Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island (or Isla de Pascua in Spanish) is called Easter Island due to Dutch admiral Roddeveen (those Dutch again!) who landed here on Easter Sunday 1722, but it is also called Rapa Nui and Te Pito o Te Henua, which means ´the belly button of the earth´. It is the most isolated inhabited place on earth - 3599 kilometers removed from the closest point in South America, 4050 kilometers from Tahiti, and 2200 kilometers from the closest populated island, Isla Marquesa. It is small, just 117 square kilometers, but there is so much to see on this beautiful Polynesian island that I don´t even know where to begin to tell you about it.

We have been staying in our tent on Camping Mihinoa in Hanga Roa, the only city on the island, where almost all of the 5000 locals also live. Camping is pretty much the only way to save some money in coming here, because everything else is quite expensive due to isolation - the flight, the accommodation, the national park, the food et cetera. Our campsite was great though - run by a local family with great facilities and views of the Pacific.



February is the hottest month on the island and we have been blessed with some great weather, although we also had some rain. Luckily, the rough winds tend to blow away clouds quite quickly. Unfortunately, this also means that you should be even more careful with the dangerous sun. It also means that my hair has turned to straw. Despite it being the height of the high season, it´s nice and quiet here. The first time that we walked into town we couldn´t even locate the main street because it was so quiet! Hanga Roa has retained a small town charm and I like it.

Whenever I told people that we would be staying on the island for a week, many mentioned that they thought that this was quite long, but I disagree. Of course it´s possible to see the major sights in 3 days, but when you have the time, why rush? We liked being able to sleep in, have breakfast, and do whatever we felt like doing without having to keep to a sightseeing schedule. Some roads on the island are absolutely horrendous and even dangerous to drive on. When you´re in a rush, this is a nuisance, but when you have all the time in the world, this becomes an adventure. And when you get tired of sightseeing, there are loads of beaches, restaurants and bars to keep you occupied.

The best way to describe the island is a big, hard, volcanic rock. It has a rugged beauty to it that I like very much. It reminded me of Tongariro National Park in New Zealand, except that there are more trees, plants, flowers and wild horses here. And, of course, the island is scattered with ahu (stone platforms), moai (huge statues) and petroglyphs - the whole island is, in fact, a big open-air archeological museum. Add to that loose volcanic rocks, ancient lava tubes, caves, white sand beaches and blue ocean and you get a sense of the beauty that is Easter Island.


the landscape between Hanga Roa and Ahu Tepeu


Ahu Akivi


Ahu Tongariki


Ahu Tongariki

If you ever make it to Easter Island (and I hope that you do!) I would offer up this little piece of advice: grab a car and GO! Organized tours come in handy from time to time (we´ve been on them plenty of times during this trip), but this is not the way to see Easter Island in its best light, if you ask me. You want the freedom that comes with your own transportation. We rented a scooter ourselves because we couldn´t afford a car, but like I said, some roads are horrible and then a car is really more comfortable. Plus, you´ll stay dry when it rains.

I wouldn´t say that there is one best way to see the island, although I would recommend that you first visit Rano Raraku and then Orongo. Rano Raraku is called ´the nursery´ because this is where the moai were quarried from the slopes of an extinct volcano. There are still a lot of leftover (if you will) moai there, which makes for an amazing sight. It´s nice to combine this with a trip to Puna Pau, because this is where the red hats were quarried that were placed on top the moai. Then I would make my way to Orongo. This ceremonial village near another extinct volcano (there are about 70 volcanoes on the island), called Rano Kau, signifies a move away from ancestral worship in the form of ahu and moai and a move towards a bird man cult that had major religious, political and social repurcussions - it is really too much history to share here, albeit very fascinating. In Orongo you can see ancient houses and petroglyphs and there are amazing views over the nearby islands.


