Alive: The Story Of The Andes Survivors Quotes
"Uruguay might be far from Ireland, but it too was a small country with an agricultural economy."
"The affection and respect which the boys felt for their parents was readily transferred to their teachers."
"It was as if the torrid vastness of Brazil to the north and the muddy waters of the River Plate to the south and west acted not only as natural barriers but as a protective shell in a cocoon of time."
"Political idealism was more likely to flourish under the Jesuits, who trained the intellect, than under the Christian Brothers, whose aim was to build the character of their boys."
"The economy of this welfare state depended upon the pastoral and agricultural products which Uruguay exported to Europe."
"They held to their contention that soccer was a sport for the prima donna, whereas rugby football would teach the boys to suffer in silence and work as a team."
"The sight of the Andes rising before them, a dramatic and apparently impassable wall with snow-clad peaks like the teeth of a giant saw."
"In the crash both Fito and Eduardo had been knocked unconscious. When they regained consciousness they were in such a state of shock that they did not realize where they were."
"He lacked Abal’s glamour and easy charm; moreover, he was neither more nor less than what he seemed to be."
"They realized that the rescue might be made easier if they could transmit signals from the radio."
"The avalanche came like the magnesium flash of an old camera."
"He realized immediately what had happened and struggled against the grip of the snow, but he could not move any part of his body."
"His only consolation came from his conviction that she who had given him such love and solace on earth must now be watching over him from heaven."
"They all believed that virtue lay in survival and eating their dead friends would in no way endanger their souls."
"God wanted them to live, and he had given them the means to do so in the dead bodies of their friends."
"Every case on which he worked was documented by Professor Tenhaeff, and after almost twenty years and several hundred experiments he had built up an impressive record of success."
"The truth of what he said was incontestable."
"He felt certain now that he would see them again. If God had saved him in both the accident and the avalanche, it could only be to reunite him with his family."
"Feeling that God would help them if they helped themselves, the survivors not only set about the tasks which would make their immediate life more bearable but planned and prepared for their ultimate escape."
"The first factor to be considered in choosing these expeditionaries was their physical condition."
"Canessa had more imagination than some of the others and foresaw the danger and hardship which would be involved."
"Páez, Harley, and Vizintín set out at eleven o’clock in the – morning, seven days after the avalanche, to prove themselves."
"They carried nothing with them to hamper their progress."
"‘Come on, Carlitos,’ said Roy through his tears. ‘For God’s sake, come on! Think of your family … your mother … your father …’"
"Vizintín’s small, close-set eyes were quite dry. ‘It was tough,’ he said, ‘but possible.’"
"The expeditionaries were not the leaders of the group but a caste apart, separated from the others by their privileges and preoccupations."
"If the eyes remained open, they would close them, for it was hard to cut into a friend under his glassy gaze."
"They had, from necessity, come to eat almost every part of the body."
"Only the lungs, the skin, the head and the genitals of the corpses were thrown aside."
"This system, like a good constitution, was fair in theory and flexible enough to allow for the weakness of human nature."
"Inciarte and Sabella leaped to their feet, thinking it was another avalanche."
"‘We’ve beaten the cold,’ and over and over again they would repeat the only fact they knew to be true: ‘To the west is Chile.’"
"‘The loser stays’ was the nearest they came to saying that the weak would die."
"‘I used to be so spoiled,’ Mangino said to Methol. ‘Being up here makes one realize how dreadful one was before.’"
"Every now and then they would stop to strip off a pair of trousers or a sweater, but it took a lot of their energy to do this."
"As they lay there in the shade they stared at the huge mountain ahead of them."
"Fito lay with blood seeping from his haemorrhoids, feeling more anxious, frightened, and lonely than ever before."
"‘Hey, boys, we’ve found the tail … all the suitcases … clothes … and cigarettes,’ and when he reached the plane they clustered around him."
"We may have to send out another expedition, this time with more food than before."
"It would be absurd for us to leave now, with this specially equipped plane on its way to find us."
"I think we should go back to make the food last longer."
"If they rescue you, please don’t forget about us."
"I’m going to chew up the Andes. I’m going to search them foot by foot until I find the boys."
"You must go because the radio may be our only chance."
"We should give them at least ten days and then, perhaps, set out. It’s crazy to risk our lives if it isn’t necessary."
"We’ve found a cross. We’ve just heard on the radio that they’ve found a cross on something called the Santa Elena mountain."
"If she wants to stay, let her stay. We’ll go with God in our hearts."
"Just because they’re looking again doesn’t mean they’ll find us."
"Cheer up and confidence, here I give you a helicopter as a Christmas present."
"If you knew half as much about cows as you know about cars, you'd know that that's cow dung."
"You can't have come down that mountain. Yes, we did. Sliding, stumbling..."
"Don't thank me. All I did was my duty as a Chilean and a son of God."
"They prayed the rosary, and Carlitos made a special mention of his uncle but said nothing of his premonition."
"The two boys sat down and ate what they had been given, and never in their lives had bread tasted so good."
"He reached it in less than an hour but, while recognizing the place itself, he could not remember on which among a hundred boulders he had put his glasses."
"I can see cows! Cows? Parrado repeated, blinking into the distance but seeing nothing because of his shortsightedness."
"The sun was on them as they ate and then as they walked again, which together with the exertion required to plod through the snow on sodden cushions made them both extremely hot."
"The ascent of the east side of the mountain was no less terrifying than the climb up the other side."
"It was a technique which demanded exceptional skill, but not more skill than they possessed."
"They were amazed at the sudden color all around them, intoxicated by the smell of grass and flowers."
"Their thoughts turned immediately to food, and all six fell upon the hot coffee, chocolate, and cheese that had been prepared for them."
"Like drunks, they embraced one another and rolled around on the ground."
"In his enthusiasm and excitement, Algorta gripped Canessa by the hair."
"Eduardo lay back on a bed of grass as though it were finer than the finest satin."
"It was clear by now that none of their eight patients was in a critical physical condition."
"The soul of a man is the best thing about him. There is nothing better than giving to a fellow human being."
"The only flaw in the happiness he felt was Nicolich’s frightened, expectant face, there behind his father."
"The sight of three crosses in the sky, or a host of angels, could not at that moment have been more moving or miraculous."
"For the father, the weeks of stubborn lunacy had their reward in the breathing bodies he held to his own."
"The short list was soon typed, and it was not long before, once again, the sixteen names were in front of Páez Vilaró."
"They were stunned by the verdancy all around them."
"The boys ate and drank with gusto and delight, scooping up the butter with their fingers."
"The moment of reunion could not be postponed much longer."
"The first knowledge that this was what had happened should appal them."
"The exception was Algorta. He lay on his bed in his private room, without any compulsion to talk."
"The momentous occasion for them all, and their emaciated faces were stretched with expressions of the love and gratitude that they felt towards God."
"The Boeing 727 of LAN Chile which had been chartered by Charlone to fly the survivors and their families back to Montevideo was given the elite crew."