FUN:travel – Easter Island, Chile – Day 2
March 3, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN:travel – Easter Island, Chile – Day 2
The ABC’s of Chile
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Birdman Village
- 8:15 – wake up to decent hot coffee
- breakfast buffet is typical – nice fresh fruit platter, meat, cheese, tomatoes, breads, yogurt, cereal, cooked eggs too
- A – 10:00 – 1st half day tour w/Kia-Koe
- 10:15 – tour bus arrives – clearly on island time
- 1st stop – 10:40 – Orongo – most religious, sacred site – Birdman village – homes built w/rocks in the side of the mountain w/very small opening as door – used only for sleeping – very small & very short – see extensive collection of petroglyphs
Petroglyph
- 2nd stop – Rano Kau Volcano – rain water collected there – fruits & vegetables planted on the hill inside
- 3rd stop – Ahu Vinapu – sacred burial grounds
- A – 3:15 – 2nd half day tour w/Kia-Koe
- 1st stop – Puna Pau – red stone quarry used to carve the hair top knots for statues
- 2nd stop – Ahu Akivi – highlight is 7 stone statues representing explorers
- 3rd stop – Te Pahu – lava tunnels that formed caves
Rano Kau Volcano
- A – 7:45 – dinner Kotaro Japanese restaurant just 3 blks from hotel – chef/owner Francisco trained in Japan – only 18 seats – no sushi menu, he makes what he has
- A – appetizer of raw fish salad, cucumber, carrot, sweet vinegar dressing – miso soup – huge plate of sushi & another smaller w/sashimi – Montes wine by the glass – all for only $53 – VG!
- A – grocery store just across street – buy drinks & chips @ over half the mini bar price
- C – We found 2 pearls! – Kotaro & the store
FF – (FUN-fact) – Dutch explorers landed here on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1722, and named it Easter Island.
More FF – The Easter Island park entrance fee is $50 at the airport and $60 if you buy it on sight, cash only.
Ahu Akivi
FUN:travel – Mendoza, Argentina to Easter Island, Chile
March 1, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN:travel – Mendoza, Argentina to Easter Island, Chile
The ABC’s of Chile
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Day 26 – Sunday, February 24 – Mendoza, Argentina to Easter Island, Chile – cloudy & cool morning – balmy, humid, thick clouds, warm 80’s afternoon
Javier, Me, Mercedes & Tito
- 6:00 – wake up
- A – 7:00 hot coffee an hour early!
- 7:30 – taxi to airport
- A – Mercedes has gotten up to wish us well on our trip (she goes to bed very late)
Puku Vai Hotel
- B – arrive airport 7:50 for 10:00 flight – rescheduled for 10:55 (taxi in cost $10 & return $12)
- B – cappuccino @ airport is $5
- A – next flight to Easter Island isn’t until 1:35 so we should have plenty of time
- C – airport security is great – shoes, laptops, liquids no problema
- C – no baggage police or baggage nazi’s @ LAN in Mendoza or Santiago (unike Ecuador & Peru last year)
- A – on time & arrive @ noon
- B – have to pick up bags & recheck because it’s international
- C – no long lines for customs!
- B – have to pay $160 reciprocity fee
- A – 12:30 up to departure gate & breeze through security – arrive gate at 12:50
- C – got exit row & plane is not full – 5 hr flight in “no class” is “no FUN”
- A –arrive 5:00 – gained 2 hrs
- A – hotel transfer comes w/beautiful fragrant yellow & purple leis
- 6:00 – arrive Puku Vai Hotel (only 5 mins from airport)
Does This Look Like Dessert?
- 7:30 – dinner – walk to town takes 15 mins – hotel recommended Kanahau – salad greens w/shrimp, avocado, hearts of palm – fresh Tuna
w/seaweed, green onions, mushrooms served on sweet potato mash & sea sauce & Errazuriz Carménère – $100 - A – Oscar’s on TV
- B – terrible reception
- B – Spanish voice over makes it impossible to understand
- C – Lurene DVR’d it for me at home
- A – big, bright full moon peaks through thick clouds
FF – (FUN-fact) – Javier, Mercedes, Tito & the staff made us feel so welcome and like family in their home. It made Mendoza very special! The B & B is rated #2 on Trip Advisor and costs $143.00 per day including tips. There are 5 rooms total but not all have the bathroom in the room. We stayed in Mercedes original bedroom which is the biggest and very nice. I booked this in May 2012.