1 1 J. _an4s, Schloss& s luring the first leg of her trip In Antarctica "1 an fiery nervous about this. 1Ve are going 4nto the 'eye of the storm.' I'm lvorried about aftershoas or even another earthquake, but they say Santiago is safe." . —Cindy Schlussel Trouble in Paradise Adventure traveler stranded on an island following Chile's earthquake. Robin Schwartz Special to the Jewish News R elaxation and adventure were no doubt on the agenda when Cindy Schlussel of White Lake set out on what family members call "a vacation of a lifetime:' She traveled to Antarctica (the last continent she had yet to visit), then moved on to a remote Polynesian island where she recently celebrated her 40th birthday. But the itinerary took an unexpected turn. Saturday, a devastating earthquake rocked Chile killing more than 700 people. The 8.8 magnitude quake, one of the larg- est ever recorded, destroyed roads, toppled buildings and triggered widespread tsu- nami warnings. Schlussel, who's traveling with a group of Jewish singles from vari- ous cities through the Pittsburgh-based travel agency Amazing Journeys, found herself stranded on Easter Island in the southeast Pacific Ocean. The remote desti- nation, considered one of the world's most 10 March 4 2010 isolated inhabited islands, is about 2,300 miles off the west coast of Chile. "Have never been so scared in my life; awoken at 6 a.m. by frantic pound- ing on the door and someone scream- ing, 'Earthquake, tsunami, evacuate!"' Schlussel wrote on her Facebook page Feb. 27 after the massive earthquake struck. She later posted a message to tell friends and family members she has no cell phone service. The social network- ing Web site has been her only consistent means of communicating with loved ones. "We were taken to high ground and just given the all clear. Tsunami hit two smaller islands near us, but we are all safe and okay',' Schlussel wrote in another status update. "We have food, water and shelter and we're not suffering on this beautiful Polynesian island:' Cindy also said the group's Shabbat and Havdalah services were especially moving in the wake of the earthquake; everyone was just thankful they were not in harm's way. At press time, the group of 16 managed to catch a flight off Easter Island. They landed safely at the partially damaged Santiago, Chile, airport — which Schlussel called a "very emotional moment" They were headed for a hotel in the city, but beyond that, there were no plans in place to get them back to the United States. "I am very nervous about this',' Schlussel wrote via Facebook. "We are going into the `eye of the storm: I'm worried about after- shocks or even another earthquake, but they say Santiago is safe. We have no idea how or when we will get home from there:' While the regular online messages and updates provided some sense of relief, Cindy's parents, Mike Schlussel of Walled Lake and Nancy Schneider of West Bloomfield, were still worried and anxious for her safe return. Mike Schlussel was interviewed by several local television stations and at times was seen choking back tears. Cindy's co-workers at Shuman Chrysler Jeep in Walled Lake, where she sells new and used cars, were also watch- ing developments closely. "The part that scares me is that the death toll keeps getting higher and higher;' said Cindy's dad. "When you don't hear anything, you start thinking the worst." Those fears were punctuated by chaotic scenes captured by news crews in the earthquake zone showing looters being arrested on the streets, mass destruction, and the search for survivors in the rubble. Schneider was busy making calls to the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Chile, the Chilean Earthquake task force and other agencies. "We just want to make sure they have accommodations in an area that's safe and secure said Schneider. "We don't know how long they're going to be there [in Santiago], where they're going to be or anything. They're one step closer. But we'll be a lot more relieved when she's finally headed back home" American Jewish World Service is directing supporters to www.alertnet.org .