Part one: Getting there.
Aug. 15th, 2005 05:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urbpanEaster Island is so special, that one should endure trials and hardship on one's journey, to fully appreciate it. Despite the fact that the trip is accomplished through commercial air travel, we found our hardships. Before I'm assailed for bemoaning such trivial hardships, let me hasten to say that I'm just kidding. Because the trip involves commercial air travel, there were hardships. Captain Cook didn't have to sit on the runway at Miami International for over three hours while they fixed the fuel pump sensor. The Polynesians on their double-hulled canoes crossing 2000 miles of ocean didn't complain that their bag was lost by the idiots at American Airlines. And I'm alone in being the one to make the journey begrudging the lack of vegetarian food, snacking the few things I was wise enough to pack in my carry-on.
Anyway, we got to Santiago, with a layover too short to go rest at a hotel (which I really could have used) and too long to spend at the Airport. We took a short city tour on the advice of a friendly fast-talking young man who may or may not have been an accomplice to my disastrous attempt to change my cash (though it may have been my own bleary-eyed stupidity acting alone.)
So without further whining (jeez), Santiago de Chile (in 2 hours)
We were taken around the city by a cabbie, and after some stuff that didn't interest me, wound up on Santa Lucia Hill. Santiago is in a valley peppered with small hills. As we climbed up the hill, past the Darwin Garden (!), a glance to the east revealed the Andes looming behind the city.
We were working our way to a parapet (is that right? I don't know my castle features that well) at the top.
Up on the parapet (rampart? minneret? gazebo? pagoda?) about a dozen people milled about taking in the view, trying not to step on the dog.
Off to the east again,
and to the west, toward the coastal range.
Other sights: A couple monuments to Native Americans. (Chile is more like the United States than other Latin American countries I've been to: You see more statues of Indians than actual Indians.)
It turned out it was El Dia del Nino! (that second en is supposed to be an enyay--anyone know how to coax one out of an American keyboard?) We went to the Metropolitan Zoo to discover that it was free that day, and there were thousands of families with kids there, and if we actually wanted to go anyway it would have been a couple hour wait just to get in. But it was fun to see all the happy families, and colorful stuff everywhere.
Next: On the plane.
Anyway, we got to Santiago, with a layover too short to go rest at a hotel (which I really could have used) and too long to spend at the Airport. We took a short city tour on the advice of a friendly fast-talking young man who may or may not have been an accomplice to my disastrous attempt to change my cash (though it may have been my own bleary-eyed stupidity acting alone.)
So without further whining (jeez), Santiago de Chile (in 2 hours)
We were taken around the city by a cabbie, and after some stuff that didn't interest me, wound up on Santa Lucia Hill. Santiago is in a valley peppered with small hills. As we climbed up the hill, past the Darwin Garden (!), a glance to the east revealed the Andes looming behind the city.
We were working our way to a parapet (is that right? I don't know my castle features that well) at the top.
Up on the parapet (rampart? minneret? gazebo? pagoda?) about a dozen people milled about taking in the view, trying not to step on the dog.
Off to the east again,
and to the west, toward the coastal range.
Other sights: A couple monuments to Native Americans. (Chile is more like the United States than other Latin American countries I've been to: You see more statues of Indians than actual Indians.)
It turned out it was El Dia del Nino! (that second en is supposed to be an enyay--anyone know how to coax one out of an American keyboard?) We went to the Metropolitan Zoo to discover that it was free that day, and there were thousands of families with kids there, and if we actually wanted to go anyway it would have been a couple hour wait just to get in. But it was fun to see all the happy families, and colorful stuff everywhere.
Next: On the plane.
