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  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018
    1

    Santiago, Chile

    June 8, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Day 1 Friday Arrival in Santiago (1 hour earlier than MI)
    Let it be noted that very few Chileans, even merchants and hotel personnel, speak English. This includes Easter Island, but not as much so. Credit cards are accepted a lot but not at many of the makeshift stalls. All my tours were in Portuguese and English. Brazilians travel to Chile a lot. Chileans love their shoe stores, gelado/ice cream and love to eat. (When I went to a mall one day around 3ish, there were extremely long lines at the “food court”.)
    Arriving mid-morning to my Riviera Hotel in downtown historic Santiago, I spent time getting my bearings and re-scheduling my Saturday tour to coastal city of Valparaiso. It was low 50’s and cloudy with a little nip in the air. Just around the corner from my hotel is the National Library where there is an outside refugee exhibition, “Safe Passage” (pix 2) These are 2700 life jackets of real refugees seeking asylum on Mediterranean shores. Part of the symbolism is that the jackets are attached to Roman and Greek columns, the basis of our civilization. This exhibit has been shown in Berlin and Yokohama.
    I went to Plaza de Armas (the main happening center of activities – demonstrations,discussions, impromptu music, mimes, magicians, acts, etc.) to find my first free walking tour. Plaza de Armas (1541 CE) was the center of the city and has a brick display of the city layout. Here are stops:
    Santiago’s Main Square: Cathedral, City Hall, Post office
    Museo de Arte Pre-Colombino Antiguo Congreso (old Congress Bldg)
    Corte Suprema (Supreme Court) – Palacio La Moneda (Govt House)
    Bolsa de Comercio (Stock Exchange) Teatro Municipal (Opera House)
    Cerro Santa Lucía Barrio Lastarria
    Museo de Bellas Artes Parque Forestal (Forestal Park)
    Plaza Italia (Italian Square) Barrio Bellavista –
    Casa de Pablo Neruda (Neruda Museum) Cerro San Cristóbal
    Visiting the Presidential palace (La Moneda Palace, 1799) we learned about Pinochet’s military coup of 1973, one of the most controversial times in Chilean recent history, and the death of Allende. The President doesn’t live there; just works there.
    The tour stopped for a half hour drink at the restaurant in Barrio (“neighborhood”) Lastarria, just a few blcocks from my hotel. I finally had my first empanada (meat with olive), having skipped the experience in Spain; it was good and I regret not trying it in Spain. Opposite the Opera House was a statue of 4 toddlers playing or fighting (pix 5-6). I think they represented 4 S. American countries being friends (or not friends).
    After going through Forestal Park on our way to Barrio Bellavista, we found out that the stray dogs throughout the city are well cared for and fed at night. In fact, in this park there are many colorful dog houses for the dogs. (Please note: the stray dogs are not abundant; you might see 1 or 2 in a 30 minute period.) My last spot, before hitting a “wall” from lack of sleep, was Barrio Bellavista, the Bohemian and happening neighborhood of Santiago. This is where the nightlife is. I can attest to that as the next night when I tried to find a place to eat at 7 pm near my hotel (Sat. night, mind you), nothing was open except for Taco Bell and its neighbor MacDonalds, not even a supermarket or bakery or dunkin donuts was open at 7 pm.
    Pictures: 1-view from hotel room 2 “Safe Passage” 3-4: Presidential Palace and Allende 5-6: Kids playing or terrorizing    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018
    1

    Valparaiso, Chile

    June 9, 2018 in Chile ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Day 2, Part 1 Sat., June 9: Valparaiso/Vina Del Mar day tour.
    Got up early for my Valparaiso trip pickup. We picked up 2 Brazilian couples so the tour was in Portuguese and then English. Guide Hector was very knowledgable and interesting. However, it was cold, wet and windy so when we had a chance to walk around Valpo or Vina Del Mar, the other 4 sought shelter. I was totally prepared with my winter hat and gloves and many layers (tee shirt, turtle neck, sweatshirt, light jacket, raincoat). On the way there we did stop at a winery in the Casablanca Valley. Valpo is a port city and known for its amazing “Outside art” (street murals or “graffiti”), and winding roads up into the hills. We took a funicular ride down to the main square (Plaza Prat) and were the only ones on the funicular.
    Pictures: 1-5 some of outside art high above Valparaiso 6-overlooking Valpa. from Neruda home    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018
    1