Rano Raraku


Rano Kau


Orongo


Orongo

One thing that I should mention is that February is also the month of the Tapati Rapa Nui - a festival that lasts 2 weeks and is centered around various traditional games and parties. On Sunday afternoon we decided to make our way to Rano Raraku for the popular triathlon. We found a spot near the crater lake among hundreds of locals and tourists and were quite surprised to see what happened next - a group of beautiful boys racing in thongs! First, they had to row across the crater lake in a traditional canoe, then they had to run around the crater lake while carrying a load of bananas, then they had to run again (without the bananas but higher up on the steep crater rim), and then they had to swim across the crater lake. It was BEAUTIFUL, and not just because of the boys, who were, indeed, very beautiful, but I though that it was so great that these young men were keeping ancient traditions alive during an annual festival. The locals were cheering the boys on throughout the race and afterwards girls wanted to pose with them in pictures. Isn´t that wonderful?! You really get a sense of community whenever you spend time among the Rapa Nui. Somehow I don´t see Dutch youngsters celebrating our old traditions this way, let alone in thongs! So, whenever you come to Easter Island, try to do it in February to catch some of the beautiful island spirit.


Tapati Rapa Nui


Tapati Rapa Nui

Yesterday we were a little worn by all the sightseeing, so we decided to spend the afternoon at Anakena Beach. I believe that this is the most beautiful beach on the island with palm trees, white sand and clear water. We spent a couple of hours there playing in the waves like small children and somehow our time here is almost up already.







Tomorrow morning at 8 AM we catch a flight back to Santiago and we´re spending our last day here getting organized, although I hope we can make it to the beach in the afternoon as well. You might not hear from me for a while. As you might remember, we´re meeting our friends in Santiago and we´ll spend 2 weeks with them traveling through Chile and Argentina and I don´t intend to waste any of our time together by spending hours in an internet café blogging. Like my friend Danielle once told me: ¨Life is for living!¨

If you'd like to see more pictures of our world trip, check out our picture gallery here!

Santiago, Chile

This is just a quick note on Santiago, because we only spent 2 days here and we have to leave again tomorrow.

We boarded our 11-hour flight from Auckland to Santiago on Monday at 4.10 PM. Now, flying from New Zealand to Chile is very strange, because you're traveling back in time - we arrived the same day at 11.30 AM. This also makes for a LONG day, which takes me back to my first jetlag when I flew from Los Angeles to Amsterdam with Anna and Derek in the summer of 2003. I've pretty much been walking around in a fog for two days. Flying over a neverending expanse of water didn't do much for my nerves, so instead of sleeping, I watched no less than 5 movies and a documentary about Easter Island.



The hostel that we had booked months ago back in the Netherlands had for still unclear reasons ceased to be and we were referred to another hostel in the neighborhood of Barrio Brasil called Princesa Insolente. This hostel is a real gem - our dorm rooms surround a cute little patio, the walls are painted with funky trees in bright colors and there is always Latin music playing in the background. We sleep in a big room with 8 others on the thickest mattrasses I've seen during this trip and they are so comfortable. The internet is free, the WiFi is fast, and breakfast is served with fresh eggs. I could stay a little while longer!





When we arrived on Monday we were obviously exhausted and we spent most of the time bathing in our own drool on the couches. We woke up just long enough to buy groceries and make ourselves a meal before crashing into bed.

Today I was still extremely tired and since we only had the one day here, we decided to go on a free walking tour. The first time we did a free walking tour was in Sydney and I can truly recommend it - you only have to pay the tour guide tips (if you pay at all), the tour is usually guided by a local who knows the inns and outs of their city (where to find good local restaurants, where to score cheap drinks, where the best clubs are et cetera) and you get to see a variety of the city's sights on foot. Best of all, for me today, was the fact that I could just listen to our beautiful Chilean guide Daniela from Spicy Chile without having to design my own itinerary, read in our Lonely Planet, or think at all.



