Might as well set the record straight...
Well, despite the fact that emily TOTALLY STOLE MY THUNDER, she got most of the facts wrong anyway, so I might as well update you on my would-be teaser entry.
So, Jason, Sarah, Janet and I had enjoyed our time in Santiago and taken the bus to Finisterre, which at the time of Medieval pilgrims was the end of the known world. We decided to have an "end of the world" celebratory picnic, so we bought groceries and hiked the 2 or 3 k out to the lighthouse which is the point furthest west in the town. We climbed down about a quarter of the way down the rocks to settle in for a picnic as the sun began to set. As it got closer and as we finished our meal, J, J and S decided to climb down closer to the water for the sunset. Being the bum I am, I decided to stay put and watch from my perch higher up. To give you an idea of how far down it was, When they got almost to the bottom, they looked like tiny ants from where I was.
I watched the sun set and then watched them taking pictures and looking around. I saw Jason walk to the edge of one of the rocks and lean over, like he was about to jump. I heard shouting, so I thought maybe it was an echo spot or something, untill I saw Sarah running towards where they had climbed down and heard her shouting to me. All she said was that someone was stuck and to get help. I ran up the rocks towards other people and the lighthouse, where there was a pub and probably a phone to call for help. I passed an englishman and a spainard, both of whom asked what was up, and they headed down when I told them. When I got to the pub it was closed, so I head back, unsure what to do next. Since the sun had gone down, people werebeginning to leave, which was making me nervous. I ran into Emmanuel, Oliver, and Andre- three german guys we had walked with for a while, and i was so flustered I didnt greet them properly, even though I hadnt seen Oliver since we reached Santiago. I told them what was going on, and since Emmanuel knew who he was, he headed down. When I got to our former picnic spot, a spanish woman asked me what was going on, because her boyfriend had been one of the men who went down to help. I told her and she asked if she should call the emergency number, which she then did.
Sarah and Janet soon climbed up, but no Jason. Then sun was long gone and light was fading, so I was getting nervous. Janet told me she left her torch with Jason to climb back up with, but I was still nervous. Eventually a boat came, but couldnt get anywhere close enough to the rocks to help at all, but shone a bright light onto the cliffs. It seemed like an eternity before the helicopter arrived. But it did, and even then the actual saving process took ages. Still, a man went down and two came up, so we knew the man (who we had found out was actually a drunken idiot- he had climbed down after drinking too much and probably had fallen and gotten stuck or broken his legs) was safe. I began to look for Jason to climb up the way he had gone down, but at that point I realized the tide had come in and there was no way of coming up the way he went down. The other rocks were much steeper and didnt have much of a path at all, and everyone seemed to be leaving. It was pitch black, which made the stars stunningly beautiful, but certainly made his climb harder. Eventually the EMTs started to look for him and realized he was on the hardest climb and had no chance of making it to the top safely. Thats when they called for the helicopter again. He was told to sit down where he was a wait. Again it seemed like an eternity, but it came, and I watched Jason, who had recently told Sarah how much he dislikes heights (who knew?) be hauls in a harness up to the hovering helicopter.
That was when the craziness occured. I was shaking from watching the whole thing, and I had to climb back up in the dark, so some Spanish man took my hand and basically dragged me up. Then the Spanish woman told them I was his sister and needed to be taken to where he was, but that Sarah and Janet were our friends and needed to come too. Then it was 5 minutes of too quick spanish figuring out how to get everyone where they need to be. I was put in the EMT jeep with 4 EMT guys, and Sarah and Janet got a ride from a nice man who happened to be there. Then we drove the 3 k back to the town center, where two of the guys got out and S and J got in the jeep. Their pressence calmed me down, and so when the (um, wicked hot) EMT asked if he could play some music, I jokingly said "only if it´s Shakira" (whose Hips Dont Lie has been haunting us on this trip) and we drove along when suddenly what should come one but... yes you guessed it, Hips Dont Lie. we made Spanish hotties 1 and 2 laugh by singing and dancing along in the back.
When we got the hospital two towns away, (where the helicopter can land) Jason was nowhere to be found- apparently he had found a ride back to the town 15 k away. So the EMTs sheepishly herded us back to the car and we drove back, where we found Jason wandering the streets looking for us. He was no worse for the wear, minus a few scratches and whatnot.
