melina Coogan (Public Relations Coordinator), Kara Ware (Academics Coordinator)
“I am writing on the behalf of David Hughes.
The school group is unaffected and fine at the Rio Futa. Your children are safe and sound. Expect they are enjoying the Rio Futa. I am near Santiago without communication and will report more ASAP. Please send report to families.
Please contact my parents at this number…”

Tatan’s phone rang minutes later at 2:37 pm with a second day call from Tino. Tino informed that the group was great at the Rio Futaleafu. They had made a heads-up call and drove to the township of Futaleafu and contacted every Canada and US family that morning. The river was beautiful and unaffected. Possibly, the school was in the best place in the country during this catastrophic event. The call meant relief and the two days end to the communication search had ended.

Updated March 1, 2010

This morning (March 1, 2010) I made the hike down the mountainside with the plan of catching a series of buses to downtown Santiago. I would get a hotel near Internet, contact families, buy a new cell phone, and send out reports. I was lucky and caught a ride with Tatan’s uncle Yerko. Yerko owns one of the world’s most prestigious trekking destinations, the Torres del Paine Eco-camp.

The ride was an hour and twenty minutes of Yerko advising regarding the eco-domes I have been researching for the Pucon base. Yerko dropped me in downtown Santiago, pointed me toward the subway, and I began my search for a hotel.

Now, here I am in a quaint downtown coffee shop, still dirty, eating eggs and a fruit drink, watching people go about their business, replying to a long list of worried emails. Next phone calls.

Thank you thank you thank you for your concerns.

***Readers please note while David Hughes struggled to send communication from Santiago an early text from student Katie Kowalski to her father Joe allowed all parents to be informed their children were safe and sound in Patagonia.

David Hughes

On a brighter note, our time on the ferry went smoothly, as did our journey to the Futaleufu. Jessica, Stephen, Eric and I played a hearts tournament that lasted 6 hours- seriously! The ferry dropped us in Chaiten- another victim of the harsh geography here in Chile. Chaiten used to be a resort town, until a volcano two years ago buried the town in ash. The photo students captured some vivid images of houses and cars absolutely full of ash, becoming part of the earth with plants sprouting  out of them, the bright green marking a sharp contrast against the grey ash. 

Our campsite near the Futa looks even better than the last! We have our own quincho, with a firepit in the middle. We have a woodstove that we can heat if we want hot showers, and a horse stable in the middle of it all! The students are super eager to get out on the Futa today!

Lorenzo en el Rio Negro

Katie Kowalski

hanging out in camp

Every morning, the students emerge from their cozy tents, tucked away in the security of the mossy trees. Our campsite here in Hornopiren is perched atop a grassy knoll that slopes gently downward into  a craggy ravine, directly to a gorgeously turquoise 10-foot waterfall. This waterfall makes up one of three that we have been running on the Rio Negro, whose tantalizing whitewater is so close to our tents that we can hear it in our dreams. We are enjoying the wonderful countryside hospitality of our host, Dona Tato, who has been serving up three delicious meals a day- she is even spoiling us with homemade pastries for breakfast. Nights are rolling away while we congregate around the campfire, singing along to Tino and Matti’s guitar and Andy’s fiddle. Lorenzo’s ghost stories have us all convinced that his family’s home is haunted.

Weather has been delightful- sunny, warm, perfect, and has allowed for our classes to cluster around the funky, hand-made wooden tables in the yard. My AP English students had a fun project this week, where they learned the importance of being familiar with both sides of an arguement before taking a stance on it. I had them prepare to write a persuasive essay on a controversial topic, repeatedly warning them to investigate the opposition’s viewpoint as well. When the day of the in-class essay arrived, the looks of horror on their faces revealed my sneaky plan. That’s right, they had one hour to write an essay that was exactly the opposite of the thesis they had planned. Matt’s photo classes have been utilizing the gorgeous sunsets and surrounding countryside to explore the world of landscape photography. Taylor and Eric made slideshows showcasing Al Capone and the Flapper era for Tino’s history class.

Today we had a race down the Rio Negro, on a small section beginning with a 25-foot waterfall and ending with a bang as the students landed that boof from the top of the 10-footer. What a great way to end our time in Hornopiren. I left the students back at camp, packing up their tents and gear bags, preparing to rise and shine at 5:30 am tomorrow. We will get on an eight hour ferry to Chaiten, where we will be about two hours away from the town of Futaleafu. I’m sure everyone shares my excitement in experiencing this legendary river!

También estamos aprendiendo los verbos en presente y pasado.

Español 2: lo que hemos venido haciendo en esta asignatura es trabajar en el libro de español 2 pero en el volumen 2.

Cada cinco clases comenzamos un nuevo proyecto, nuestro ultimo proyecto fue crear una presentación (en español de nuestro campamento base en Pucón).

Actualmente estamos traduciendo la obra los tres cerditos al español.

En Español 3 trabajamos con el libro de español tres. Además creamos proyectos de títeres los cuales presentamos a los demás alumnos, nuestro último proyecto fue la caperucita roja.

Los alumnos trabajan diariamente en verbos en pasado presente y futuro.

Cada tres clases utilizamos una solamente para hablar en español, los alumnos se sientan alrededor del profesor y cuentan su estadía en chile (en español).

En Español 4 lo que hemos venido haciendo en esta clase es poner en práctica todo lo aprendido en los niveles anteriores (español 1, 2,3). La manera utilizada para poner en practica es realizando conversaciones acerca de diferentes temas que los alumnos deben estudiar. En todas las clases de español 4 realizamos largas charlas en español para mejorar la pronunciación.

Los proyectos de este nivel son acerca de turismo, cultura y temas más técnicos.

Nuestro ultimo proyecto fue una entrevista a un empresario de turismo de Pucón.

In Spanish I we have been learning the different words for different situations, like words to describe the weather, the body, etc. At the start of classes, students undertook a comprehensive presentation (in Spanish) of themselves, including name, family, age, sports, tastes, favorite movies and so on.We are also learning the verbs in present and past tenses.

My Spanish II classes are doing very well, and have burned through the first book, moving on to a more advanced text. Each of the Spanish classes have started different projects, in Spanish II we are currently translating the play the ¨Three Little Pigs¨ to Spanish.

In Spanish III the class worked on making a puppet show of ¨Little Red Riding Hood¨, which they performed for the whole school when the visiting parents were in town.
Also, students work daily on verbs in past, present and future tenses, and once every three classes, the students sit and talk about their time in Chile, only in Spanish.

What we have been doing in Spanish IV is to put into practice everything learned in previous levels (Spanish 1, 2,3). The way we put this into practice is by discussions on various topics that students must study. Every day, each student makes long talks in Spanish to improve pronunciation. Projects at this level are about tourism, culture and are more technical. Our last project was an interview with a businessman from tourism in Pucón.

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