    Vina del Mar, Chile

    June 9, 2018 in Chile ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Day 2, part 2 Sat., June 9: Valparaiso/Vina Del Mar day tour.
    In Vina Del Mar, we stopped at the famous working Floral Clock (Reloj de Flores), built for the 1962 World Cup and a gift from Switzerland. We then stopped for lunch on the coast at Castillo del Mar. I had an “expensive” (11.990 clp) but delicious meal: salmon with shrimp sauce. Vina Del Mar, the “Garden City”, is a popular stop when coming to Valparaiso and known for its abundance of flowers and green areas. We stopped for half an hour at the Vergara dock (Hector made it sound like “duck” so we spent some time exchanging pronunciations of words.) He and I walked out to the Vergara (?) dock while the others went for shelter and coffee. I found Hector very knowledgeable, exciting, and interesting. Hector sent me some selfies that he took at the dock and at the clock.
    Pictures: 1-Neruda museum 2-funicular ride 3-Naval Dept. 4-Clock 5-On Vergara dock 6-Guide at clock    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018
    1

    Santiago, Chile

    June 10, 2018 in Chile ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Day 3 Sun., June 10: Santiago:
    I took my 2nd free historical walking tour Sunday morning Jose was a good guide and there were just 2 of us on the tour. There are frequent almost daily manifestations (demonstrations, sometimes quite violent with police) around Santiago. There was an effigy in Lastarria representing the “Me, Too” movement.
    Lastarria Neighourhood Flag Ride Hill of Santa Lucia
    Church of San Agustin Gam, Cultural Center Gabriela Mistral
    La Moneda Palace Old Stock Exchange Palace of Courts of Justics
    Main Square Municipal Theatre Former National Congress
    Santiago Metropoitan Cathedral
    I did see some of these sites the first day but that was okay with me. Lastarria Neighourhood is an neighbourhood in which their art and culture offers even one of the 10 best ice cream stores in the world (Heladerio Emporio La Rosa is a local chain but started in Lastarria). Both tours told us about “cafes with legs”. As it turns out, coffee is/was not a popular drink in Chile; it was tea. So when Haitians came in and opened coffee shops they couldn’t attract customers. So, they came up with the idea of having the waitresses or servers clad in short outfits with lots of legs showing. Thus, the “café with legs” and they have now evolved into some being for men only and have blackened windows so you can’t see in. I did visit the free National History Museum on my own.
    The headless statue in Pic 5 is a monument to the Indigenous People, to their heroism and courage found in Plaza De Armas. But, why is his head in his hands?
    Pictures: 1-effigy in Lastarria 2-3: Santa Lucia Hill 4-statue of 2 presidents from 1800’s 5-headless statue 6-Gam Cultural center (little more later)    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018

    Easter Island, Chile

    June 11, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Day 4 Part 1, Monday, Jun 11: Easter Island – HISTORY LESSON.
    FIRST A LONG HISTORY/MYTHOLOGY LESSON. Feel free to skip ahead to Day 4, Part 2. Keep in mind much of this is legend and scientific evidence. I am relating not only what I read about but also what the guide told me. There is basically no recorded history of the days of the Moai. Early European visitors recorded the local oral traditions about the original settlers. There are many who believe there was a strong Incan/South American influence on the island: the use of iron for carving and the presence of sweet potatoes (not known in Polynesia).
    Rapa Nui (or Easter Island) is considered part of Polynesia, being the 3rd corner of the Polynesian triangle (New Zealand, Hawaii, Easter Island) which does include Tahiti and Samoa within the triangle. The closest land mass of note is Pitcairn Island but entrance is afforded through 1 or 2 daily flights from Santiago, Chile (only 6 hrs or about 2300 miles) and less frequent flights from Tahiti (2600 miles). It is owned by Chile, even though it is most likely Polynesian (dna analysis of found bones indicated Polynesian). Being a lonely, unprotected island, they asked Tahiti to protect them but Tahiti said Rapa Nui had nothing to offer them in return. So, they asked Chile with the stipulation that land ownership would remain with the natives. To this day, only the natives can own the land but they can rent. While most of the island is covered by black volcanic rock, they do have cattle, horses, and grow a lot of fruits and vegetables. Of course, fish is abundant. The island has very sketchy internet service but everyone has cell phones or walkie talkies. They only have local tv and no movies or videos of dvds.
    Some believe Rapa Nui was first settled around 300-400 A.D., others believe 700 A.D. A Dutchman discovered it in the 1722 on Easter Day and, thus, the name. The history of the island includes famine, disease, civil wars, environmental collapse and more. Presently, there are about 7000 inhabitants. They only have local tv and do not get movies or dvds (except pirated) and very sketchy internet. They have no ports, choosing rather to keep the island natural and the highest structure is the airport control tower. Many Moai (statues) are on private land so they are not open to the public. There are estimated to be over 900 Moai on the island and only 1 statue has been unearthed with legs. It is believed that 1 of the sculptors was trying to prove that it could be done.
    The Moai (statues) were built between 1250 and 1500 CE. They chiefly represent the face of deified ancestors (lsk: or aliens). Most are carved from tuff, compressed volcanic ash. The statues are flat in the back and often have petroglyphs describing the ancestor or story of the clan. More recent Moai had pukao on their heads, which represent the topknot or hair of the chieftains (lsk: or the red hair of the aliens). According to local tradition, the spirit (mana) was preserved in the hair. The pukao were carved from red scoria. Red itself is considered a sacred color in Polynesia.
    Most platforms (ahu) on which the Moai are erected are along the coast and the Moai represent the deified face of ancestors. Hands of the statues with long fingers rest on the lower belly. Only 1 Moai was ever found with the eyes intact. The eyes were the last item carved once erected; they have the white portion of the eye made from coral and the pupil was believed to be obsidian or red scoria (the material for the pukao/topknot). Only a few female Moai have been found. They don’t have legs b/c they do not represent humans but a repository for sacred spirit. (The platforms also house the bodies of ancestors). Many believed that they were symbols of authority, power, both religious and political. With the exception of Ahu Akivi, Moai statues face away from the ocean and towards the villages as if to watch over the people.
    The Moai were knocked down during tribal clashes and over a lack of resources when food became scarce. When famine and bad times hit, the people began to not believe in the power of the Moai. (Note: there are 2 different stories about this but a lack of documentation leads to the speculation.)
    Pictures: 1-2 my room (see flowers outside) 3-path to room 4-5: the ocean, 1 block from hotel    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018
    1

