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Well after many hours in planes and airports (Santiago, Aukland, Sydney), I'm glad to be back home in Melbourne.

I've had a fantastic trip, and hope anyone who's dropped in to read this blog has enjoyed seeing a bit of the wonderful places I've visited.

Hasta luego amigos!

Rapa Nui... (Easter Island in English!)

After a 4hr or 5hr flight over sea, our plane turned beautifully so I got a glimpse of the entire green island with its old volcanoes before coming in to land. And with the endless view of sea, you really do get the sense of isolation that allowed this island to develop its unique culture.

I quickly found a hostel from the airport info desk, and we were picked up and given a quick tour of town by the owner before being dropped back at the hostel. I spent most of my time on the island with Carla, an English girl, who arrived on the same flight and had similar plans on visiting ruins. So we wandered back round town, down to the port area, and along the foreshore to see our first moai (statues) before enjoying a lovely fish dinner.


Next day, after visiting the tourist office, picking up some maps and written guides (and booking our tour for the next day), we headed along the coast in the opposite direction, and up to the volcano and the ceremonial town of Orongo. This route took us past more toppled moai, a small port, a garden of native plants, and some ocean caves that were used in "birdman" religious ceremonies. And we reached the crater of the volcano (spectacular) and the archeolical ruins of the town of Orongo known for its birdman ceremonies.

OK some history/myths before I go further.... the island was first inhabited by people (probably polynesian) of a "sunken land" who came in double canoes. There was thought to be a second wave of immigration or possibly slaves brought from somewhere later. Over time clans and a society developed with some different classes. Somewhere along the way the carving of Moais (statues) and ahus (platforms) developed, with each clan having its own ceremonial centres. The Moais are thought to represent sucessive rulers of the clan, and were thought to have been built up over time. These moais where nearly all carved out of rock from one central quarry and mysteriously transported... It seems production of these maoi went mad... in total theres about 1000 on the island with about a third found near platforms, others in transport or in the process of carving.

Its thought that this moai manufacture and transport led to dramatic deforestation and erosion on the island. And in turn to interclan and class rivalry, where diminishing resources led to clan wars, and eventually all the moai were toppled and several ahus destroyed. (So those we see standing on ahus have all been restored and are not original, just as the grassy and largely treeless land that we see today is quite different from the palm groves that researchers say were there.)


Another religion sprang up (or may have coexisted with the earlier statue building) known as the birdman cult. This centred around a man from each tribe competing in a yearly competion to climb up and down the cliffs, and swim out and get the first egg from a small island of the coast. The winning tribe then had the right to be the dominant tribe for the year, with the winner given a special title and power over others. There are many petroglyphs (rock carvings) and some rock paintings related to this religion. It was still practices until the 1800s when missionaries wiped it out.


Ok... next day we went on a tour round the island with Patricio (our excellent guide) in his old cream combi, visiting various sites along the coast. He did a great job of explaining things, pointing out carvings, unique moai and other things we would otherwise have missed.


The highlight for me would have to be the quarry area... amazing volcanic crater area where the half buried maoi (waiting for transport?) stand around like guards, and the other areas of stone carving where half finished moai dot the landscape. Wow.


Onto the bay where a tsunami swept the statues inland in the 60s, but which now has a line of moai re-erected by the Japanese in return for rights for a crane ad! And onto the only real white sand beach of the island, which was home of the "royal" tribe (most direct decendents of the origin immigrants). All in all a great day. And to top it off, fish empanada and a movie on Easter Island

Before leaving I also visited the museum which was quite informative, wandered thru souvenir shops and visited a local school festival. Saw turtles down in the harbour, watched surfers, and watched a fisherman fillet his two 25 kg yellowfin tunas. Lovely place to relax at the end of a long holiday.

Valparaiso and the coast

Valparaiso

Valparaiso is on the coast, about an hour and a half away from Santiago along a wildflower lined road that takes you thru some of Chile's wine country.

It is a twin city with Vina del Mar, meaning that their suburbs merge at some point along the coast, but to me Vina is a rich person's playground but soulless, whereas Valparaiso shines through its working class grit with its naval /port history and decorated tin houses.


Yeah, its the upper suburbs in the hills reached by stairs or "ascensors" (think of a trolley car system thats rails head up cliffs at maybe 60 degree angle or more) that are the real charmers... with stunning views across the bay and surrounding suburbs. And all the colourfully painted houses and street art that dots the lanscape and make it a real pleasure to explore.


Theres definitely dirtier pockets, and the lower town becomes a bit threatening at night when all the shops roller shutters come down, leaving sections deserted. But its a working port town, so you'd expect it to be a bit rough. Oddly theres a lot of punks (seem heaps in Chile) and apparently according to one of their signs punk is now 30.... Chile is definitely quite retro... breakdancing kids and mohawks on the other hand!

Anyway I really enjoyed wandering around, looking at the street art and painted houses, and checking out the various museums (cartooner's and naval history actually).


Up the coast

Christian from the youth hostel had a hire car (long story) and was looking for takers to go on a day trip up the coast, which I thought sounded great. So four of us headed off... to check out the coast, have a fresh seafood lunch, and wander along some beaches.

As it turned out, close to Vina is all very developed with large skyrise apartment buildings hugging the rocky coast. As you get further away its a little less developed, and we stopped for lunch in a town with a nice bay and little fishing fleet... so fresh fried fish for lunch. yum.

After admiring the pelicans and the beach, we headed further up the coast, eventually reaching lovely white sand beach and chilled out beach resort area about an hour further north. Saved the best for last.

My time was up, so back to Santiago to fly out to easter island, (which is also part of Chile.)

Santiago

Well I was sad to say goodbye to Bolivia, but was looking forward to my flight from La Paz... apparently the airports altitude mean planes need a longer runway and more speed to take off and land... but it seemed pretty normal, and clouds obscured any view of the city. Still on aeroplanes - they didnt feed us first flight, then herded us all off the plane thru customs, and back while they refuelled in Iqueque (Chile) then fed us only peanuts and a biscuit... starving Karen!

Arriving in Chile was a bit of a shock to the system... their roads are all immaculate, cars follow the lanes, there is order, lots of greenery, no traditional dress or people with roadside stalls... you could almost be in Australia or the US or Europe. They have supermarkets... (sad I know but having not seen one for months I was excited!) Santiago is in fact a big, international feeling city with skyscrapers, shopping malls and pedestrian streets, buses, a subway system and suburbs which spread along the valley.

I found my hostel, and headed out to one of the suburbs which is meant to be a bit bohemian, and filled with students, bars and places to eat. I found an area which reminded me of St Kilda a bit... palm trees and practicing jugglers and all! (no beach though). Had fish at a lovely restaurant, but unfortunately succumbed once more to a dreaded stomach bug.... got home and was sick. I spent the next half a day in denial, wandering round being a tourist hoping it was just a once off.... except I was really tired and found myself falling asleep in the sun on park benches or even a great museum.... back to the hostel. After about 16hrs sleep, I felt less sleepy but had diareahea, and it was another few days until I was back to solid food and wandering anywhere.... Still for what its worth, I like Santiago, and picked a comfy hostel to get stuck in!