On the way back, we stopped for lunch at an Estancia.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Traveling to Patagonia
After a late takeoff from Easter Island, and a very late arrival in Santiago, we took off early for Puerto Arenas. Easy trip and we are excited to be arriving in Patagonia! Our cabanas are really cute and nice. We took a ferry ride to see the penguins. There were so many of them and the wind was really whipping over the island. The penguins are the only regular inhabitants of this island. We found a great restaurant for dinner and then sleep! The next morning we had time to explore in Puerto Arenas, I bought new rain pants, and off we went by bus to Puerto Natales. Checked in to our hotel, then walked downtown for a nice dinner.
We had a spectacular view from our room in Puerto Natales!
Up early for our bus tour of Torres Del Paine National Park. This was a full day bus tour, which was very nice. It was really the only way to see this park unless you were trekking. It was just spectacular! I had a nice gentleman who sat next to me, Flavio. He was from Fortaleza, Brazil.
We had a spectacular view from our room in Puerto Natales!
Up early for our bus tour of Torres Del Paine National Park. This was a full day bus tour, which was very nice. It was really the only way to see this park unless you were trekking. It was just spectacular! I had a nice gentleman who sat next to me, Flavio. He was from Fortaleza, Brazil.
View from hotel window. Rainbow in background. We saw lots of rainbows!!
Our crew!!
Michelle's Birthday
Michelle had the big 4-0 on January 23rd, the day we left Easter Island. So we celebrated the evening before and the day of!
View from the French restaurant on the harbor in Rapa Nui!
Our group enjoying a great dinner.
The birthday girl in the middle!
Afternoon visit at the great beach!!
Easter Island
All I can say about Easter Island is WOW!!!
We had a 4.5 hour flight from Santiago. Easter Island is totally isolated. And not too big. It is a volcanic island in the South Pacific.
It is famous for the Moai's. Also generally beautiful scenery. We stayed here for five nights. It was nice to be in one place for a while. The island is small and we saw most of it. We had an old van that got us around the island. Julia was the driver. The van was hard to drive and had some quirks, for sure!!
These photos are not in order. The dancers were so beautiful. The men were good also, but I liked these graceful ladies best.
We spent five nites here at Cabanas Rapa Nui Orito. Cute little motel. We explored all parts of the island. We found ll the best places to eat and saw so many ahu (shrines) where the moai were placed.
I celebrated my 70th birthday here with my great traveling companions. In addition to their honoring me before we went out to eat, I got to go body surfing, and it was great!! What a special and memorable place!!
We had a 4.5 hour flight from Santiago. Easter Island is totally isolated. And not too big. It is a volcanic island in the South Pacific.
It is famous for the Moai's. Also generally beautiful scenery. We stayed here for five nights. It was nice to be in one place for a while. The island is small and we saw most of it. We had an old van that got us around the island. Julia was the driver. The van was hard to drive and had some quirks, for sure!!
These photos are not in order. The dancers were so beautiful. The men were good also, but I liked these graceful ladies best.
We spent five nites here at Cabanas Rapa Nui Orito. Cute little motel. We explored all parts of the island. We found ll the best places to eat and saw so many ahu (shrines) where the moai were placed.
I celebrated my 70th birthday here with my great traveling companions. In addition to their honoring me before we went out to eat, I got to go body surfing, and it was great!! What a special and memorable place!!
My birthday serenade.
The Moai lineup!
This moai was sitting on his feet. the only one found like this.
Bird island out there.
At the extinct volcano.
A native celebrating for a friend's wedding.
The great beach where I body surfed (not on this day- no waves at all!)
Wine tasting tour
Nice ride back to Santiago through the wine country. We stopped at a beautiful vineyard and winery. The country side looks like many parts of California. Beautiful!! We were scheduled to make two vineyard stops, but this one was so nice we were happy to be finished after our lovely lunch with more wine!!
VALPARISO
We took a nice bus to Valpariso. It wäs nice to get out of the city. We found an interesting port town. a highlight was the graffiti tour. we stayed in Valpariso for two lovely nights. The graffiti was in many cases excellent artwork. Valparaiso is known for this. We walked a lot up the narrow streets and steep hills.
Julia and I visited the beach and had a cocktail at a lovely hotel.
Exploring day
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The wonderful ladies in my traveling group were Julia Tindall, my dear friend and the trip organizer, Janice Fleming, a new friend from Calgary, AB, Canada, Courtney Faulkner from Santa Cruz, Michelle Morales from SC, Anna Hirst from SC, and Susie from Palo Alto. What a good and congenial group. I learned a lot about each of these ladies during our time together (almost three weeks).
Beginning of the walking tour. Plaza de las Armas.
Presidential palace.
Statue of Mary overlooking Santiago from Cerro San Cristobal.
This is the big Cathedral at Plaza De Las Armas, with a modern glass building next door.
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