So, we had a few beers (it was 1:30am by the point) with the fire ranger who told us only 3 people have ever been airlifted out in 4 years.
And that was the adventure.
So, Jason, Sarah, Janet and I had enjoyed our time in Santiago and taken the bus to Finisterre, which at the time of Medieval pilgrims was the end of the known world. We decided to have an "end of the world" celebratory picnic, so we bought groceries and hiked the 2 or 3 k out to the lighthouse which is the point furthest west in the town. We climbed down about a quarter of the way down the rocks to settle in for a picnic as the sun began to set. As it got closer and as we finished our meal, J, J and S decided to climb down closer to the water for the sunset. Being the bum I am, I decided to stay put and watch from my perch higher up. To give you an idea of how far down it was, When they got almost to the bottom, they looked like tiny ants from where I was.
I watched the sun set and then watched them taking pictures and looking around. I saw Jason walk to the edge of one of the rocks and lean over, like he was about to jump. I heard shouting, so I thought maybe it was an echo spot or something, untill I saw Sarah running towards where they had climbed down and heard her shouting to me. All she said was that someone was stuck and to get help. I ran up the rocks towards other people and the lighthouse, where there was a pub and probably a phone to call for help. I passed an englishman and a spainard, both of whom asked what was up, and they headed down when I told them. When I got to the pub it was closed, so I head back, unsure what to do next. Since the sun had gone down, people werebeginning to leave, which was making me nervous. I ran into Emmanuel, Oliver, and Andre- three german guys we had walked with for a while, and i was so flustered I didnt greet them properly, even though I hadnt seen Oliver since we reached Santiago. I told them what was going on, and since Emmanuel knew who he was, he headed down. When I got to our former picnic spot, a spanish woman asked me what was going on, because her boyfriend had been one of the men who went down to help. I told her and she asked if she should call the emergency number, which she then did.
Sarah and Janet soon climbed up, but no Jason. Then sun was long gone and light was fading, so I was getting nervous. Janet told me she left her torch with Jason to climb back up with, but I was still nervous. Eventually a boat came, but couldnt get anywhere close enough to the rocks to help at all, but shone a bright light onto the cliffs. It seemed like an eternity before the helicopter arrived. But it did, and even then the actual saving process took ages. Still, a man went down and two came up, so we knew the man (who we had found out was actually a drunken idiot- he had climbed down after drinking too much and probably had fallen and gotten stuck or broken his legs) was safe. I began to look for Jason to climb up the way he had gone down, but at that point I realized the tide had come in and there was no way of coming up the way he went down. The other rocks were much steeper and didnt have much of a path at all, and everyone seemed to be leaving. It was pitch black, which made the stars stunningly beautiful, but certainly made his climb harder. Eventually the EMTs started to look for him and realized he was on the hardest climb and had no chance of making it to the top safely. Thats when they called for the helicopter again. He was told to sit down where he was a wait. Again it seemed like an eternity, but it came, and I watched Jason, who had recently told Sarah how much he dislikes heights (who knew?) be hauls in a harness up to the hovering helicopter.
That was when the craziness occured. I was shaking from watching the whole thing, and I had to climb back up in the dark, so some Spanish man took my hand and basically dragged me up. Then the Spanish woman told them I was his sister and needed to be taken to where he was, but that Sarah and Janet were our friends and needed to come too. Then it was 5 minutes of too quick spanish figuring out how to get everyone where they need to be. I was put in the EMT jeep with 4 EMT guys, and Sarah and Janet got a ride from a nice man who happened to be there. Then we drove the 3 k back to the town center, where two of the guys got out and S and J got in the jeep. Their pressence calmed me down, and so when the (um, wicked hot) EMT asked if he could play some music, I jokingly said "only if it´s Shakira" (whose Hips Dont Lie has been haunting us on this trip) and we drove along when suddenly what should come one but... yes you guessed it, Hips Dont Lie. we made Spanish hotties 1 and 2 laugh by singing and dancing along in the back.
When we got the hospital two towns away, (where the helicopter can land) Jason was nowhere to be found- apparently he had found a ride back to the town 15 k away. So the EMTs sheepishly herded us back to the car and we drove back, where we found Jason wandering the streets looking for us. He was no worse for the wear, minus a few scratches and whatnot.
So, we had a few beers (it was 1:30am by the point) with the fire ranger who told us only 3 people have ever been airlifted out in 4 years.
And that was the adventure.