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Chile and Easter Island

Welcome to Chile and Easter Island Fall 2017. We begin this trip in Santiago, Then we fly to Easter Island, 5 hours by plane over the Pacific Ocean. Returning we travel to the Atacama Desert to the north. Then fly south to the Patagonian Fiords. What an incredible country to visit. The Capital, Santiago, is home to 17 million people, one third of Chile's population. Santiago rests at the confluence of the Mapocho and Maipo rivers, surrounded on all sides by Andean peaks. It is a breathtaking setting for a capital that has witnessed remarkable history from settlement by conquistadors in 1541 to the Marxist, military, and finally, democratic governments of the 20th century.

We embark on a walking tour through parks, historic areas and enjoy the vistas of the city. This particular building was the first Embassy of the United States in Santiago. Now it is a private residence.

A statue of Abraham Lincoln sits across the street in the public park facing the former US Embassy. The statue is placed there because Chile was the first country to abolish slavery in Latin America. Of course Lincoln is associated with abolishing slavery in the US.

Forestal Park, one of many parks throughout the city of Santiago.

This large statue is a statue of Germans arriving in Chile. Germans were among the first wave of European immigrants influencing Chilean culture and cuisine. Germany became one of Chile's largest trading partners. Among the items represented are young men with out stretched arms (Chile's Progress), the Roman god Mercury steering the boat over the Andes, Roman goddess of victory with a wreath for the victory of freedom.

Notice the chairs stuck to the fence in front of this university. This was a strike by students claiming classes were too large and lack of funding for education at this government run universioty.

Street Musicians making some extra money

One of the older well kept buildings in Santiago

I spoke in Spanish with the students protesting. They were verey friendly. They are trying to bring about change for all students. Their right to an education is being taken from them. The one sign says We don't want precariousness, meaning sub standard conditions, poorly paid professors, poorly maintained buildings and classrooms. We have rights.

Lovers all over the world seem to do this. The put their names on locks and fasten them to bridges for eternity or until someone better comes along.

Another part of Forestal Park

Latam, the airline of Chile. There is one flight a day. A 787 from Santiago to Hanga Rua, the main city, Easter Island. The locals call it Rapa Nui. The population as of 2017 is 7,750. Easter Island belongs to Chile. The languages are Spanish predominitely and the old Rapa Nui language.

First thing you see arriving is the Rotary Emblem at the airport. Easter Island (Rapa Nui: Spanish: Isla de Pascua) is a Chilean island in the south eastern Pacific Ocean, at the south eastern most point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.

Entrance to the terminal from arriving planes. There is only one arrival daily from Santiago. Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. The nearest inhabited land (around 50 residents) is Pitcairn Island 1,289 mi away. The nearest town with a population over 500 is Rikitea, on the island of Mangareva, 1,619 mi away. The nearest continental point lies in central Chile, 2,182 mi away.

The island measures about 14 miles by 7 miles at its furthest points and it is often said that it can be traversed by foot in a single day. After landing we took off for one of the most scenic spots on the island, the former ceremonial village of Orongo. at Rano Kau. Volcano.

Viewing Rano Kau Volcano we viewed the freshwater lake that has formed in the crater's depths.

Visitor center at Orongo, this is one of the principal sites of the birdman cult, which is immortalized by the stone carvings of birdman images, half man, half bird in rock.

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