Hiking the W Circuit in Torres del Paine, part of the Chilean Patagonia, was breathtaking.  Here are a few of my favorite vistas.

los cuernos

los torres

flowers in front of cerros paine grande

cerro paine grande

a river in front of cerro paine grande

cerro paine grande

lago nordenskjöld (see larger)

shadows on lago nordenskjöld

lago nordenskjöld

glaciar grey (see larger)

glaciar grey.  yes, this is bluer than it looked.  but it’s exactly as blue as it felt.

Well, I’m back in Seattle!

I have to say, it was quite a shock to go from bikini & sunglasses to wintercoat & boots. The 28 hours of travel was kinda exhausting too.

The trip was fabulous, and just what I needed. I took about a zillion photos (okay, around 1200), so expect them to come trinkling in.

In the meantime, here’s a video I took in Ranu Raraku, the volcanic quarry where most of the moai were carved.

Moai are the giant “head” statues found throughout Easter Island.  They rest upon ceremonial platforms (called “ahus”), and represent different high-ranking ancestors. 

Archeologists estimate that 1000-some statues were carved  between 1000-1600AD. 

All the maoi were made from the volcanic rock on the east side of the island.  They were (likely) then rolled on logs to the far corners of the 60 sq mi island.

Most of the moai were toppled by the 1700s, the result of inter-tribal fighting.  (Deforestation, which caused an ecological & agricultural collapse, was a major contribution.)  It wasn’t until this century that some of the moai were set upright gain.

Why did the moai get bigger, grander, more elaborate?  Why were so many built? 

What’s always the answer to questions like this?  Religion, competition, and big egos.  :)  Yes, all the tribal chiefs were male.

I wasn’t expecting to see so many wild horses on Easter Island.

*blush*

hug!!

“nose dive”….. get it???  :)

On the east side of the island is Rano Raraku, a volcanic crater that served as the moai quarry.  Walking around Ranu Raraku there was something eerily magical in the air .  Some of the statues were half carved, still firmly in the rockbed.  Others were sticking out of the ground, waiting to be finished and dragged to their final locations.

I went several times, at sunrise and at sunset.  The colors changed so drastically, from morning to night.  And even as the sun went moved in & out of clouds.

I returned back to Ahu Tongariki several times, including once at sunset…

all in a row

close up 

solitary moai 

sitting on a rock, waiting for sunset.  (that’s my shadow)

 can you see me?  look closer.

me

Planning this trip in August, I was captured by the idea of seeing my first Easter Island moai at sunrise on January 1st.

On the island on December 31st, I tried to figure out how to make it happen. I had heard that biking around the island was fairly easy – this place, afterall, isn´t that large. However, after renting a bicycle, I discovered the best place for sunrise is Ahu Tongariki, which is on the far east side of the island. The (only) town of Hanga Roa is, of course, on the far west side of the island.

Yep, that´s a 20 km bike ride away.

Now, I had to figure out:

• How long it would take to bike there, so I knew when to leave.
• How to see in the pre-sunrise darkness, since the route wasn´t lit.
• If I actually could ride 24 miles, since I´m not a biker.
• And in general, if this wasn´t just a stupid idea after all. :)

I set my alarm for 4am, packed my bag, toasted the New Year with some (really bad) champagne and went to bed.

I woke up around 5am to the realization that I hadn´t actually turned my alarm on. It was going to be one of those years. :)

Anyways, I set out with my dinky REI hiking headlamp and started pedaling.

the pre-dawn bike ride

About 5 minutes into the ride, I realized this was silly:

• My ass already hurt from the bike seat.
• The 10 pounds of camera gear and 1.5 L of water strapped to my back was really heavy.
• I had visibilty of… oh…about 10 feet.
• The last time I was on a bike was in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. And there, my bike got a flat and I ended up having to walk it.

I also had flashbacks to when I spontaneously decided to do a 17-mile, 6 hour kayak trip in Kauai. And about 10 minutes into that paddling trip I realized, "Oh man, this is going to be waaaay harder than I thought."

Then, about 20 minutes later, I thought I was really screwed.

• I had to outride some drunken NYE revelers who were packed into a truck and calling out piropos.
• I had to full out race away from a pack of barking dogs that chased me (and wishing I had actually gone back for my 2nd rabies vaccination.)

But about 7 km in, I hit the coast and was feeling good. The dawn had started rising, and I could see faint outlines of fallen moai against the brightening sky. It was magical.

Around 7am (about 90 minutes later), I arrived at Ahu Tongariki. It literally took my breath away.

There were about 40 people there (all Asian – I´m pretty sure Japanese tourists), all of whom had passed me in cars on the way there. (I was the only idiota who biked.)

It was a perfect 7:30am sunrise, with the sun appearing in bright red behind the statues. The large fluffy clouds made it all the more majestic. It made me think of other spectactular sunrises that I´ve seen (Mt. Kinabalu, Angkor Wat) and hadn´t seen (a fogged in Machu Picchu). And I felt pretty damn lucky.

Then, around 8:30 am, everyone else left. And it was just me, and the moai. And the beginning of 2009. :)

p.s. The bike ride back was, quite literally, a pain in the ass. But the jugo de pina in town tasted that much better for it.

borrowing trevin´s signature shot… the photo was just screaming to be taken. :)

Today was a good day. :)

This morning, I successfully hauled my ass out of bed, and went to a yoga class. I saw the Almazen Del Mar yoga studio sign the day before while wandering around Valparaiso. The Ashtanga yoga instructor, Macarena, spoke excellent English and gave great adjustments. If you happen to be in town, I highly recommend.

I then walked up to La Sebastiana, one of Pablo Neruda‘s three homes. It was an enchanting little place – very tranquil, with a beautiful view of the city. Valparaiso is a very colorful city – lookswise, it reminds me of some cross between the hills around La Paz (Bolivia) and the brightness of La Boca (Buenos Aires).

Next, I took the bus back to Santiago. In Barrio Brasil, I realized I hadn’t had a proper lunch yet, but instead opted for gelato and a sunny walk around town.

Oh, and I also contributed to the global economy. I replaced my canon point & shoot that I “gave” to the good townspeople of Valparaiso. (Note to self: never try to photograph a parade on your first day, when you’re still exhausted from traveling. Fortunately, my SLR – which I had been protecting – is fine.)

I ended the day with empanadas, and good conversation with random travelers.

Tomorrow, at an ungodly hour, I leave for Easter Island!

trying out my new point & shoot in front of the chilean presidential palace

empanadas please!