If you want to cruise down to the Antarctic Circle (by the way we were warmer in Antarctica than you were in England during February 2012) and warm up on Easter Island we thoroughly recommend this taylor made package put together by Travelux with Sunvil and their South American agents.

J Horny Demon & Silky Ramble

Sandra arrived and we were off to the International airport, saying our mental good byes to a City we enjoy and where we feel comfortable. All too soon it was a heartfelt thankyou and goodbye to Sandra, she really had been superb, and it was time to board BA244 back to Heathrow T5 and winter in England.

And, yes I snored again on the flight back, but to sharp elbows of my ‘guardian angel’ instantly awoke me from my slumbers. Good job she was driving home!

The airport scanner has died so the hold luggage has to be checked by hand, not a real problem as we are early but the queues did lengthen. Did we want our case checked straight through to Buenos Aires? Decide no, as we have plenty of time in Santiago airport and somehow it is reassuring to see it half way through the journey. If it gets lost at least we known on which leg of the journey it went AWOL! I’ll check you in on both flights, said the LAN desk staff, now that was service. Startled to look up and see the luggage loader casually picking up half a dozen cases in one go, including ours, and load them into the flight container.

And then the usual frustrations of an airport departure lounge, still it gives us time to reflect on Easter Island. We both realise that we should have stayed at least an extra day, then we could have done the two half day trips on two separate days and have two half days free to wander. However, we did see all the main sights but just didn’t have a chance to look round Hanga Roa, it is small but appeared interesting, we missed the museum, even though it was close to our hotel – maybe next time.

Dawn had broken by the time we took off and we just caught a final glimps of the fascinating island as we turned and headed for the mainland. Arrival at Santiago was routine and on time at 2.45pm, it’s easy to reset the watch but the body clock was getting confused, not sure if it was a second breakfast on board or an early lunch.

Settled down in Santiago airport lounge, at last a decent WiFi signal to catch up with emails from home, important as a lot had happened whilst we were away. Surprisingly quickly it was time to head off to our gate as boarding had commenced – why did it have to be totally the other end of the airport building? Smooth flight to Buenos Aires, fortunately although this was an ‘international’ flight it was scheduled to land at the domestic airport, so much closer to the centre and our hotel. Immigration was swift (you must get a entry document each time you enter Argentina and don’t loose it must be handed in on departure!), luggage was off quickly and there was Sandra and we were back to the Claridge for the third and final time on this holiday.

Time to reshuffle the suitcases and carry on bags, didn’t really feel like a meal so we tried room service – good job we only ordered one sandwich as it was vast and, to Sally’s delight, it came with a plate of chips. She had been fantasizing about chips for days, but then they are not something we have at home.

313 Easter Island – Hanga Tee Tumbled Moi

Today we get to see many of the Moai along the south coast that have not been re-erected and restored, just left as they were toppled, face down and broken, in what is thought to have been intertribal wars. First stop, Hanga Tee, the eight toppled Moai make an impressive sight with the Pacific rollers breaking on the sea shore behind. But at least one of the red Pukao show signs of carvings. On to Akahanga, where we have beaten the local craft stalls, it’s slightly amusing to see them rushing set set up their stalls ready to sell us their authentic wares.

Then to Ahu Tongariki, 15 re-errected Moai stare impassively inland to the Rano Raraku volcano, frustratingly difficult to photograph with the sun bright behind them! It is hard to comprehend that they were transported down from the quarry, across the island on special “roadways” and then erected with just primative tools. The guide tells us they are supposed to have ‘walked’, she thinks rather as we would shift a fridge or wardrobe today, ‘walking’ each side alternately. I wonder aloud that so often we find that ‘folk memories’ turn out to be accurate. If they were rolled on tree trunks, why were so many abandoned along the Moai roads? On rollers they wouldn’t have fallen over – mystery solved? Certainly reconstruction in the 1990’s, following the tsunami that devasted this bay, used the largest mobile crane on the Island!

Easter Island – Ahu Tongariki restored Moi

Easter Island – Ahu Tongariki 15 restored Moi

Time to move on and to enter the Rano Raraku complex, part of the Rapa Nui National Park, before the couple of large parties which have been following us all morning. Vital you remember your Entrance Ticket, also needed for Orongo yesterday. The outer slopes of this volcanic crater was the quarry that for over 500 years up until the early eighteenth century supplied the stone (tuff, a form of consolidated volcanic ash) from which roughly 95% of the Moai were carved. Not far short of 400 Moai remain in the quarry, some abandoned when imperfections in the rock were discovered others separated from the hillside, slide upright in pits to complete the carving. They seem never to have been finished, the pits have silted up and just the head remains peering out from its captivity. The largest Moai raised onto a platform is just under 10 metres tall, but here we have a giant, not yet detached from the quarry, at 22 metres it would weigh 270 tons. Could it have ever been moved? The footpaths and ‘stairs’ are more suited to mountain goats so take care when you visit, but it is worth the clamber to see the unique Tukuturi, the bearded and kneeling Moai. It’s carved from red scoria stone from Puna Pau but sits here at Rano Raraku – why?

