WATERLOO - George Day of Waterloo learned about the earthquake in Peru from a neighbor.

He turned on the television and began trying to telephone his wife, Clara. A native of Chota, a town in the Andes Mountains, Clara had returned to Peru to handle some family business. The 7.9 magnitude quake struck near the capital city of Lima on the coast. It knocked out telephone and mobile phone service to the capital and provinces.

"I couldn't get through and I was very worried," said the University of Northern Iowa professor emeritus and music critic for the Courier. "When I finally reached her, she said there hadn't been any damage where she was in Cajamarca, about 250 miles north of Lima, but the streets and highways are littered with boulders and other debris."

Her son, who teaches in France, and his friend had joined her in Peru earlier in the week.

Day tried repeatedly to reach Clara, but had no luck until he was contacted by an acquaintance he'd met at a wedding.

"She'd served in the Peace Corps and had friends in Peru. She got through and it so happened that Clara was actually at the house she was calling," Day explained. Through a flurry of phone calls, Day was able to speak with his wife.

"She was fine, but now we're all worried about family and friends. Our best friends live in a high-rise in Lima, and we haven't heard anything except there is a lot of damage and loss of life," Day said.

For now, though, he's relieved that his wife is safe. "She's supposed to come home next week, so I'm just hoping the airport hasn't been too damaged."

Contact Melody Parker at (319) 291-1429 or melody.parker@wcfcourier.com.