Even Tsunamis Can't Stop The Cueca

This photo was taken in the town of Maulin, Chile. A dozen children or so gathered to showcase for us the national dance of Chile, known as Cueca. It's rich in historical significance and has been the official dance of the country for the past 30 years.

The dance reminded me of the courtship between a chicken and rooster. It was later repeated by adults at the opening ceremonies of the Chilean Travel Mart show in the town of Frutillar. Adult dancers waved handkerchiefs and smashed spurs on the ground to garner the attention of the crowd. The back and forth spectacle made me laugh but it was obvious how difficult it was to perform.

The town of Maulin is special because it was here that the strongest earthquake ever recorded occurred in 1960. It measured 9.5 in magnitude on the Richter scale and generated one of the most destructive Pacific-wide tsunamis in the 20th century.

The Island of Chiloe, especially the town of Maulin was hard hit because it was closest to the epicenter. Besides the thousands who lost their lives, over 200,000 buildings and 130,000 houses were destroyed. It was a great tragedy that changed the pastoral agricultural land into low-lying bird sanctuaries.