Well I got up this morning, had a crabby taxi driver pick me up in Plaza Dorrego, there the bands still had not stopped playing and the people were to dancing and eating… I couldn't sleep because the noise came into the hotel room.... it's going to be a long day!
Off to the airport with long wait to the city airport Aeroparque, and just after 5am we jumped into the sky over the Atlantic, did a u-turn and headed across South America for 2.5 hours to reach Santiago, with an impromptu warning to fasten seat belts because we were crossing over the Andes, none of which could be seen because of cloud, cloud and more cloud. It was a little bumpy! Customs, Immigration and then an enormous like to check it al back in. It was an hour long!
It was at this point I remembered I had flown LAN one time before, from Cusco to Lima and that was a disaster too! Oh dear.
Well finally my bag is dropped of. Over an hour to drop off a bag. There is thick fog outside so my plan to take a ride into town is off. That said it was 7:30am on arrival. I lost an hour in a bag line up. I am now sitting in of the few coffee shop choices in this rather small airport for the size of the city - and my flight to Easter Island doesn't board until 12:20. The only thing of interest here is a big pile of forgotten luggage. And a restaurant not worth a second visit called 'Gatsby.'
But this is what it was all for... after many many hours in the sky, Papayas so fresh they are still on the trees!
This is the port of Hanga Roa - and I was running off from the hotel to catch sunset... sunset with my first real-life moai.
Here he is. Moai numero Una.
Below is a starnge character that look like it's the face from Saw movies, but it was the original "God" on the island.
More moai.
What i thought were hats are actually hair. They covered the hair in red mud to keep it clean and they never cut the hair so they rolled it up with a knot in the top.
It is cloudy here today, but like Hawaii the clouds roll in and roll out, the wind can stop and start on a dime, and it's a little cooler than Hawaii, tee shirt weather in day, sweater needed early morning. I guess they are just coming out of winter...
And so the sun sets on the most remote place in the world... how bizarre, remoter even than the antarctic by many measures... the Polynesians isolation giving rise to bizarre rituals.
I think the Moai look nice with their deep red hats.
Passing a cemetery, they must love their ancestors, as the flowers are all fresh.
So being in a remote place these pics should have been first, but the internet is all by satellite and almost doesn't work in the hotel. To upload pics I came to an internet cafe - 2000 pesos for 1 hour so I am going to make this quick!
The 767 arrives...
The red pointer shows the landing strip which is very long, despite being at sea level - it was extended and strengthened as an emergency landing strip for the space shuttle...
Tomorrow, it's more Moai!
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