Darkness

Chile's dependence on hydroelectric power can be problematic in the Winter, if it doesn't rain enough. The lights just have to go off.

Winter's barely just beginning, and they say it's going to be dry. But even without a dryspell, this country is badly lit.

I like it.

Walking with Tina through the playgrounds and sidewalks of Cerro Navia. Or alone on that black, black street in Bellavista last night. Couples on benches, stray dogs, groups of young folk venturing out into the night life of Santiago, Chile.

You just can't see them. Our globe turns its dumb round back on the sun, we're left with nothing but the blackness of space. It gets colder, like space.

The trees that line the sidewalks make everything darker. The sole of my shoe feels the broken, uneven pavement and the shattered glass and gravel sidewalk. I hear the light footsteps of other pedestrians, quiet voices and subdued laughter.

I just can't see anybody.