As we had landed at Cape Horn, we now had to continue to Puerto Williams to officially clear into Chile – and the out again. Final port of call was at good, old Ushuaia on the Argentinian side of the Beagle Channel. It was here, where we left the Hanseatic (after many good-byes to the staff) and jumped on a plane to Buenos Aires.
We had another 24 hours in Buenos Aires – (what happened in Buenos Aires, stays in Buenos Aires) – before flying back to Germany – and into normality.
This gallery contains 12 photos.
We made it North through the Drake Passage – until we hit the Southern-most point of the Americas at Cape Horn. After a short excursion into the Pacific, we made it back into the Atlantic and dropped anchor at the … Continue reading
We made our way down Rano Tau again and headed for the islands interior on the worst dirt roads, I have ever used on a bike (even worse than Bolivia’s infamous Death Road, less traffic though).
At Ahu Akivi we left our bikes behind and started the hike up Maunga Terevaka (another one of the three volcanoes), with 507m the highest elevation of the island. The view got better and better the higher we made it. On top we could see the sea in all directions – again with the knowledge, that there is no inhabited island within 2000km in any direction.
On the way back we stopped at banana cave and some other spots – though after having climbed two volcanos that day, we were about to loose the spirits and decided to head back for town and some proper food.
This was the last full day of my whole trip – and it was a fabulous day.
I teamed up with a Londoner; we hired bikes and set off for the climb up Rano Tau (410m), one of three (extinct) volcanos that originally created Easter Island.
Attractions up there are the water-filled crater of the volcano, the Orongo ceremonial village and of course the views of the open sea – including the knowledge, that there is nothing out there in any direction for at least another 2000km.
I am usually not a big fan of folk shows – few of them are really authentic, most of them are simply touristic. Anyhow, I guess, visiting one of these shows is a must while being on Easter Island – – with the culture, dances and songs just too different from most other places on the planet – below some footage.
Today I did the standard Easter Island day trip, i.e. an organized tour with a guide. The tour followed the south coast and then up to Anakena and back to Hanga Roa. The first stop was at Ahu Vaihu with its thrown-over Ahus.
From there we continued along the coast to Ahu Akahanga, star here is the big fallen moai and the remains of a small village. After a quick look around we continued along the coast to Ahu Tongariki – – with 15 moais the largest ahu ever built.
Our next stop was at what would be the birthplace of the moais, i.e. the quarry where the stone was taken from and the figures were cut. A walk along the hill gave as the opportunity of getting closer.
Heading back we had another photo stop at Ahu Tongariki with the now enhanced light conditions – before finally hitting Anakena.
While Anakena is yet another Ahu site – it is also the only true sand beach of the island. We were given some time to enjoy at the beach and in the water – overlooked by an Ahu.
The final part of this ‘epic’ trip had started. The flight from Santiago to Easter Island was delayed by 3.5 hours – so instead of getting to Easter Island midday, I only arrived there in the late afternoon.
As usual I got organized (hey – I am German … no point to deny that), checking out what to do over the next days. After that I started out to explore the island’s capital (and only major settlement) Hanga Roa and its immediate surroundings – including some first Ahus and Moais.
This gallery contains 20 photos.
Another bus ride (this time just eight hours) got me into Santiago. I made it from the bus terminal to my hostel, left my stuff and started to explore the Bellavista area; Ialso made it to the funicular to get … Continue reading
This gallery contains 12 photos.
Today I did another day tour – this time heading up into the Elqui valley and up into the Andes once more. On the way we had a stop at a dam for some nice views and to try some … Continue reading
An 18 hours bus ride did brings me from the Atacama desert to La Serena – next to the Pacific Ocean. I had some late breakfast (one could probably call it ‘brunch’) before checking out the town, its churches and museums.
Once I had enough of churches and museums I headed for the sea. On the way a Japanese Garden got my attention, so I had a quick stop here. Having seen real Japanese gardens before, I was not overly impressed. Nevertheless it seemed, the garden is quiet an attraction for the locals – it was packed by visiting school children. From here I continued my walk down to the waterfront, around 3km from the city center. I was not overly impressed with the beach and seaside.
