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Published: November 15th 2010
Hello from Chile!
“you must do the thing you think you cannot do”
Im not sure who said that or if its a true quote but here i am doing it. Except after my sabbatical I knew i could do it….! That’s quite a yummy feeling.
Ive bought a second flat, left the security of my job and flown thousands of kilometers to come back to a continent that grabbed my heart the first time round.
24 hours of travelling, leaving the cold, grey wetness of autumnal London arriving to the hot sunshine of Santiago and 7 months (at least!) of adventure lie ahead!
Iberia were as dreadful as I remember and my 3 hr stopover in Madrid airport was all too familiar of previous sojourns in its wooden vaulted architecturally award winning space. 1100 pounds has taken me from Heathrow to the capital of Chile, then on to Easter Island and back to Santiago, finally returning from Quito in Ecuador at the end of May.
I have planned and prepared and feel wonderfully confident in my sole travelling abilities (with the odd pang of complete and total fear) whilst being open and free to whatever this incredible continent throws my way. Stuck for 13 hours in a seat more designed to wedge you than comfort you with the acrid smell of the adjacent toilet (and a totally full plane) wafting around made me look on in envy when I ducked through the curtains – out of cattle class in to the spacious, decadent areas of business and first. Slumbering, horizontal bodies like cryogenically frozen remains lay there, filling the aircraft with the sounds of contented snoring rather than screaming baby. Oh to have the wallet to fly that way…. Sadly I made do with my little corner seat marveling at the tips of the Andes – cloud swirling beneath their peaks like a smoke machine on overdrive. Descending into Santiago, the shadow of the plane skimmed across the barren mountains like an Andean Condor swooping in the thermals of the Colca Canyon.
I had arranged to be collected by the hostale and was overcome with a huge sense of relief
coming through the crowded, manic arrivals area to see my name being held aloft - destination La Casa Roja. A charming colonial style hostale to the west of the city centre complete with hammocks, palm trees and even a swimming pool. That’s all I did for the day…lay in the sun, dipped in the Jacuzzi eventually venturing out in search of a supermercado to stock up with food and drink for my week on Easter island.
They say (not sure whom) that you always meet people when travelling alone and I landed on my feet hooking up with a fellow solo lady – Valerie from Australia and we went out in search of steak and wine for dinner. Vegetarians – look away now – a block of bleeding tender beef washed down by some serious cabernet sauvignon… Was tempted to join the hot reception bloke (Ariel) for a night of Chilean gypsy music and pisco sours…he invited me!, I decided to be most sensible and call it an early night in my 8 bed dorm, on my bottom bunk behind my sarong screen. Only reason being sheer fatigue and the fact I had to be up at 6am to walk to the bustop to get to the airport for my onward flight to isla del Pascua…. Wouldn’t want to miss that now would i?!
12/11 Disturbed only marginally by the revelers returning at 5am, I was up an hour later carrying my 17kgs of rucksack ( most of the weight was wine !! Well, its important to keep your fluid intake up when travelling!) to catch the local bus…..
Its actually over 5hrs flying time to Easter Island – the most remote island in the world. A 166m2 blip in the midst of the South Pacific ocean. 3700 miles from mainland Chile and 4000 miles from Tahiti (could be kms – not sure). Basically, in the middle of bloody nowhere and inhabited by only a few thousand islanders and famous for its giant moai – anthropomorphic statues built by the Rapa Nui islanders themselves centuries ago. Over 600 of these dot the island gazing their formidable carved faces over the land and sea. Think the Stone Henge meets Abu Simbel…. I jest slightly but my first encounter with a moai was exceptionally moving. These statues command reverence and respect. They are truly magnificent and with such a bloody history of cannibalism and colonialism, the fact these beautiful, enigmatic, majestic creations are still in existence is testament to the importance of their place on this tiny island.
Im not a religious person not even a spiritual one but the moai gave me goosebumps and a serious lump in the throat. Then again, maybe that’s just realization I am here on Easter Island having relinquished everything. Or it could be their intangible magic….
Id arranged my accommodation in advance and landing at the tiny Mataveri airport was reminiscent of touching down in the Cook Islands 10 years ago. 1 tiny airstrip, 1 tiny baggage reclaim and the air thick with the scent of flower garlands presented to the new arrivals…. A Polynesian welcome.
Staying at Camping Minihoa, Ive opted for the 5 bed dorm (ill be spending enough time in a tent in the months to come) so for a couple of thousand pesos extra I have a bed, a roof and am sharing with two 20 something boys. Surreal? yes! Apt for a 35 yr old woman? who cares?! The place sits on the cliff edge overlooking the Pacific{s thunderous waves which crash down onto the black igneous rock coastline and as I was to discover a Polynesian sunset over the ocean.