We ended our tour by riding up the summit of Cerro San Cristóbal by furnicular for a panoramic view of the city flanked in the east by the Andes. It's beautiful, isn't it? The locals like to say: "God is everywhere, but his office is in Santiago." The weather here this time of year doesn't suck either.



Afterwards we had dinner in hip Barrio Bellavista at Galindo for a typical Chilean meal. Although the food that we had was good, there is not a lot of choice for us vegetarians. I'm sure it will be okay, though. Whenever I'm having a hard time, I always remember this quote by Jonathan Safran Foer from Eating Animals and feel better instantly:

"Two friends are ordering lunch. One says, 'I'm in the mood for a burger,' and orders it. The other says, 'I'm in the mood for a burger,' but remembers that there are things more important to him than what he is in the mood for at any given moment, and orders somethings else."

This one by Darcy Cosper also helps me a lot:

"Principles don't mean anything if you abondon them when they become inconvenient or uncomfortable."

You can clearly see, though, how jetlagged I am.



Tomorrow we're off to Easter Island but I don't really feel like it. I'm still so tired and don't want to get up early to catch some plane. I definitely don't feel like sitting in an airplane, over yet more water, for 5 more hours. But, most of all, I just can't wait to see my friends. But I really shouldn't act so silly - we're talking about EASTER ISLAND for God's sake!

If you'd like to see more pictures of our world trip, check out our picture gallery here!

MY FAVORITE NEW ZEALAND

ACCOMMODATION Cap´n Bob´s Beach House, Paihia, North Island (although the Golden Lodge in Nelson on the South Island comes close and, overall, the quality of hostels in New Zealand is very high)

ALCOHOLIC DRINK Sauvignon Blanc from the Malborough wine region on the South Island

BAR n/a

BEACH Hot Water Beach, North Island

CITY n/a, since we hardly spent any time in cities other than to sleep or change transportation

CLUB n/a

DISAPPOINTMENT kayakking in Abel Tasman National Park - hard, cold and wet

DRINK fresh blueberry juice at Mamaku Blue, North Island

FELLOW TRAVELLERS Paihia, North Island

FOOD Difficult to say, since we mostly cooked ourselves.

LOCALS Everywhere. Anywhere. Kiwis are among some of the nicest people I´ve ever met - always smiling, always willing to give a hand, and always wanting us to enjoy New Zealand.

MELTDOWN Waking up in a wet tent at 1 ´o clock in the morning during a thunderstorm and needing to move indoors in Abel Tasman National Park, South Island.

MONUMENT Cape Reinga, North Island

MUSEUM n/a

NATURE Tongariro National Park

RANDOMNESS During our 3 weeks in New Zealand I´ve heard more German speech than English. There are a LOT of Germans in New Zealand, it´s quite shocking.

RESTAURANT Hot Waves Cafe, North Island (although Aunty Mena´s in Wellington on the North Island makes a good second)

NORTH ISLAND OR SOUTH ISLAND I´ve only seen very little of the South Island, but I really enjoyed the amazing diversity in nature on the North Island.

SURPRISE Paihia, North Island - our little paradise

WEATHER Paihia, North Island

I wouldn't have wanted to miss...
...hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in Tongariro National Park.

I could've skipped...
...kayakking in Abel Tasman National Park, and just hike instead.

I want to go back to...
...the South Island, so that I can see more of it.

[inspired by The Other Flying Dutchman]

Up North, New Zealand

WOW! It's been a busy couple of weeks - 22 days in New Zealand, of which 21 were spent traveling, or sightseeing, or both. This is the first time during our travels that I'm actually getting a bit weary of traveling. I suspect this is due to the fact that we've been racing through Australia and New Zealand and because traveling here requires more money and more planning than traveling in South East Asia. One of my favorite fellow travel bloggers, The Other Flying Dutchman, wrote about his experiences in Australia and New Zealand:

"I think this marks the first time I’m using profanity on this blog, but fucking hell Australia and New Zealand are expensive to travel in. The euro has dropped 40% against the Australian dollar, so it was easily four, five times as expensive as South America. A shock to the system, because unlike almost every other traveler I met, I am not working."

[...]

"My first experience with backpacking was South America, and it’s been pretty rough adapting to the Australian way. Here, it was necessary to plan – to book hostels in advance, to arrange transportation weeks early. The low point of this was when I spent 3.5 hours on the phone to change two of my flights. I didn’t enjoy that rigidity at all, and I look forward to being a wanderer again in Asia."

This pretty much sums up exactly how I feel at this very moment. I can't wait to go back to my aimlessly wandering ways in South America.

But first, let me tell you about our time 'up north', as the Kiwis like to call it. On Wednesday morning we took a bus from Auckland and 4 hours later we arrived in Paihia in the Bay of Islands. The Bay of Islands is, quite literally, a bay with islands and is very beautiful. Miraculously, we had managed to get ourselves a reservation at the most popular hostel in town (according to our Lonely Planet) called Cap'n Bob's Beach House. Here we were greeted by Jo who gave us our very own double room for the price of 2 hostel beds. I believe that you may not understand the significance of this - we hadn't slept in a double room for almost 2 months at that point. Hurray! No more being considerate of your fellow backpackers and back to walking around naked whenever you want! It was just the cutest little room, close to all of the facilities and with a view of the South Pacific Ocean. I couldn't have asked for a better end to our time here.


our room at Cap'n Bob's Beach House in Paihia


South Pacific Ocean

We didn't have much time to enjoy it, however, because the next day we were picked up early for our 11-hour tour to Cape Reinga. In short, Cape Reinga is NOT the northernmost point of the country (Surville Cliffs is), but it is the most sacred Maori site in New Zealand - the Maoris believe that Cape Reinga is the departing place of souls to their spiritual homeland Hawaiki via an 800-year-old pohutukawa tree. It is also the place where the Tasman Sea and the South Pacific Ocean collide, plus it houses a pretty lighthouse. We also made a visit to Puketi Kauri Forest, where we saw some really big, really beautiful trees, Taputaputa Bay, Te Paki Stream, where Jochem tried his hand at sandboarding (an experience I was more than happy to be left out of), and 90 Mile Beach, which is a highway on the beach. It was a long, but good, day.


Puketi Kauri Forest


pohutukawa tree


Cape Reinga lighthouse


Cape Reinga


Taputaputa Bay


Te Paki Stream


Te Paki Stream


90 Mile Beach

The next day we enjoyed a quiet morning before heading to the wharf for our boat trip. At this point my body really started to protest this incessant sightseeing for I didn't feel good at all and, unlike the last few days, the weather was dreadful - grey, rainy and cold. But you won't hear me complain since we saw both the Hole in the Rock and a family of wild dolphins.


Bay of Islands


Hole in the Rock


Bay of Islands

Saturday was our one and only day in New Zealand where we did absolutely NOTHING - we slept in, read some books, baked some cookies, watched some TV - no traveling, no sightseeing.

And now we're back in Auckland once more. We're preparing ourselves to leave New Zealand, board a 12-hour flight over nothing but Pacific Ocean, and land in South America. Our first stop is Santiago, the capital of Chile, where we will have 2 days before we fly over yet more Pacific Ocean to Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. We will have a week to explore the island before flying back to Santiago on February 8 where we will at last be reunited with some very close friends. Roland and Margaretha have been planning to visit us in South America for a while, but now that Bianca is also coming over, I couldn't be more thrilled (or impatient). I can't wait to sit down with them, cook some food, pour some wine, and catch up.


Sky Tower in Auckland

But first things first.

If you'd like to see more pictures of our world trip, check out our picture gallery here!

North Island Road Trip, New Zealand

We have been in New Zealand for 16 days and have spent 14 of those days traveling in one way or another.

We left you in Nelson on the South Island. From Nelson we took a bus to Picton. From Picton, then, we took the Interislander ferry to Wellington. The Interislander is a very comfortable 3-hour ferry ride through the beautiful Cook Strait.


on the Interislander ferry

Once in Wellington we were finally on the North Island. We had just one night in the city and what better way to enjoy our time than by eating? Matt and Aimee had recommended Aunty Mena's for some Malaysian and Chinese vegetarian cuisine where Jochem had mock lamb curry, I had mock chicken laksa, and we both missed South East Asia.

The next day we took an 11-hour bus from Wellington to Auckland. The next day, then, we finally picked up our JUCY CRIB campervan that would be our home for the next week. Unfortunately, we had a few troubles with our campervan. Twice the battery died and the AA had to come and fix it. Once the battery had to be replaced altogether by a new one. Finally, in one inexplicable moment, the windows refused to close. Several hours were lost and a few grey hairs were grown. Other than that, though, we had a blast driving around the North Island in our campervan.


our JUCY CRIB

From Auckland we quickly made our way to the Coromandel Peninsula ('quickly' being a generous term since we got lost twice and had to drive on a long gravel road through the Coromandel Range due to a deadly accident in the Kauaeranga Valley). We found a camping spot on Hot Water Beach Holiday Park, rented a spade and walked to Hot Water Beach.


Hot Water Beach

The basic idea is to dig a hole, wait for the hot water to ooze up, and to enjoy your personal spa pool. However, it's quite tricky to find a spot that is not too hot or too cold. In the end, though, we made it work.


Hot Water Beach

The next day, after an orgasmic breakfast at the Hot Waves Cafe, we drove to Rotorua where we ended our afternoon in the Government Gardens at the fabulous Polynesian Spa - a complex with 7 different spa pools overlooking Lake Rotorua.


Polynesian Spa

We set up camp outside Rotorua at the Lake Okareka Scenic Reserve. This campsite is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and was therefore very cheap, but also lacking in any facilities other than toilets. But with views like these, that's easy to forget.


Lake Okareka Scenic Reserve

We cooked ourselves some dinner and poured ourselves some New Zealand wine - happy days!


Lake Okareka Scenic Reserve

The next day it was time to explore Rotorua, which is this wonderfully weird town, filled with a rotten egg aroma, steamy mud pools and erupting geysers. We went to the Whakarewarewa Thermal Village where Maori have been living for centuries. Not only can you witness Rotorua's famous geothermal attractions from this village, like the Pohotu and Prince of Wales Feathers' geysers, but you also get a look at traditional Maori life. We were given a tour of the village by the chief's son, we saw a Maori dance performance and ate corn on the cob that had been cooked in a hot mineral pool, a so-called hangi, where the Maori cook their vegetables. It was wonderful - the water somehow gives the corn a juicy, more corn-like, flavor that bursts in your mouth. You don't need butter or salt or pepper, but you just eat it as is. It was very educational and fun and a definite must-see should you ever be so lucky as to visit Rotorua.


Whakarewarewa Thermal Village


a tradional garment in Whakarewarewa


our cooked corn on the cob in Whakarewarewa

Our next stop on the agenda was Mamaku Blue. We had decided early that Napier, in the Hawke's Bay wine region, was really out of the way of everything else that we wanted to see, and that we would therefore skip its wineries. But when we heard about a blueberry winery near Rotorua, we couldn't resist a tasting.


Mamaku Blue

We then made our way to the Waikato river near Lake Taupo to visit the Huka Falls - a very impressive sight, as the Waikato river is literally slammed into a narrow chasm before dropping into a pool.


Huka Falls

We then camped for free at Reid's Farm Recreation Reserve on the Waikato river.


dinner in our little home

And, when you need a shower the next morning, you have no other option than to jump into the freezing river (Jochem did, I didn't - I used some boiled water instead).


Waikato River

Then we drove to the DOC campsite called Mangahuia in Tongariro National Park to prepare for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. At first, I was afraid that this hike (or should I say 'tramp'?) would be too difficult for us amateur hikers, but, in the end, we decided that it would be ludicrous to pass this beautiful hike up with us being right there. It is said to be the best one-day hike in New Zealand, and it is indeed breathtaking, but it's not exactly an easy walk. The trail is 19,4 kilometers long, while I had never hiked more than 14 kilometers in one go, and the Dutch flat landscape does not exactly match the volcanic terrain in Tongariro National Park. It took us 8 hours, including stops, to finish it.

The part between Soda Springs, at the top of the Mangatepopo Valley, and the South Crater is called the Devil's Staircase and it is a climb that just goes on, and on, and on. In fact, you climb 340 meters to a height of 1660 meters. It took us 50 minutes of steep climbing to reach the South Crater.

The part between the South Crater and the Red Crater is not as long, but you still have to climb to the highest point on the trail at 1886 meters. Here it is cold and snow covers certain parts of the volcano. The wind is blowing at around 30 knots, which I have been told is not too bad, but it's still kind of scary because you're climbing up this crater with steep ravines on either side of you while you're trying to balance on loose rocks.

The absolute worst part, however, was the last leg between Ketetahi Hut and Ketetahi Car Park. This part of the trail is a 6.4-kilometer hike down the volcano and into the valley. Take a time to process this: you are walking DOWN for 6.4 kilometers - 2 hours worth of knee-breaking hiking time. Once we left the volcano we still had to hike through a forest that kept twisting and turning and just kept going, and going, and going. I almost cried when we finally reached the car park.

It was only yesterday that I met an elderly New Zealand man who told me that the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is really quite an easy walk for New Zealand standards. Go figure.


Mount Ngauruhoe, also known as Mount Doom from The Lord of the Rings, in Tongariro National Park


Red Crater in Tongariro National Park


Red Crater in Tongariro National Park


Emerald Lakes in Tongariro National Park

Needless to say, we were exhausted. We slept for 11 hours straight!

The next day we drove to the Waitomo Caves for a quiet boat tour through the Glowworm Cave. Glowworms are fascinating creatures - they hang in a kind of hammock suspended from the cave ceiling and lit their organs to attract food. It was quite magical to see - it was as if the stars were hiding in the caves as we silently floated underneath them. Sadly, though, we couldn't take any pictures so as not to upset the glowworms.

After a quiet evening at the Waitomo Holiday Park we took it slow the next day. We drove from the Waitomo Caves to Cambridge the next morning - a quaint little town where we had lunch at the very English Jubilee Gardens.


Jubilee Gardens in Cambridge

Driving through this area of New Zealand is nice because you are constantly surrounded by majestic hills and green valleys. I read that this is where Peter Jackson filmed his Shire scenes for The Lord of the Rings. We set up camp at Te Aroha Holiday Park and spent the afternoon walking around the Hot Springs Domain - Te Aroha means 'the love' and refers to the thermal waters of this region.

At night we watched two movies in our never-been-used-before DVD player - a perfect ending to our trip!

And now we're back in Auckland after having dropped off our campervan this afternoon.

I am getting a little bit weary of racing through this country, but we still have a couple of trips left. Tomorrow we take a bus to Paihia in the Bay of Islands where we hope to see Cape Reinga and Waipoua Kauri Forest, but hopefully we'll also get to take a day off, so to speak, to just do nothing. I know that it's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it.

Also, allow me to thank a couple of friends of mine for offering some really good tips that made our trip so wonderful:
* Matt and Aimee, for Aunty Mena's in Wellington and the Hot Waves Cafe in Hot Water Beach
* Ellen, for the Polynesian Spa in Rotorua
* and Derek, for Mount Ngauruhoe in Tongariro National Park

If you'd like to see more pictures of our world trip, check out our picture gallery here!