In May 2008, the Chaiten volcano erupted, spewing ash visible from space. We are staying in Futalefeu, about 70 miles from the volcano, and it’s still puffing out ash with minor tremors. The (evacuated) town of Chaiten is completely gone, and now Futalefeu is going to be the new capital of the province. It’s now been 8 months since the eruption (see historical photo), but there was still plenty of ash coating everything, and piled up in roadside drifts. The ash also covered the snow in the Andes, making the snow virtually disappear.

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