Befriended immediately by a family group of Chilean{s and Columbians who insisted on me joining them for lunch it was later in the afternoon when Eva and I wandered into town. Eva being a fab German girl I met on arrival and town being an overly ambitious description for Hanga Roa – a collection of low key shack style buildings, bike hire places , artisanal shops and the odd grocery store. Being Friday afternoon there seemed to be some sort of village party going on – women with frangipani in their hair, kids with painted bodies and men in traditional head dresses – a celebration!
I love to just stand and watch, soaking it all up – the Rapa Nui have a interesting blend of Polynesian and Chilean physiognomy …. To be frank, the men are not an attractive bunch. Porcine is the word that springs to mind. All wear shades, look a tad on the swarthy sweaty side and sport strange curly hair tied into an effeminate ponytail which ludicrously contrasts with their stocky masculine bodies. The women, although also on the rotund side are deliciously feminine with cascading dark hair and huge smiles. I think a diet of plantain, taro and sweet potato probably doesn’t help the waistline in these parts…
13/11 After a glorious and much needed lie in, awoke to hot hot South pacific sunshine and a dazzlingly blue sea. Met Eva in town and we hired bikes for 2 days to explore the island. Now this was NOT some Eat, Pray , Love moment…Julia Roberts and her billowing skirts gentoly cruising through the Indonesian paddy fields. Oh no! This was labia lacerating, butt breaking, hardcore mountain biking on a saddle that would make a grown man cry. In fact, reduced to tears is almost what we were after 2 days of cycling the spine juddering unpaved roads with the distances we covered.
Laden down with daypacks and 2 litres of water (in the pack), we set off across the island aiming for Anakena Beach – the white sands, palm fringed bay on the north side of the island – a hefty 18kms away. The sole road bisects the island, the land on either side a mixture of barren volcanic scrub intermixed with verdant eucalypt groves. At its widest point the island is only 12 kms so as we traversed the land, we were surrounded by views of the bright lapis-lazuli coloured seas. The interior of Rapa Nui is all rugged lava fields and the 3 (now extinct) volcanoes dominate the skyline.
The relief and satisfaction on reaching the north coast was intense and our mistake was spending too long “relaxing” in the bay, under the shadows of coconut trees whilst the moai watched over. With sunset at c830pm we set off with plenty of time to complete the circuit – a track hugging the perimeter taking us through Dartmoor esq landscapes filled with horses and foals and with views of very North Devon coastline. Rounding a bend in the track and seeing Ahu Tongariki – the 15 moai in a line – was one fo those never to be forgotten moments. These statues – so huge, so commanding – just give you a visceral feeling in your guts. These iconic stone giants demand your attention.
Our plan to cycle all the way back was way too ambitious – our arms, legs, butts, Va jj (!) were screaming out for relief so without any shame hitched the last fews kms in a pick up. Apparently the distance we tried to cover was c60kms round trip and having let my fitness slip these latter weeks in London I am pretty damn proud I managed what I did.
The following day we did a smaller circuit taking in the back lanes of Hanga Roa amidst chicken, horses and cows running amok, explored oceanic caves and more scattered moai meeti9ng the very occasional tourist along the way. The highlight of this cycle was taking in the sunset behind Ahu Tahai – a line of moai close to town. Sunsets are pretty gorg anywhere. Sunsets over the sea are guaranteed to make you sigh like a girl, Sunsets with moai in the foreground ….what can I say? Yay!
I feel incredibly privileged to be here – on land and also in the sea. Did a couple of spectacular dives today with some of the best viz I have ever seen. The morning dive was down to 28 m above an 80m drop off which you could see right down to…this was around the Motu Nui.. an islet off the southern coastline. The afternoon dive was only to 16m but at a site called The Cathedral with huge rock formations and caves filled with corals and urchins. I just love it sooo much!
Im sitting here on Isla del Pascua, in my sarong, already going a darker shade than normal for November, typing away (oh how technology has reached out to even the most remote place in the world!)….…the sun is girding its rays for a descent over the horizon. Im just waiting for Eva to return from her activities today so we can cook some dinner together and then tomorrow we are going to hire a car to see parts of the island not yet reached.
We plan to get up before dawn to go watch sunrise over the 15 moai on the other side of the island. I wanted to ride but its bloody expensive and lets face it, my gluteus maximus could take any more of a whipping on the damn bikes so 4 wheels it is.
I fly back to Santiago on Wednesday, part company with Eva and then have 3 days before I join the Kumuka Tour where we start the journey south to Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, the Chilean fjordlands and Torres del paine national park. … I cannot wait.
Hope you have enjoyed my first update….i will try to sustain and indeed upload some photos when I am back on the mainland. The connection here is a little slow so have written in word and then done a copy n paste jobbie.
Lots of love and hope to hear from one and all…
Hannah x
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Horatius
non-member comment
Isla de Pascua (Eeaster Island)
Hi Hanna, Your story, as well as, the place you are visiting is really exciting. All my life I dreamed to visit such a remote place in the world, full of mistery, canibalism -in the past not now!!!- and strange monuments. Your a brave woman as you decided to visit remote places alone!!! I can't wait to met you in Buenos Aires. Horatius (Pepito's Friend)