Day 39 November 11 2026 Easter Island

 We had missed part of our tour on November 9 as rain caused the closure of the Ana Te Pahu lava tube site. The tour operator gave us the option of going back today to make up for it, so we took the opportunity.

There were six of us in total who had missed the lava tubes. Evy and I got lucky because the bus carrying most of the group was full, so we were taken in a car with just our driver.

On the way, the packed bus broke down, just like it had two days earlier when we were on it. Evy and I ended up getting a private tour while the people crammed onto the bus like sardines had to wait for a rescue vehicle.

After the tour, the driver dropped us off at the restaurant we wanted to go to instead of taking us back to the tour agency office. Once we were done eating a late breakfast, I went for ice cream. I don't understand why I'm not losing more weight with all the walking we're doing.

We then went for a meander along the shore until I realized I needed to reapply sunscreen. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped to watch the turtles for a while. The water was so clear it was like looking at them in an aquarium.

EXITING THE CUEVA DE LOS PLATANOS

INSIDE THE "BANANA CAVE" LAVA TUBE 

EVERY CAVE ENTERANCE HAS A TREE GROWING IN IT

TREE BEHIND US IS 7 METERS TALLER THAN IN THE PHOTO AS THE CAVE ENTRANCE IS DEEP

NOT SURE HOW I AM GOING TO LOOSE THIS GUT

THERE ARE OVER 30 CAVES IN THIS AREA

INTO THE UNKNOWN 

Day 38 November 10 2026 Easter Island

Today was a full tour day with visits to six different moai sites.

Rano Raraku, the quarry where the moai were carved from the rock, was by far the most interesting thing I have seen on the island. The other sites paled in comparison to Rano Raraku.

We also visited a site with 15 restored moai. Originally there had been 20, but several were damaged when a tsunami hit in 1960. Only 15 could be pieced back together and restored.

The last stop of the day was Anakena Beach. It is home to the first moai restored in modern history, as well as another platform called Ahu Nau Nau (The Main Royal Platform), which has seven moai on it.

The tour included a 1½-hour stop at the beach for swimming, but with the cool temperatures and rain, we decided to skip it. Instead, we ate supper while looking out over the beach.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a very good pastelería for the third straight day and shared another piece of heavenly cake. At this rate, any weight loss from all the walking we're doing is probably being cancelled out by the cake.

ORIGINAL MOAI ON THE ISLAND AND THE SPIRIT OF THE FIRST KING

THERE ARE 2 MOAI IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CARVED IN THIS PHOTO

I LIKED THE HORSE IN THE PHOTO

A FEW MOAI ON THE BEGINNING AND END OF THEIR JOURNEY

A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE MOAI 

VOLCANIC CRATER AT THE BIRD MAN CONTEST SITE

MOAI PLATFORM AT THE FIRST MOAI SETTLEMENT

LARGEST RESTORED PLATFORM OF MOAI WAS DESTROYED BY A TSUNAMI

EVY LOOK, MORE MOAI

RAPA NUI GREETING

THIS PLACE MADE THE TRIP TO THE ISLAND WORTH IT

MANY MOAI THAT DID NOT  MAKE IT TO THEIR PLANTFORMS

Day 37 November 9 2026 Easter Island

 Today was a half-day tour that started at 10:00 a.m. and ended at 3:30 p.m., with pickup and drop-off at the tourist office.

The tour was supposed to stop at four different sites: two lava tubes and two archaeological sites. The first stop was Cueva de las Dos Ventanas, which was interesting because we have been in many caves before but never in a lava tube.

On the way to the next stop, the van broke down and we had to wait 45 minutes for another vehicle to pick us up. Once we were rescued, we continued on to two more moai sites, which were reasonably interesting.

When the guide tried to take us to the Banana Cave, he was told it was closed because of the rain. The tour company arranged for us and four other people to return on November 11 to see the lava tube we had missed.

On the way back to the hotel that evening, we stopped at a fantastic pastelería and shared another piece of cake.

DOS VENTANAS LAVA TUBE

INSIDE THE LAVA TUBE

ONE OF THE WINDOWS

TESTING THE WATER TO SEE IF I WANTED TO GO SWIMMING, I DIDN'T!

