AUG 12 - OUR FIRST NIGHT ON EASTER ISLAND

Right before we left Iguazu, the skies cleared and I got a great shot of the Devil's Throat from our room porch.

We took our two flights right after the picture was taken and spent last night in Santiago.

Our trip has been delightfully smooth.  Our one and only glitch turned out not to be so bad after all.  When we got to the airport last night we decided to check to see if we could get boarding passes early for our flight this morning.  Good thing we did.  With a bit of messing around we managed to get on-line and get two of the last four available seats on the flight.  Unlike Aerolineas Argentina which is a last minute grab-your-seat, LAN airways (the Chilean airline) has the old 24 hour before flight time check in like the US airlines do.  The key difference is that unlike US airlines that assign a seat when you buy your ticket, LAN gets you the seat when you check in.  Not only that but the flight at 8:15 this morning is the one and only flight out of Santiago for the day.  The flight was chock-a-block full.  Fortunately, I asked the woman sitting next to me if she mined moving so Charlie could sit next to me.  She actually was planning to re-arrange HER seat so that she could sit next to HER husband.  I think there's something awry with LAN's seating.

The LAN flight was great and we landed here at 11:30 am.  We got to our hotel (Hanga Roa Eco Lodge and Spa).  Easter Island is very rural - chickens, horses, farms, and a tiny little town (Hanga Roa), and the heads, of course.  We had a great lunch.  We also had breakfast at the hotel early this morning, and another breakfast on the plane.  We're beginning to sound like Hobbits with a first and second breakfast.  After all this eating we decided to hike out to 1) see our first set of heads and 2) walk into town for some souvenir shopping.

The photo below is from our room.  Hanga Roa is in the distance.

A closer look at Hanga Roa.

Our self-guided "head" tour (Moai) was very successful.  These weird things don't seem so big until you see someone standing near them.  They kind of fit into the scenery.  I love the hat? topknot? on the guy I'm standing near.  We get a formal tour tomorrow so I can tell about the Moai in more detail.

The town of Hanga Roa is very small with only about 3000 or so residents.  Most of the people here are tourists from one place or another.  More tomorrow - good internet access in the room!  Hurray!

A NIGHT AT THE AIRPORT HOTEL IN SANTIAGO, CHILE

We are at the Holiday Inn in Santiago, Chile.  The hotel is literally right across a street from the terminal.  We flew from Iguazu Falls, Argentina to Buenos Aires.  Then another flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago.  Not much else to describe today.  It really is amazing how tiring doing very little can be.  Checking into and out of planes and airports.

A note about eating in Argentina.  EVERYTHING has ham on it.  I got a hamburger - it had ham.  Almost all sandwiches were ham and .....  fill in the blank.  Jamon cocido (what we think of as ham in the US) and Jamon crudo - Prociutto Ham.  There's also a big emphasis on potatoes.  I don't remember so much ham the last time we were here.  Kind of Monty Pythonesque Ham Ham Ham and Ham.

Until tomorrow in Easter Island - with photos.

FULL DAY IN IGUAZU FALLS - SATURDAY

We met Hector, our guide, at 9 this morning.  Unfortunately, the rain still hadn't stopped, but it was a lot less than last night.  We started our first hike on the upper trail.  On this trail you can get good side views of the falls and very eerie edge-over views.  The rain and temperature of the water created these very Japanese/Chinese-like misty photos.  Here's one of my favorites below:

Our hats and coats were necessary, it was raining and about 55° F.  Welcome to the sub-tropics.  It was 80° last week - we missed that one.

I saw this fellow flying along - fortunately he stopped for a photo.

Another misty-moody falls shot.  The number of waterfalls here is unbelievable.  

The upper trail is moderately short. 

We took a little train that takes you to a pathway that goes across the sections of different rivers that end in falls that create Iguazu.  Seemingly quiet, there are lots of little islets and rocks.  Not far away are the amazing drop offs.

I spotted this little bird and couldn't resist.  He was all by himself just sitting in the middle of a huge section of river about to barrel over the falls.

The highlight of this walkway is that it ends at Devil's Throat - the largest of the falls.  Charlie and I are close to Devil's Falls, but not quite there yet.

This chain of waterfalls is on the way to Devil's Throat.

Me at Devil's Throat.

Us at Devil's Throat

Charlie at Devil's Throat.  

The problem with fuller Devil's Throat photos is that 1.) it was filled with so much mist you couldn't see much and 2.) it was filled with tourists knocking each other over for better photos so the few below are the ones we like the best - full of us of course.

 We then began the lower trail after another train ride.

The nifty bird above is called a Plush Crested Jay.  They are quite common here - and I think I'm in love

Coaties are easy to see around eating places.  We didn't stop to eat, but the Coaties were out in force.

A local woodpecker.

The reason I've posted this picture is the photo of the boat.  More about that to come.

A photo of a bank of falls from the lower trail.

And we thought we were getting wet - 

We really didn't know how wet we could get

Double sets of double falls.

At the end of the lower trail we got into a boat with a lot of others.  We needed 1.) a life jacket 2.) rubber bags to hold our gear 3.) "rain proof jackets" - we failed at that one 4.) at the advice of Hector - another rubber bags to hold our shoes and socks.  Very smart move.  We got into the boat with us and a load of young adults (they thought this was great fun) - I can hardly stand the pool before the end of the summer.  They screamed, they cheered - we all got drenched as the boat ran into and out of the falls.  At one point a wave swooped over  us - I was beyond drenched.  See photo below.  

Racing back up 170 steps and about a 500 meter trail in sopping wet clothes, I did stop of a photo of a Southern Lapwing below. I missed the aguti though, sigh.

We got back to the hotel, had a bite to eat.  After drying our clothes - a la hair dryer - we went back out in the late afternoon for a stroll.  We took the upper trail again.  Everything closes by 6 - so here we are ending our evening in the hotel bar writing this to you with free wifi.

Late afternoon sun on Brazil

South American Guinea Pigs - they're all over the place.  Charlie suggested this fellow should be happy he wasn't born a few countries to the north where he'd be dinner.

Sun on the evening mist!

IGUAZU FALLS - 1ST NIGHT

We had an interesting flight from Buenos Aires.  Our original seats were next to no window at all.  I saw a youngish guy jump to the bulkhead seat.  No one said anything to him so Charlie and I did the same.  Once we made our move 1) no one said anything to us either 2) a number of other people played musical seats and 3) I ended up sitting next to a sophomore in a Argentinian engineering program who was happy to practice his English.  He was from Bogota, Colombia and this was the first time he'd seen his mom and dad in 3 years.

We got to the hotel late afternoon and it began to pour rain.  Unlike last time when there had been a drought and the river was down by 1/3 - this time it's 3 times higher than usual.  Our room faces the falls and even in a downpour it's a spectacular view.  Nifty yellow chested birds with black caps and white headbands around.  Smallish black fuzzy monkeys as well.  We look forward to tomorrow.  Photos to come!

THURSDAY, JULY 8 - A DAY ON OUR OWN - MOSTLY

We didn't have anything special set up for today.  We decided to try the evening of Argentinian tastes - food and wine.  Obviously beef is on the menu, as is Malbec.  What I'm most excited about is that they are supposed to show us how to make empanadas.  Since that had been our lunch fare for two straight days, it'd be fun to know how to make them.

We had a leisurely morning.  About 10 we decided to wander over to Tortoni's Cafe.  We googled it and found a more or less direct route from the hotel.  Our first main attraction was the Argentinian state house.  It's on one end of Avenida de Mayo (the Casa Rosada is on the other end).

Here am I in front of the capital.

As we walked down Avenida de Mayo, we hit the intersection with 9 de Julio (the huge street).  To our amazement we were closer to the Evita art than we had been in days.  We decided to get to the other side of the art work.  Here we are on the side we keep seeing -

Supposedly, Evita has a microphone and a frown.  She's facing the wealthy side of the city.  Hence why we keep spotting this end of the art work.

At long last, the other side of the building!!  I thought we'd never get here on foot.  She's got a smile for the poor - as the story goes.

We trekked back to Avenida de Mayo and on to Tortoni's just in time for lunch.  Charlie had a mini-Argentinian pizza and I had a great turkey sandwich.  The mustard's good here too!

Charlie at lunch.

I snuck a picture in of our waiter - black jacket, apron, and all.

We walked back to the hotel - and here we are.  We really feel like we know a few blocks south of the Recoleta neighborhood.  Tonight our food tasting/dinner is in the Palermo Hollywood section of town. Sounds like Italian cinema.

Tomorrow on to Iguazu Falls.

FULL DAY IN BUENOS AIRES - WITH A TOUR TOO!

Yesterday, Charlie and I walked around.  Last night we went to El Ferver for dinner.  We had a huge steak and a Malbec wine - very Argentinian.  Tonight I need less food.  I have a few photos today from yesterday's walk.

Charlie standing on a corner not too far from our hotel on yesterday's walk

Our goal yesterday was the Opera Colon (A famous opera house here).  Unfortunately the English tour wasn't until 2 and we were jet lagged.  Along the way we passed one of the many posters for the upcoming primary election next Sunday.  

We spotted this guy.  With a split last name one of which is Prat (so much for the west and east coasts of the US) and Gay (so much for the South), he'd have a tough time in the States.  Nice looking, though

We ended up on Avenida 9 Julio (9th of July Avenue). The obelisk in the distance is a commemorative stele for the independence of Argentina.

Our hotel is very close to a local cemetery - La Recoleta.  Wealthy families build mausoleums for loved ones, and are responsible for the upkeep.  The result is an interesting, if a bit odd, place with loads of little "houses" for the dead.

Some of the "streets" are wide, some narrow.  Not hard to get lost, but complicated all the same.

Evita is buried in this tomb  - her birthday wasn't too long ago, hence the flowers.

On top of many of the tombs are statuary.  After seeing the one below (and many others like it)  all I could think of was the Dr. Who episode DON'T BLINK!

Jessica picked us up at 9 AM this morning.  We have been to Buenos Aires before, and we had taken the walk yesterday, but Jessica filled us in on loads of Argentinian history, anecdotes, and local color.  She is a wonderful guide.

We began near a memorial to San Martin the liberator of Argentina (as well as Bolivia and Peru) against Spain.  Charlie and I are standing near the memorial below.

Our next stop was the Plaza Mayo - pronounced Mah Joe around here.  Argentina was liberated in May.  It's the site of the Argentinian equivalent of the "white house" - here pink house - Casa Rosada.

Evita gave a speech from the balcony on the left.

Facing the opposite direction on the Plaza is a large area that was called Marching Mothers.  When the military junta deposed Peron, thousands of people were arrested and killed.  The mothers, braver than most, tried to demonstrate to find out what happened to their children.  Since demonstrations were illegal, they moved in a circle.  Pregnant women who were arrested, gave birth to children.  The children were given to "right thinking" people to raise, and the mothers were killed.  The patterns on the ground below were the abuelas (grandmothers) scarves who tried to find out about their missing grandchildren. 

Below is a view from the plaza opposite the casa rosada.  The white building is one of the few colonial buildings left from the Spanish.

We then went to the Tortoni Cafe.  It's the oldest in the city and a great place.  We're hoping to get some coffee here tomorrow.

Interior of the Tortoni Cafe.

The next stop on our tour was the La Boca section of the city.  It was originally the home of Italian dock workers, but has become an arty, touristy, seedy section of the city.  Lots of color, though, fun "creations", and interesting tin-wood-whatever housing construction.  Here are a few photos of La Boca - with us and without.

Charlie is standing next to a "creation" that is supposed to be Boca's best soccer player.  Apparently, soccer mad Argentinians root for Boca.

We drove around Puerto Madero, once a seedy dock district, now very upscale.  We then drove around several embassies which tend to be located in the various sections of the Palermo district.  Lovely large parks full of dog walkers and joggers.  We came back to the hotel, and went out for lunch.  For the last couple of days we've have mixed empanadas which we shared.  They really make a nice lunch.  

When we got back to the hotel we decided to walk back to Avenida 9 Julio for a closer photo of the Evita art on one of the buildings.  Trying to get to it on foot reminded me of Soviet or Beijing walks - or our exhausting trek up the San Gregornio pass - it doesn't look that far away but.....

We did get this much of it.  The other side has her smiling.  We never made it to the other side. 

Out for another, but smaller, dinner tonight in a little while.  It's only 7:30 here, but dinner doesn't really get going until 8 - or later.  Hasta la manana -