    Isla de Pascua

    June 11, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Day 4 Part 2, Monday, Jun 11: Easter Island (Rapa Nui) After my 6 hour flight from Santiago to Rapa Nui, I met Jose at front desk of my great hotel with perfect English (he had lived for several years in Florida but was really Chilean). The hotel is ideally located: about 1 block from the “shopping district” and 1 block from ocean. “Shopping district” meant some actual stores on one side of street and little stalls on the other side. Jose recommended that I try Moana for dinner and then how to get to Ahu Tahai (Ahu=platform) for the sunset behind some Moai. I trekked over to Moana and got seated in the patio with an ocean view. I ordered grilled fish with papaya chutney and purple yams. The waiter asked me how I’d like my fish done (I didn’t know you could do that). He picked medium well and it was delicious except for one raw bite in the middle. While sorta expensive by our standards, this is an island located 2000+ miles from anything. The dish was beautiful, like a Gordon Ramsey plated dinner and food was awesome and plentiful. I do wish I had taken a picture of it – oh, well, next time.
    Then I meandered over to the Tahai statues for sunset taking Jose’s shortcut through the cemetery. This was the night to see the sunset b/c the next night was totally overcast and the following night a bit cloudy. The site combines archaeological remains of great historical importance with a landscape of great beauty located in front of the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the oldest settlements on the island whose earliest remains date back to 700 AD. According to tradition, Tahai was the last place of residence of Ngaara, the last ariki mau or high-ranking ruler, who died and was buried here. The 4th pictures shows a restored Moai with eyes as should be.
    Pictures: 1-6: Tahai, Moai, sunset at Tahai.    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018

