Anne and I watched a film about the highlights of Christchurch on the plane. The reality was very different!
We followed the signs and map to the city centre but every road we wanted to go down was barricaded with signs saying "Extreme Danger- no entry". We had to go a very long way before we could even get near the city centre. When we eventually got near, all we could see for miles was huge piles of rubble, buildings half standing and hundreds of workmen trying to clear the earthquake debris and rebuild their beloved city! The place was deserted apart from workmen. It feel very sad and depressing to be there. Any local businesses that weren't knocked down by the earthquake were closed down for lack of customers.
We struggled to find somewhere to eat - very few cafes or restaurants left - we settled for a kebab from a local van! It was so strange to see the devastation - i hadn't quite appreciated how widespread it was! The most recently printed maps of the city centre include a big red box called the "RED Zone" - this is basically the section of the city that doesn't exist!
It must have made lots of people leave the city looking for work and somewhere new to live - it was a visual reminder of how fragile life can be.
A very sobering visit!
No comments:
Post a Comment