Easter Island – Rano Raraku Moi Quarry

We learn that the eye sockets were never carved until they were in place on their Ahu, platform, and then the distinctive white and black eyes would be inserted into the statue. There is just time before lunch to clamber into the crater to see the fresh water crater lake and the wild horses grazing on the lush vegetation, such a contrast to much of the island. Totora reeds grow in abundance in the lake, a sign of contact with S. America. No! It is now known they have been growing on Easter Island for some 30,000 years!

Easter Island – Ahu Te Pito Kura Navel of the World

This afternoon is time for a little relaxation at Anakena beach but not before we visit the ‘navel’ of the world at Ahu Te Pito Kura, a metre diameter ironstone reputed to have been transported here by Hotu Matura. We pay our respects to the prostrate Paro, the largest Moai ever to be erected at 9.8 meters tall, 82 tons with a 11.5 ton pukao. It was known to have been still standing in 1838 so it was probably one of the last, if not the last, standing Moai on the island.

Easter Island – Ahu Te Pito Kura largest Moi

Finally to Anakena beach, some of the party go swimming, an attractive ide but just as Sally got sunburn back on the estancia I’ve ended up with the backs of my legs burnt! Liberal applications of sun tan cream everywhere, or so I thought but I never thought about the backs of legs – the sun is strong here so beware if you visit!

On the way back from the North of the island the guide fills us in with some of the more recent history of the island. Dreadful tales of Peruvian slave traders that saw so many ‘deported’, the ravages of smallpox brought back by repatriated slaves, the TB introduced by the whalers in the 19th century, all saw the population devasted. The period right up until the 1960s when the island was ‘sold’ to sheep farmers and the inhabitants were ‘imprisoned’ in Hanga Roa. It wasn’t until 1966 that the island was reopened and the surviving Rapanui given Chilean citizenship. Small wonder the unwritten cultural heritage was lost.

An early night tonight for tomorrow we start our journey home.

Easter Island – Ahu Via Uri restored Moi l

Easter Island – Ahu Via Uri restored Moi

The Moai are said to represent the dead kings, chiefs and warriors of the tribe that erected them on their village ahu. The ahu is the platform, usually stone, upon which the Moai stand and is the ossuary in which the bones of the dead were interred. These ancestral figures were to preserve the “mana” (spiritual life force) of all the past heroes of the tribe and were erected, usually on the coastline, looking inwards towards the villages that they were to protect. The Rapa Nui believed that which ever of the twelve tribes on the island had the biggest and the most Moai would accumulate the most mana and thereby dominate all the other tribes.

We travel inland to Ahu Akivi, where seven Moai stare impassively across the valley. The site was restored in the 1960 and they are said to represent the first seven explorers who discovered the island following the orders of the legendary king Hotu Matu’a. On to Puna Pau the volcanic outcrop from which all the red scoria stone Pukao (topknots) were quarried. One wonders how they got these weighty stones up out of the quarry, another of the many puzzles of Easter Island.

Easter Island – Ahu Akivi 7 explorers

On the way back we pause at Ahu Huri A Urenga to look at the Moai with four hands, a strange solitary figure and of the 887 known Moai this one is unique, it must have been intentionally carved but why? Again it is one of the few inland Ahus and these are thought to have astronomical significance. This Moai faces the sun as it rises behind a hill (Poike) at the winter solstice. As the guide says without a written language everything has to be supposition, a polite word for guesswork?

Easter Island – Ahu Huri A Urenga Four hands Moi

Back to the hotel along the very variable roads, those nearest the town of Hanga Roa tend to be metalled but in various states of repair, further into the island most are earth tracks again ranging from smooth to pretty rough, but which ever they are the dust cloud seeps in everywhere, as the minibuses shake, rattle and bounce.

Once back at our hotel Altiplanico Rapa Nui we have a bit of time in hand so we walk down the track to the coast where “our” Moai looks up at the complex. A rougher walk than either of us expected but we are rewarded with a close up look at Hanga Kioe surrounded by a beautiful herd of horses grazing wild on the cliff tops.

Easter Island – Hanga Koie

Afternoon – Half Day to the crater lake of Rano Kau and Orongo village. Surprisingly we drive under the end of the airport runway to Ahu Vinapu where the stone masonry of the platform is quite extraordinary and said to resemble the work of the Incas at Sacsayhuaman above Cusco, Peru. Having seen both I’m not so sure and it is now known this Ahu predates Sacsayhuaman. This site also has the only female Moai, sadly she is so eroded by weathering it is difficult to tell but she would appear to have breasts.