    Isla de Pascua

    June 12, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Day 5, Part 1 Tues. June 12 Easter Island.
    Had a great free breakfast: eggs, rolls, sweet treats, fruit, veggies, juice (cantaloupe juice and strawberry juice), cold cuts. The tour bus (about 10 people) picked 4 of us up from my hotel. Our first stop: Vinapu. Vinapu is the site of the most perfectly fit ahu, a way of working the stone that does not exist in any other part of Polynesia and that has given rise to many theories about the origins of the population of the island, which relate it to the Inca culture of South America. Also, the guide stated that the island did not have the iron tools needed to make perfectly rectangular blocks, weighing several tons and adjusted with great precision. Vinapu I or Tahira has six fallen statues face down with three of the pukao that topped them. Its orientation, as in many other platforms; here directed east of the winter solstice. This construction has a great resemblance to the structures observed at Machu Picchu in Peru. This similarity has led to the scientific community thinking of possible contacts between the ancient inhabitants of Polynesia and South America.
    Then we went to Orongo, high on a part of the Rano Kau volcano, for the fascinating birdman (Tangata Manu) story. This is most known as a ceremonial village but also as an astronomical observatory. One month a year (Sept – beginning of spring) the various island tribes would send their chiefs and top athlete to the temporary village to participate in the competition. They stayed in low houses (sorta like a basement floor) with doors at ground level, like a window well and that size. It required people to enter head first (so if an enemy you could take care of him). [Note: throughout the island people only slept in their homes and they housed maybe 12-20 people – no rooms.] The competition: The athletes had to scale down the cliff and then swim out to the islet. They then stayed in caves on the islet waiting for the first sacred egg of the manutara bird (often called “sooty tern”) to be laid. The athletes then stole whatever egg they could grab, stored it on their head (wrapped up), swam back, scaled the cliff and presented their chief with the intact egg. Note that other competitors would try to break the egg so they could win the competition. The winning chief got to live for a year in a special house with no one but his man-servant who took care of his meals and needs. If anyone touched the winning king, one could be punished with death. WOW! The winning athlete got to pick one of 7 virgins for his bride. They were kept in a cave during the competition and if the “doctor” determined they weren’t a virgin, they were thrown off the cliff at Orongo. Such an interesting story..
    Pictures: 1-vinapu, back of ahu (perfect blocks) and an unrestored Moai; 2-pukao/topknot
    3-5 explanation of Orongo 6-the islet swum to    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018
    1

    Isla de Pascua

    June 12, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Day 5, Part 2 Tues. June 12 Easter Island
    After that we headed to the extinct volcano Rano Kao, the largest volcano. The crater has fresh water and is lush greenery with fruits and vegetables. Our guide told us that as a kid her family would hike up and go swimming and picnicking there. It last erupted 180,000 years ago. We returned to our hotel for lunch break.
    Pictures: 1-cliff at Orongo 2-3 houses at Orongo and the door (see the hand to get perspective) 4-volcano
    5-view of town from volcano 6-single Moai at Huri a Urenga    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018

    Isla de Pascua

    June 12, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Day 5, Part 3 Tues. June 12 Easter Island
    Our afternoon tour: We first visited the Ahu Akivi, a platform made up of seven almost uniform Moais (representing harmony and balance) – these are the only Moais on the island that face the sea. Statues typically face the villages to watch over the village and provide stability and economic abundance. They have a mystical power to protect the village. Statues were placed at least 150 years before Europeans arrived. It is also famous for its astronomical orientation (they look at the point where sun sets during spring equinox and backs face sun at dawn of autumn equinox). In the back is a crematorium. The current myth is that the 7 represent the explorers sent by 1st king Hotu Matu’a from their home island of Hiva and face the ocean, awaiting the king’s arrival. A legend says that Hau Maka, the priest of Hotu Matu’a had a dream in which his soul flew across the ocean when he sighted the island and foretold of their homeland being destroyed by a tsunami.
    Next we visited Huri a Urenga, the Moai with 2 pairs of hands. There are more astronomical findings here, looking at where the sun rises during winter solstice. Finally, we visited Puna Pau, a quarry (and extinct volcano) where the Pukao where carved (Pukao is also known as the typical hairstyle or the hats of the Moais). The stone is red scoria, volcanic ash of extreme porosity and not very hard.
    That night I asked receptionist Hector for a dinner: another ocean/sunset facing restaurant. This also was a top notch restaurant. Hector had recommended “cerviche rapa nui” which looked raw and was. I chose shrimp with tubers. IT was delicious. I then went to end of the pier to watch the surfer and the very cloudy sunset.
    Pictures: 1-2-explanations 3-5-ahu Akivi and size perspective    Read more

  • Linda KohlEaster Island 2018

    Isla de Pascua

    June 13, 2018 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Day 6, Part 1 Wed. June 13 Easter Island Full day tour. . ….
    Today was the full-day tour in Portuguese and English on the Moai Route. First stop: the ruins of Akahanga. This is an old village near the ocean. We got to see the remains of the actual houses people slept in. Close by are the stone ovens, in which they prepared meals. The ovens consisted of 5 stones in a circle formation. We also got to go into the cave at Akahanga which was believed to be refuge for the fishermen during storms. Still in their original condition, the Ahu Akahanga has 13 Moai and is also the location where the first king of the island (Hotu Matu’a) was buried. Legend has it that his sons moved him to the top of Rano Kau volcano but also there is myth that the eldest son stole his head (which is carved into upon death to signify the owner) and took it to his tribe to benefit from its spiritual power.
    Pictures: 1-“dock”, surfers: 1 block from hotel 2-6 Akahanga: explanation, ocean view, toppled Moai, petroglyph, fallen Moai    Read more

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