Volunteering Day 1

Well, as can happen on a group trip, especially one like ours where the conditions 'on the ground' can change daily, depending on the needs in the affected area, my day did not go as expected. Our initial assumption was that we'd be working at a local distribution center, but alas it was not to be. My group of 6 left the hotel at 9:30, stopped at the local office of a relief organization, met up with a delivery truck and left there at 10:30 and drove almost 3 hours to an evacuation center in Higashihama. Fortunately, this included a 30 minute lunch stop, so we had a chance to walk around and get some fresh air. According to Google Maps, it's 55 miles, but considering two lane roads, low speed limits, minor road damage from the earthquake, etc., perhaps we made good time?! At the evacuation center, we helped unload a small truckload of food and talked with the manager.

The building is actually an elementary school, but the first floor is being used as an evac center, while the kids are on the second floor for school. We were able to pass out small origami gifts from Portland area school children to the kids, and also met an 83 year old woman who is living in the evac center. She was a FUN lady and said we gave her energy to live until she's 100, AND she blew kisses to us as we left! (very un-Japanese to do this!)

The drive back to Sendai took us through a few coastal hamlets and Ishinomaki, one of the hard-hit towns/cities. Block after block, mile after mile, nothing but destruction--upside down cars, damaged/destroyed homes and businesses, mounds and mounds of debris, etc. It was heartbreaking to see. At one point I opened the window to take a better picture, but the stench was powerful enough to put a quick halt to that little adventure! Combine dead fish, garbage, debris, and lord knows what else, and WOW!

The driver of our car told us that the SDF (Self-Defense Forces) couldn't even tell where the roads were supposed to be right after the tsunami, due to stuff everywhere!! Her uncle died in the tsunami and had to be cremated in a neighboring prefecture, due to conditions here.  According to our briefing in Tokyo, it's going to take 3 years just to clear up all the debris. That doesn't include reconstruction, which could take 10 to 15 years. Very sobering.