Easter Island

I had wanted to see Easter Island for a long time, so when we started planning this trip to Chile and I found out it was actually part of Chile, I knew we had to include it.  I didn't realize then that it would take a five hour flight to get there from Santiago, but that didn't stop me.  I had a little trouble finding a tour guide available, but was finally able to book two days of guided tour and the hotel.

We arrived at about 11 pm so we didn't get to see much then, but we were met at the airport with leis made of real, fresh flowers and driven to our hotel.  The next morning we discovered that we were staying in one of those hotels you see advertised in travel magazines with the individual cabanas that have large doors that open up to a view of the ocean.  I couldn't have chosen anything better.  We had two days of guided tours around the island and through the national parks.  The guide was great and we even met some friendly Italians on the trip.   Here are some photos of the famous Moai.

 There are over 300 of them scattered over the island.  This last photo was taken at the quarry where they carved them.  I'm so glad we made the trip to see this.  The island was fantastic, so laid back and friendly.  Only those who are descendants of the original tribes can own property, so there are no highrise condos, no Starbucks, no McDonalds,..., just a perfect place to go for vacation.

Chilean Discoveries

 

One of my favorites - Yugo Naturales.  This is one made from cantaloupe melon.  It's just a fruit drink made from frozen fruit.  I had a Yugo de frambuesca almost everyday - raspberries and delicious.

 

 

Our first day in Santiago we took a walking tour and went to the food markets.  It was great to see all the summer fruits and vegetables there for sale.  Every city I visit, I enjoy seeing the markets.

We drove to the coast, or rather Dago drove us to the coast to a great restaurant on a cove.  This is renata  - Chilean fish and really tasty.

 

We enjoyed some fantastic foods and local wines on our trip.  Rolo discovered Carmenere.  It's a varietal that was thought to be extinct and then several years ago they found it growing in Chile.  It's a really nice, earthy red.

After a dip in the Pacific, nothing better than a freshly peeled little pineapple - better than a popsicle.

The Bamboo Bike

In Valparaiso, Chile we were walking down the street and found this to attract attention.  What an artistic expression of a bicycle.  Somebody has some creativity.  Check out the detail all the way down to a chain and derailleurs front and rear.  How about those brakes?

Motorized Bicycles in Chile

The advances in batteries and efficiencies in electrical motors has caused lots of electrical driven vehicles from cars to scooters.   Old school would dictate a small 2-stroke engine (like from a chain saw) spewing smoke down the road grafted onto a bicycle frame.  If you want to get really fancy, a company could take it on and make it more professional.  While in Chile I saw several of these things and here are some pictures.  Pedal or spew smoke...your choice.

Graffiti or art?

We just got back from 2 weeks in Chile.  What a wonderful country Chile is.  Everyone seemed very happy and I was told by a local that Chile currently has the strongest economy for all of South America.  Don't know if that is true but the people on the streets were very happy.

Everyone has seen graffiti all over walls, garage doors or what not.  Chile is not immune from that either but the Chilean government passed some new laws that have had an impact.  The law basically classifies paintings on walls, garage doors, etc. as art.  Apparently there is different classes of offenses if you are caught putting graffiti on a blank wall or on top of art and if you do it on top of art the penalty is very steep.  This is what a local Chilean told me.  So what has happened is the emergence of art all over.  Here are some examples we saw so I ask you...graffiti or art?

Winter Wonderland

Just a few pictures taken in December.

 

Here is Hannah after a treasure hunt in the snow.  She is so proud of herself when she finds a ball buried in the snow, left behind by another dog.  This wasn't a successful day, but she still had fun.  Then we had to go home and jump in the tub so I could de-ice her.  Even with her awful schnauzer cut she doesn't mind the cold down to about -20 C, and she just adores fresh powder.

 

 

Our house early in December when I was working on my snow mountains out front.  I have become an expert snow shoveler.

The Bow River just south of Prince's Island, north of downtown.  They scraped the snow away and set up an ice rink.

Rolo doesn't cycle these days, but has a driver.  He's taken here and left to climb down the hill, ford the river, wade through the snow and ice, uphill both ways, in the wind, barefoot...

The shadows on the horizon are the mountains out west.

My big bad boy on its last ride in Europe

Europe is a great place to ride motorcycles and my big bad boy has always like to roam free.  I know there is another post of getting it into Canada and all of that is behind me now.  I just happened to come across this picture so I thought I'd post it.  And yes that is me taking off the license plate because I had to so I could turn it in to stop the Dutch government from direct drafting our account for the road tax.  Yes direct draft is the only way they do it.  I installed my old Texas plate after this picture and since then it now has a Canadian plate…eh!