THESE MOAI ARE LOOKING TO WHERE THE PEOPLE CAME FROM

NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD WEAR A HARD HAT IN RETIREMENT

SITE OF THE LAVA TUBE

Day 36 November 8 2026 Easter Island

 It was Sunday, so fewer places were open. We had planned to visit the museum, but discovered it is only open on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

We found a tour agency that was open and booked a half-day tour for November 9 and a full-day tour for November 10.

In the evening, we went to a restaurant that overlooked a platform with five moai, along with a few others scattered around nearby. We were fortunate to get the best table. The regular servers were not working, and the owner had called a friend in desperation to help out. He really didn't know what he was doing. The people who had been sitting at the table when we arrived were probably frustrated by the slow service and left.

Since it was dark when we left and there was no clearly marked road to the restaurant, we ended up making our way down a dark, rocky trail with Evy's phone providing the only light.

SUNSET VIEW FROM A RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING SOME MOAI

PART OF THE MORING WAKE UP CREW, REALLY WANTED TO KILL THEM

NO LACK OF MOAI ON THE ISLAND

ENJOYING THE GOOD STUFF IN LIFE

WATCHING THE SURF CRASHING INTO THE ROCKS, I HAVE EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD

LOOKING AT THE DISTANCE POST PUTS WHERE YOU ARE INTO PERSPECTIVE

Day 35 November 7 2026 Easter Island

We arrived on Easter Island around 12:30 p.m. local time and took our transfer to the hotel.

When we arrived, we were shocked by the condition of the place. The tiles in the lobby area were broken and lifting up, creating a tripping hazard. Our first impression of the room wasn't much better. It is in desperate need of paint and general maintenance.

The best part is the large number of roosters wandering around the property. I'm really looking forward to the early morning wake-up calls that I never asked for.

To be fair, the hotel is relatively clean and is well located for restaurants and other amenities. The photos on Expedia must be 20 years old, or maybe they were touched up with AI.

After getting settled, we went for a long walk around town and came across our first moai and went for a very late lunch/supper.

SOME OF THE VISTAS WE ENCOUNTERED THE FIRST DAY

ALMOST IN RAPA NUI

ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT

FIRST MOAI ENCOUNTER

A VIEW DOWN THE COAST

EVY MADE ME WEAR THEM

Day 34 November 6 2026 Buenos Aires Argentina to Santiago Chile

Our flight was supposed to arrive in Santiago at 2:45 p.m., but it was delayed. By the time we got to our hotel it was around 6:00 p.m., and we had to scramble to get our laundry done before everything closed.

We bought laundry detergent at the first store we came across and ended up with a 5-litre bottle for about $4.50. For supper, we decided to keep it simple and buy food from a grocery store. We picked up two packages of empanadas and two pieces of cake.

When we got back to the hotel, we discovered the empanadas were covered in mold and the cakes tasted terrible. Everything went straight into the garbage, and supper ended up being yogurt and strawberries instead.

SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO BUY 5 LITERS OF SOAP FOR 1 LOAD

 BREAKFAST IN THE AIRPORT, ALWAYS A DEAL

VIEW FROM THE LAUNDRY ROOM WHERE WE SPENT OUR FIRST HOURS IN SANTIAGO

Day 33 November 5 2026 Ushuaia Argentina to Buenos Aires

It’s a travel day, and we’ve seen everything we wanted to see in Ushuaia. Fortunately, we were able to arrange a late checkout at 5:00 p.m., which is perfect since our flight doesn’t depart until 8:55 p.m. Having the room for a few extra hours gives us a comfortable place to store our luggage, relax, and plan the next stages of our trip.

Flew from Ushuaia at 8:55 pm and arrived in Buenos Aires 12:25 am with a 12 hour lay over so we booked a hotel for a few hours.

While taking advantage of the extra time, we  booked our flight from Calama, Chile, to Lima, Peru, which will allow us to visit the famous Nazca Lines.

WAITING TO BOARD THE PLANE IN USHUAIA

A BIT OF HEALTH FOOD BEFORE THE FLIGHT

LAST PHOTO IN USHUAIA

LOCAL BEER THAT I DID NOT DRINK