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South by South America Tour – Chile Part 11

August 31st, 2019

Saturday, August 31, 2019
Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui, Chile

A Moai called Ahu Tautira presides over Hanga Roa harbor in Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui, Chile.

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South by South America Tour – Chile Part 10

August 30th, 2019

Friday, August 30, 2019
Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui, Chile

Horses graze on Rapa Nui, Chile.

“Rapa Nui is a Chilean island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. Rapa Nui is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called Moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people. In 1995, UNESCO named Rapa Nui a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park. It is believed that Rapa Nui’s Polynesian inhabitants arrived on the island sometime near 1200 AD. They created a thriving and industrious culture, as evidenced by the island’s numerous enormous stone Moai and other artifacts. However, land clearing for cultivation and the introduction of the Polynesian rat led to gradual deforestation. By the time of the arrival of Europeans in 1722, the island’s population was estimated to be 2,000–3,000.

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South by South America Tour – Chile Part 9

August 29th, 2019

Thursday, August 29, 2019
Santiago to Rapa Nui, Chile

The Eco Taina Cafe in Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui, