TravelStream™ news feed for member tom_ch on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/tom_ch en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:04:42 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1223179380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1223179380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1223179380/tpod.html Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:04:42 -0400 History Lesson

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Washington,, District of Columbia, United States

Capitol Hill is in a state of siege, or so it appears. The place is crawling with security. When you get out of the Metro at Capitol South and head up the hill to the Capitol in hope of getting to see it, you are confronted with uniformed guards everywhere. Then there are these barrages blocking the streets resembling something like a flap on a 747-solid steel making it impossible to pass. A dark government limousine comes down the street, the flaps lower and out it goes. In view of what has transpired on Capital Hill in the last few days, the question ought to be allowed, whether it weren't wiser to keep the people on Capitol Hill where they are than to keep the people on the outside away? This question and related issues would surface again, a few days later, when we tried once again to gain access to the Capitol. It being Sunday today, nothing was open, but we did find out that we needed a pass from our local Representative in order to visit the two houses. That can only be obtained by writing to the Congresswoman or Congressman. So that part of the political science lesson was out the window, or the letterbox, so to speak.

Down the Hill we go to visit the Air & Space Museum. I remember it as a grand place to show off the nation's accomplishments in things concerning flight. All those things are still there, but they have taken second place to the military, which seems to have taken charge. In a museum stuffed with missiles (BTW, not the most efficient way of flying, because with enough thrust even a barn will fly), bombers and stealth fighters, there is very little room for the wonder, science and vision of flight. Oh, it's still there, but you have to go and look for it. My idea of a museum dedicated to flight goes beyond a third-generation fighter pilot preparing for dogfights somewhere in the Nevada Desert (the main attraction at the IMAX). What I had thought was going to be one of the highlights of the trip turned out rather disappointing, indeed. The energy, the fascination, the sheer thrill and any future seem to have been removed. I am tempted to add a simile, but I'll refrain.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1223125620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1223125620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1223125620/tpod.html Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:03:02 -0400 History Lesson

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Washington,, District of Columbia, United States

Washington DC gave us a perfect welcome. Well, it was Alexandria in Virginia to be precise, but it was perfect all the same. As we were making our way to the Metro Station to go into DC and check out the Mall, a bald eagle was circling above as if to make sure we were on the right way. The kids were very impressed.

Arriving in the US on the day after the Vice-Presidential debate relegated the weather to second place on the list of topics to take up with strangers or when running out of something to say. You had (and still have one day later) to be very careful of what you say, all depending on your duologue partner's political inclinations. However, one thing is clear to everybody: what is happening on Capitol Hill is no longer in the interest of the people! There seems to be a consensus on perceiving Congress and the Executive Branch as being out of touch with the nation. For very different reasons, indeed, but nevertheless, there is a certain feeling of agreement across the aisle, to use a Congressional term.
It appears our trip is very timely. You can literally feel the times-a-changing in DC. It's not in your face, but there is a subtle air of transformation about. Comparisons are made to the times of Lincoln and the crisis of the Secession War. Not that I think we are in any situation of the same proportions, but there is some truth in it once you begin to think about the possible turn the nation might take, with supporters and opponents making it their duty to point (or pull) the populace in their direction.
On an aside, I overheard a little piece of information this morning, which was just casually thrown in on the morning news between the political pundits discussing Sarah Palin and the weather report: The National Debt Watch needs to be repaired: another digit will be added! Small and insignificant as it may seem, I think it speaks volumes.
Enough of the preambling! Post 9/11 Washington has drastically changed. The White House is hermetically sealed off. New York and Pennsylvania Avenues are closed to traffic near the White House all in the name of security. Now, I know that Washington is a magnet for all sorts of people, crazies and false prophets with a mission, but this resembles a state of siege. I've had my problems with the present Administration's leadership in the face of adversity, but this is sending out the wrong signals. I understand that the Presidency needs to be protected, but the President also needs to be in contact with the People. In my recollection, the White House has never been as inaccessible to the citizens as now. Only thirty years ago, while heavily guarded, it was possible to casually drive past the White House and point out to foreign visitors, that this was the residence of our President, the leader of the free world. Maybe the difference is that in those days it was true.
Making our way around the West Wing and the Old Executive Building, heading down to the Mall, we came by the Corcoran. A picture of Ronald Reagan on a banner promoting a Richard Avedon exhibit of portraits immediately caught my eye. As he is one of my heroes, I just had to abandon all plans for the day and go in. The kids did not protest and we were treated to a photographical history lesson of the second half of the nineteenth century. Apart from him being a genius when it comes to portraiture, he had an uncanny ability to take pictures of those people who were going to be important to the progress of the century. For me it was like walking down Memory Lane. Names (Bella Abzug, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, George Meany, George McGovern, George Wallace, Daniel Cohn Bendit, Malcolm X, Tip O'Neal, Julian Bond, Dean Rusk, Buckminster Fuller, Rosemary Woods, Herbert Marcuse) needed to be explained to the kids, who were kind enough to bear with me. However, I think in the two hours we spent in the museum, they learned more about the US and what makes it tick than I could have by marching them up and down the Mall.
We did march down the Mall to the Washington Monument and watched the people there because it was impossible to go up in it. These days, tickets need to be reserved or bought in advance. A notion we should come across quite frequently in the next few days. Further down the Mall towards the Lincoln Memorial, we passed the WWII Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial, which remains a gash in our history. The Memorial is an eloquent comment on what shaped my generation.
In the Lincoln Memorial we took note of the Gettysburg Address, which includes the words "under God", even though it is highly unlikely that Mr. Lincoln said that on the cold November morning when dedicating the cemetery. Neither of his two handwritten notes in preparation for the speech include them.
Onward to the Arlington Cemetery to witness the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier! We were fortunate enough to see a changing of the wreath, which included taps being played. Wandering through the thousands of graves crowding your view as far as the eye can reach and all the tragedy behind each and everyone of those headstones, be they small or big, makes me wonder how anybody in good conscience can commit a nation to war without there being a vital need for it.

We'd had enough of war and the perished degraded to casualties for a day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1222906500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1222906500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/2/1222906500/tpod.html Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:47:10 -0400 History Lesson

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Hombrechtikon, Switzerland

Two days to departure:
My desk is still cluttered, the apartment is in desperate need of a once-over and the plane leaves in 36 hours. How do I manage to get myself into the same pickle every time I go on a trip? I am beginning to believe it is congenital, but then my mother would make us kids put out the clothes for our visits to New York two weeks in advance. This left us in the awful position, that the coolest threads were off limits for two weeks. A devastating prospect to a teen. So I swore to myself never to do that once I was in charge and have packed only hours before going to the airport ever since. The nasty side effect is that until a few hours before leaving, I do not feel compelled to get ready at all. So, it's definitely not from my mother's side. I have a suspicion, that I may be equally disposed as my father was in this department. He never got involved in any packing and left it to the overly organized and nervous person by his side.
Well, no such person at my side, and I'll only have to blame myself for anything that doesn't work out, fit in or gets left behind. A disconcerting thought, but also comforting in an odd way. Especially if you know that I cannot travel light. That just isn't an option. When I have a suitcase before me, I feel it's my obligation to lead it to its predestined purpose, which is to be filled. I'll also make sure it goes beyond its call of duty. Considering my size and avoirdupois, closing the bag was never a problem. I feel sorry for any poor sould who needs to take a look at the contents (for security reasons, of course) and the luggage starts acting like it's had all its training from Jack-in-the-Box. But that's not my worry, and, besides, tomorrow is another day. The last few words in honor of visiting the South.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179695280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179695280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179695280/tpod.html Thu, 31 May 2007 21:41:21 -0400 Chile revisited

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Valparaiso, Chile

Two days left and we opted to head for the coast once more. Thirty-three years ago when I came through Valparaiso, or Valpo as they call it here, I remember it as a rather dirty port city under military siege. Augusto Pinochet had ousted Salvador Allende some seven months prior. The Plaza Sotomayor right by the harbor was filled with the Fuerza Armada and the general feeling was that of extreme nervousness on both sides, the military and the population. The frightening part was that foreigners were not exactly welcome and little provocation was needed to prompt the military into action. Suffice it to say that those days are definitely over, and I was looking forward to visiting the colorfully picturesque neighborhoods atop the assencores. To my great surprise, I did find the hotel (accidentally) I stayed at 33 years ago, although it is now very closed and a heavy, padlocked iron door prevents anybody from entering. The façade had been overhauled, but it basically still looked the fleabag hotel it was then. I remember we (my travel mates and I) forgot to return the key to the hotel manager before we boarded the boat taking us to Venezuela. We only realized we had done so after we had already left. We decided that the key should stay in Valparaiso where it presumably still rests at the bottom of the harbor basin.
Valpo has made great strides. You feel the same type of energy of departure and awakening you also get in Santiago. Though here it is more mellow and friendlier, mediterranean maybe, but still distinctly latino. Chile is by no means out of the bushes yet, but you get the impression they may be going somewhere. For their sake, let's hope the government does not mess it up.
Tomorrow is a national holiday. It's the day of Admiral Prat's victory over the Peruvians in the Pacific War (I really need to read up on that part of world history; I have no clue what happened). Our day will be spent packing up and getting ready for our onward trips or home, respectively. Chuck has been a great companion, and, if you are reading this, Chuck, I really appreciate your putting up with an old geezer like me, snoring and all. I had a great time, I can only hope you did too. Happy trails, my friend.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179279480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179279480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179279480/tpod.html Thu, 31 May 2007 21:02:15 -0400 Chile revisited

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Easter Island, Chile

It is the wettest month of the year, I am told, and judging by the weather we've had thus far, by golly it is. There was a ray of hope in form of a blue line on the horizon way over the distant sea, but it was dashed quickly with driving rain and fog rolling in. However, we are made of sturdier stuff and braved the inclement weather and began our ascent to the Orongo Crater on the southwest corner of the island where the ceremonial village is located. It was used during the Birdman Cult when the clans competed for the first egg from the sooty tern nesting on the islets off shore. For more information on this, I suggest you go to your local DVD rental place and take out the film "Rapa Nui" where everything is explained with lots of eye-candy and skin. The climb was relatively easy, but trying to follow somebody half my age was not. Still, I was able to keep up with Chuck without crimping his style too much and despite my abundant weight. Walking through reforestation projects (eucalyptus - that scent always gets me) and fields of what I think is some kind of yellow lupine is oddly peaceful and relaxing regardless of the effort. Arriving at the crater's rim was a great reward. A vast hole opened with a swamp/lagoon type interior. We walked all around the rim to get the best shots of the islets, were surprised by rain a few times, had our packed lunch and safely made it to the ranger's station and the ceremonial village looking like something straight out of a golem film, only the mud was red. While the people of Rapa Nui are inventive and cater to the tourists, they have not reached Swiss levels yet where you can buy drinks, little snacks, etc. in the remotest areas. Here you have to be thankful for a toilet (never throw the toilet paper into the toilet, but deposit it in the receptacle provided next to the toilet), but don't drink the water or try to refill the water bottle. Which brings me to the issue of liquids. When we took off in the morning, we really had no idea how far or strenuous the walk was going to be, so we may have been a little ill prepared as far as water goes. High humidity and an uphill walk did not necessarily help and my half-liter bottle was emptying fast. I did try to pace myself, though. My thirst for a popular yellow refreshment got greater and greater and when we finally hit the first restaurant at the edge of Hanga Roa, I gulped down two beers in record time making the locals believe some European alcoholic had arrived and was going to deplete their stash in an instant. But no worry, thirst quenched we were off to do some marketing, which is another experience and a half. Concerning hygiene, cleanliness, etc., you have to go down a peg or two (or three or four). No antiseptic supermarkets with waxed floors, canned music playing while you load your cart. No such thing as a full aisle with nothing but toilet paper. This is a very small island with only 3500 permanent inhabitants and most of their foodstuff has to be imported, i.e., it is flown in on the four weekly flights. That's why you'll find such signs like "Onions and potatoes have just arrived!" hanging outside the stores. Kai Nene, the largest store on the island, would be considered a dump by any of our standards, but you learn to make do and go with the flow as long as he has got the goods. Bought some chicken, rice and onions (you see, the sign worked!) for dinner. The chicken comes from the mainland and is frozen in a huge block. Drumsticks and thighs need to be chiseled out with brute force before they can be sold. On the whole, nothing a good bottle of chilled Chilean wine could not make you forget about. Dinner was late but greased by wine and beer and deep conversation. It's great to get reacquainted with Chuck again.
There is a dark side to paradise, though. The recent influx of tourism has had its impact on the town and its inhabitants. As with so many other indigenous peoples, some individuals adapt well, but a lot of them don't. The Chileans (mainlanders) have a way of taking over, and tourists are not known for their sensitivity towards Rapa Nui issues. The native ways and culture are being pushed aside (except for crafts and touristy trinkets), although a great effort is being made to maintain and preserve them. However, the effort is not enough to prevent some of the natives' descent into apathy and giving up to alcohol and drugs. They end up on the outskirts of what is a new, mixed Rapa Nui society, and there is no need for them. A sad decline for what once must have been a proud people.
I am fully aware that I am a part of the problem. Having said that, there are degrees of tourism. The type of (ugly) tourist being freighted in on a budget tour and carted around the island on busses with a photo opportunity here and the rest of the day free for shopping should be discouraged from visiting Rapa Nui. They are not going to get anything out of it (except maybe the pictures and the prominence of having been there) and the damage they inflict by imposing their values and beliefs is too great. Of course, they provide money, but there is also a responsibility that goes along with money. As it is right now, LAN is the only airline to service Mataveri Airport and there are only 6 flights a week in winter (4 from Santiago and 2 from Tahiti). This limits the amount of tourists to a bearable level. But they're talking expansion. Some people will need to act very responsibly in the next few years.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1178211600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1178211600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1178211600/tpod.html Thu, 31 May 2007 19:37:10 -0400 Chile revisited

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Rapperswil, Switzerland

Four more hours and I'm on my way. So, what am I doing in front of the computer? Beats me! I think I'm just finding out whether this is going to work or not. There are other things I should be doing like packing, making sure everything comes along that needs to come along (very difficult task for somebody who has a chronic tendency to travel heavy). But the excitement is rising and I am really looking forward to this.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1180566240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1180566240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1180566240/tpod.html Wed, 30 May 2007 19:42:35 -0400 Chile revisited

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Rapperswil, Switzerland

I'm standing in front of the washing machine. The sun is shining, but I hate doing laundry and no amount of light is going to brighten the expectation of folding, ironing and putting the wash away. A thought crossed my mind: Wasn't I doing just the same thing only a day before I left? Sure, but then I was filled with anticipation. Now, the anticipation contains paying bills, going back to work and all the other lovely things associated with humdrum, every-day life.
Just reading this makes the room go darker, doesn't it?
HOWEVER, I am full of memories, good times, fantastic views-but most of all, I had the opportunity to become reaquainted with Chuck. We (I suppose it was more my fault than anybody else's) had lost sight of each other for a while, and the cute little kid has grown into a man. It's not often that you get a chance like this to reconnect, and I deeply appreciate it. The trip, while great and exciting, took second place to the human factor. Not only did we travel well together (not always an easy thing to do), but I feel like I have gained a "new," true friend surpassing the usual family ties.
If all trips featured such a result at the end, I'd gladly do my laundry a few times over whenever I get home.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179435600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179435600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179435600/tpod.html Tue, 22 May 2007 17:07:44 -0400 Chile revisited

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Easter Island, Chile

Concerning Rapa Nui, there are a few things I have neglected to tell you about. The climate is very, very damp and humid. You forget about these things when dreaming of island paradises. The dampness is permanent. It creeps into everything, sits there, festers and turns into mold eventually. Experiencing a really rainy season did not help in the least. Our walk-in closet began to smell quite rank and musty after a few days and did not improve very much by the end of the week. It also attracts a whole lot of creepy-crawlies. I did not have the heart to tell Chuck that after I shook out my bedspread about a dozen black little thingies fell out and scattered all across the room disappearing into all available crevices. Mind you, from then on I felt the slightest itch anywhere (and probably more) and was sure there was a bug loose somewhere in bed.
Most houses are simple constructions. They have brick or concrete walls with a corrugated tin roof. There is a space between the ceiling and the actual roofing and things live in that space. You never see them, but when you switch off the lights at night, you can hear them. Another thing earplugs are good for! They keep your imagination from running wild. Judging by the amount of mice and rats we encountered on our trips across the islands, I think I know what was going bump in the night.
Horses. When we rented the car, they told us that most accidents happen with horses on the island. They are everywhere - horses and cars. They claim that there are more horses on the island than humans. Probably dogs (and chickens! Remember the rooster? He's still screaming his head off starting 2 AM.) as well, only here they are not that mangy like in Santiago. The people of Rapa Nui take good care of their animals. The horses are a menace, though. Very few are kept in corrals and most just roam the island as they please. They are totally unimpressed by cars, will stop in the middle of the road or dirt track or suddenly change sides. It is, therefore, prudent to slow down to a crawl when approaching horses. That is the ones you see. The others can jump out of the thicket at any moment.
The car. There are a lot of those Waihatsubishi 4x4s roaming the island in various states of operational health. Ours, we decided, was tired. Getting it started was not one of its main features and, obviously, favorite things to do. It liked to backfire on those occasions creating a startling thud for everybody within (literally!) earshot (not to speak of the embarrassment to the driver and the slightly reprimanding glance he received from his young co-pilot) and a sizeable cloud of smoke in an attempt to rid itself of the muffler. Eventually, I got the hang of it and only stalled out once when climbing a hill and trying to make it go too fast. There are limits to everything I've learned.
The day was taken up by a very early morning call. We wanted to be at Anakena Beach for sunrise. Napohe, our host, told us that the sun would rise by 6 AM and we should make it out of the house by 5:30 (under a thousand screeches produced by that confounded excuse for a rooster - actually wish I had run over the critter when backing out of the parking lot). The sun, like everything else on Rapa Nui, is not so fast to rise and made a timid and short appearance at 7:15. Still don't know how to repay Napohe for that one, but we were lulled into another hour's sleep in the car by the brother of our feathered friend in Hanga Roa.
After another day of visiting ahus we were pretty much moai-ed out by the end of the day and retired to Tia Berta for some scrumptious empanadas.
The next day it rained. We returned the car and when you don't have much to do and are just a little bored, you get odd ideas. Ours circled around tattoos. We've had been debating on whether Rapa Nui may be the right place to get a tattoo or not. After buying a book on the history of Polynesian tattoos, I had settled on a birdman, a traditional figure on Rapa Nui. With a few small decorations at the top of my back between the shoulder blades, I thought that would look right smart. Chuck was opting for something on the back of his shoulder. Since both tattoos are not readily visible, I'll leave it to you to find out whether we got them or not.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179348540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179348540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179348540/tpod.html Tue, 22 May 2007 16:58:55 -0400 Chile revisited

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Easter Island, Chile

Rain and stormy weather seems to be what is going to stay with us for the week. We've been told that the weather is very unusual, indeed. They cannot remember a time when it hasn't rained for three weeks in a row with these unusually strong winds. It's a bit of a shame, because the fishermen cannot go out and bring in the lobsters Rapa Nui is so famous for. In the morning we pass the fish market (well, it's a general market with fruit, veggies, etc., and it has a fish monger or two in a corner) and the counters are empty. So we have to traipse over to Kai Nene, the supermarket on Main Street, to get our provisions for the evening. There rarely is much choice - it all depends what the last plane brought in. Chicken, however, is readily available, as I previously pointed out-the blasted animal is still very much alive and eludes my frying pan for the time being-however, earplugs make for peaceful nights and even Chuck's occasional snoring is kindly blocked out. But on to our further exploration of the island. We decided to rent a car. There are a lot of places renting little 4X4s (and believe me you need them) to go to the far end of the island and take a closer look at Ranu Raruku. A ranu is a quarry where the moais (the figures) were carved out of the porous volcanic rock and then somehow transported to wherever they were set up. The red hats came from another quarry clear across the island and, since they are round, were rolled to their destination, sometimes kilometers away. An amazing feat no matter how you look at it. The quarry is full of half-finished and finished moai, some still lodged in the side of the crater, others half-buried by earth, in short, it is a fabulous sight. Going up on top of the crater revealed a lagoon on the inside and more moais. Chuck in his youthful agility decided to take the direct route down, climbing over rocks and edges while stodgy old me took the long way round and discovered all sorts of little things Chuck missed. I have to justify my age somehow!
Nearby is the largest ahu (ceremonial base on which the moai are placed) with the largest number of moais (15), Ahu Tongariki. It was recently (1995) restored and the moais toppled over during clan fighting were erected again. It is an impressive sight. And if you imagine they all had a hat (actually a representation of the Rapa Nui hairstyle worn by the warriors) and white, coral eyes, you begin to realize the grandeur of it all. Pictures are much more descriptive here than any words.
Then on to Anakena Beach, one of the very few beaches on the island, also with moais in the background. The water is surprisingly warm even though we are in what would be November in the Northern Hemisphere. Because of the stormy weather, the waves were very high and the undertow is very strong. Not a place for lonely swimmers. Intermittent rain, occasional sunny patches, blasts of wind, running horses, annoying tourists (not people like us, but those that are trucked in, take a picture and then turn their attention to the ever-present souvenir stands) and the danger of falling coconuts (what, with those winds!) safely saw us through our packed lunch (lunch is at about 3 - 4 PM).
Still hoping to get some spectacular shots of moais and sunsets, we decided to move on to Ahu Akivi, the only moais that face out to sea. All others look inland, supposedly making them a part of the clan. If you ever wanted to see two (actually four, because there were two others present) photographers in a predicament, this was the time. While hoping for the perfect opportunity, a rain shower surprised us, sending us flying back to the car to protect our cameras. The rain lasted about ten minutes and the low sun broke through the clouds illuminating the sky. Then, things started to happen very fast. At the same time a perfect rainbow developed behind us. It was total sensory overload. We didn't know where to point our cameras, and, of course, were constantly in each others' way. No time to change lenses, so you had to work with what you had. I daresay Chuck got the better end of the deal because he was waiting in front of the ahu and got the perfect shot with the rainbow framing the moai.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179279120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179279120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tom_ch/chile_2007/1179279120/tpod.html Tue, 15 May 2007 21:46:34 -0400 Chile revisited

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Easter Island, Chile

Weather still has not improved, may even have gotten a bit worse. I am getting fears of Caribbean Cruise proportions where it rained for twelve out of fourteen days last time I was lucky enough to be there. Nevertheless, we are an adventuresome duo, and we decided to go and see the moais and ahus (the ceremonial pedestals the moais are placed upon). Being on the windward side of the island has the disadvantage of mist blowing in from the sea. The air is very moist, which our lenses did not really like. They misted over rather quickly, and we decided to call it a day after about two hours. Time to catch up on photos, blogs, diaries, etc. and catch a few winks without that infernal rooster from next door constantly making his presence more than known. I have spotted a good-sized pot in our little kitchen. The longer I look at it the better the fit seems to be for our feathered "friend" - the week is long yet, but said rooster should be forewarned that I do have some experience in catching, cleaning, plucking and cooking fowl. Swans come to mind! Let's hope tomorrow will be better.
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