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The Big Trip Report #18 - Big Heads and All - Thu, 20 May 2004
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Our arrival in Pucon in the Chilean Lake District did not bode well in our search
for better weather. It was gray and rainy and the great 3000 meter active volcano
Villarrica could not be seen. Fortunately the next day dawned crisp and clear,
allowing us not only to see, but also to climb the snow-capped volcano. Using
crampons and ice axes we slogged up to the top for breathtaking views and then
had our breath taken away by the sulphur fumes. Rather than walking all the
way down we were able to slide on our bums. Great fun other than the occasional
rock - ouch! Speaking of sore bums we also went horse riding through the beautiful
countryside, ending with a good soak at the thermal springs.
From here we took an overnight bus to Valparaiso, an interesting port city with
cool multicolored buildings dotted through the hills. While we're on the subject
of buses, they are fantastic and cheap in Chile and Argentina. Many are double-decker
with loos and comfortable seats (like business class on a plane). No, you don't
get champagne, but you can get a decent night's sleep on an overnight trip.
The bus companies back home could learn something from these guys.
Next stop was Santiago (capital of Chile), a sprawling city with great views
of the snow-capped Andes when you can actually see them through the smog. Overall
we have decided that we prefer Argentina to Chile. It is much cheaper, with
better food and accommodation. However, Chile does have "the 3 Ps".
These are palta (avocado, which they put an everything), pìsco sours
(the national cocktail - delicious!) and pebre (a spicy salsa that's always
on the table).
Then there are "the big heads". We flew to Easter Island (Rapa Nui),
which is considered "the most isolated inhabited island in the world".
It is in the middle of the South Pacific, thousands of miles from Pitcairn the
nearest inhabited island. Geographically and culturally it is part of Polynesia,
but politically it belongs to Chile. The island is famous for the giant stone
heads, or Moai as they're technically called, more than 300 of which used to
encircle the island. Unfortunately they were all toppled during inter-clan warfare
in the 18th century. The 36 that stand today have been restored and re-erected
by various international teams (not an easy feat!). No one knows their exact
purpose but it is believed that they were a form of ancestor worship and spiritual
protection for the various clans. A highlight of the three days we spent on
the island was visiting the volcano from where the majority of the heads were
quarried. Inside and outside it is littered with hundreds of Moai in various
stages of completion, including a 21m giant that was never finished. The two
main mysteries still surrounding this place are why the construction suddenly
stopped, and how the Moai were moved from the volcano to their sites all over
the island.
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Back in mainland Chile we took a spectacular bus ride over the Andes and back
to Argentina. This time our destination was Mendoza, the wine capital of the
country. It is also supposed to be one of the driest, sunniest regions. Unfortunately
we were there for an unseasonably cold and cloudy snap, so we limited ourselves
to eating and drinking royally.
Further north in National Park Ischigualasta we visited La Valle de La Luna,
a paleontologist's dream. The oldest dinosaur fossil ever was found here. For
the non-geek there are amazing wind-sculpted sandstone rock formations and huge
red cliffs. It was reminiscent of parts of the American west. The further north
we headed, the more spectacular the scenery became. 'Quebradas' with all types
of crazy rock formations extending into the distance. The scale of these is
really hard to describe. The various minerals in the rocks give the terrain
a rainbow of colors - red, green, purple, orange and yellow. The landscape is
also covered with towering 'cardones', which are stereotypical, cartoony Western
cacti. We spent a week around Salta and Jujuy exploring these landscapes and
local villages. We also enjoyed an authentic taste of the gaucho experience.
We rode horses for about 8 hours, had a monstrous barbecue, and were lucky enough
to witness a local gaucho rodeo (not another tourist in sight). Riding home
under the stars in the dark to the haunting melodies being sung by our gaucho
guide was a fitting end to our time in Argentina. Tomorrow we catch a 5:30 AM
bus to the Bolivian border.
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