Easter Island – Rano Kau crater lake

On in the minibus and ever upwards to Rano Kau, spectacular is the only word as we look down into the crater lake. Sylvia tells us that the plant we can see growing profusely in the water is the same type of reed as grows in Lake Titicaca and the Uros people use to make their floating islands. Another reason for Thor Heyerdahl to believe the Easter Island was settled from South America; unfortunately back in 1947 he didn’t have DNA, which has proven that Easter Islanders are of Polynesian origin.

Easter Island – Orongo Bird Man Petroglyphs

The climb continues steadily upwards and round the crater rim until we reach Orongo, the ceremonial stone village of the birdman. The village looked almost too pristine to be centuries old, again it was restored by the American archaeologist William Mulloy and now forms part of the Rapa Nui National Park. Until the mid-nineteenth century, Orongo was the centre of the birdman cult, an annual race to bring the first manutara (Sooty Tern) egg from the islet of Motu Nui back to Orongo. It sounds simple until you look at the 250 metre shear cliffs and treacherous waters surounding the island. The sun was beginning to sink and the slanting light brought the petroglyphs into relief, the more you let your eyes adjust the more you could see, on the headland almost every rock surface was carved with these pictograms, rock engravings, of the birdmen. Our guide couldn’t help but remind us that the best Moai, and an unusually rare basalt one, is now in the British Museum having been removed from Orongo by the crew of HMS Topaz in 1868.

Just time to visit Ana Kai Tangata, a tiny inlet leading to a cave with wall paintings of Birds. Almost impossible to see with the naked eye but totally clear on the pictures I took in the cave – I wonder why?

Easter Island – Ana Kai Tangata Cave paintings

Easter Island is about 3,800 km from and two behind ahead of Santiago, so it is late afternoon by the time we touch down. As we land I realise the runway stretches completely across one end of the island, it really is a small dot in a big ocean.

Formalities are quick and facilities sufficient so the baggage appears with no delay. Again the reassuring notice with Sally’s name, along with others is held aloft, fortunately I am also expected, luggage is packed on to a pickup and we are loaded with other guests, into a minibus. A convoluted drive dropping off others at their hotels, ends with us at the Altiplanico Rapa Nui, beautifully set overlooking the sea with a main building housing reception, bar and restaurant with each of the ‘rooms’ being a separate lodge. We are soon ensconced and showering to clean off the grim of hours of flying.

Before she departed Sylvia, our guide from Rapa Nui Travel, gave us our instructions for the morning, being in an out-of-town hotel we get picked up first (and dropped off last) not really a problem but we do get to know the routes between hotels!

At this hotel we have booked half board, after a days sight seeing do we want to walk or taxi into town to eat – probably not. And the menu here is wonderfully appealing, but as we discover the portions are very generous. One evening Sally opts for two starters, rather than a main course.

We sit out on the veranda eating watching the sunset across the ocean, with a Moai gazing inland down on the seashore to oversee our visit. Our room is hot having had the afternoon and evening sun shinning in through the Patio Doors, a good blast with the ceiling fan helps to make it bearable.

The Metro is modern clean and quick, the carriages are articulated so there is an open view from end to end of the train. It’s all well signposted so it’s easy to use and there are even official “hosts” to help you if you get confused. Half a dozen stations and we are at the Universidad de Chile, a moment or two to sort out the exit we want and we are ambling down the pedestrianised avenue to the Plaza de Armas. A quick visit to the Tourist Information provides some better maps, we learn that some of the museums I’d thought about visiting are closed (one being refurbished, and the other because it was Saturday!) never mind the place is alive. Being Saturday the markets are in full swing, the most famous being the Mercado Central with its amazing wrought iron roof. Surrounding the central covered plaza is the fish market, fascinating and fish so fresh there is not a trace of smell.

Santiago – Central Market interior

Looking across the road we see what looks like another market building and this time it proves to be the fruit and vegetable market – sweetcorn (corn on the cob) of amazing proportions all looking bright and fresh. We wander on and find the clothes market – less interesting and eventually the flower market, a riot of colour.

Santiago – Vegetable Market

Leaving the markets behind we head back towards the Plaza de Armas, pausing to look at the Estacion Mapochio, which is the old Santiago to Valparaiso railway station now tastefully converted into a cultural centre, but we are out of season for this exhibition venue.

It’s time to think about lunch and a look at the map shows we are not far from Cerro Santa Lucia, a small volcanic hill and gardens. Climbing the 70 meters to the top not only gives us an appetite but also splendid views across the city. They were probably even more striking, not being surrounded by skyscrapers, in 1833 when Charles Darwin proclaimed the view from here ‘certainly most striking’, now commemorated by a plaque near the summit.

Walking back down we pause to admire the fountains and water cascade facing onto Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins, named after one of the founding fathers of Chile infused with Irish blood from his father and cross to visit Inglasia de San Francisco the oldest building in the city. Built over 400 years ago the interior of the church is very plain with carved wood figures on the bare-stone walls. The wooden roof, however, is beautifully decorated with flower motives in gold and pasty green. It is a haven of tranquillity from the traffic outside. Unfortunately the Museo Colonial de San Francisco housed in the adjacent old convent is also closed – not our day for museums.

Santiago – Iglesia de San Francisco

All to suddenly the sun is getting lower in the sky, time to take the Metro back to the Hotel and go out for our Pizza.

Sally wanted to go somewhere warm following Antarctica, Sunvil suggested Easter Island, so yet again we are leaving the Claridge at an unearthly hour for the relatively short flight to Santiago. The flight might be at 10.20 but it is from the International Airport, which is a fair way out of Buenos Aires, and being an international flight it is a lengthy check-in. Sandra gets us sorted and we say au revoir again.

The uneventful two-hour flight saw us into Santiago just after 1pm (fortunately no time zone change), there were our names held aloft and we were quickly on our way to the Santiago Park Plaza. The driver, wisely it being a Friday, took the motorway tunnel under the city to our hotel, so no chance for sight seeing on the way.

Our guide, from Pro Tours Chile, was very caring and made sure we were aware of the “dos and don’ts” of sightseeing in S America, he advised us to use the Metro (the station being just a block up the road) but to avoid the buses. He seemed a little startled at how much of the continent we had visited in previous years and wished us well on our first visit to Santiago.

The Santiago Park Plaza is our sort of hotel, big enough to have all the facilities you need, small enough to be comfortable and a little old so it is not plate glass and chrome with no character.

Feeling in desperate need of a good walk we go off exploring the local area around the hotel. We had been told it was the finance area and the area is certainly well served by office blocks, but in turn there are department stores, shops, convenience stores, fast food outlets and a few restaurants. A vibrant suburb is our immediate impression.

Having indulged for some three weeks we decide to use the hotel’s coffee shop and just have a light meal this evening, washed down by a very pleasant local beer.

Could there be improvements to enhance the cruise for the English-speaking clients Hapag Lloyd is trying to attract? Yes, of course. Some are seemingly silly – please make the English announcements first. It is totally natural to start chatting once you have heard a public address message, so if the German version was first we then couldn’t hear the English version over the inevitable hubbub. The Daily News sheet kept us in touch with home, but it would have been nice to have an English language news programme on the Television. I know it is impossible to pick up the normal satellite channels as far south as we were sailing, but an overnight Internet downloads should be possible, as I believe that was what was done with the German news, which was then repeated throughout the day.

Curiously our biggest criticisms are of the restaurant, the food was excellent but the waiting service at our table got very confusing. Everything was beautifully presented and served but all to frequently to the wrong person!

The breakfast buffet was extensive and varied, however to us it was a pity that the selection of cold meats and cheeses weren’t available at lunchtime. It seems that many of the passengers had their main meal in the middle of the day and the lunchtime menu rather reflected this, which made it a bit difficult for those of us who just wanted a light snack. However there was a salad bar, which was sufficient for our needs.

Dinner in the Marco Polo Restaurant was an experience every evening, as I have already said many of the dishes have their origins in nouveau cuisine. At times the English menu was almost a too literal translation of the German seemingly forgetting that so many dishes are internationally known by their French title, but no matter it tasted good! Just as an example it took a little time to work out that “Twice Boiled Milk” was in this case Italian Panna Cotta! One of our friends was overheard to say ‘a triumph of translation over substance’ but that was a bit unfair.

If, like me you are not well up on German Wines you would be advised to do a little homework before joining the cruise. Being a German ship the main slant of the Wine List is towards German Wines, some French and some southern hemisphere but it was really unfortunate that the Chilean wines ran so early in the cruise.

The one night my head cold got the better of me, and the Marco Polo menu was too just too rich, I tried Room Service and the Steak Sandwich was ideal.

Just as a comment, as is so often the case, the air-conditioning was pretty aggressive and drying, so you really did need to drink plenty to stay hydrated. There was a bonus however – the odd bits of hand washing dried remarkably quickly.

Wonderful to see the familiar face of Sandra waiting for us and soon we were of to The Claridge Hotel again. Time to do a little shopping and find a pharmacy as I needed some decongestant tablets to clear my blocked ears, all down to the cold I’d picked up on board, which made flying very unpleasant as the ears couldn’t equalise pressure.

A repacking session meant we could leave the case with all our cold weather gear at this hotel whilst we set off on the next part of our holiday. Luxury, BBC World on the television but as usual Sally fell asleep instantly the moment the news started.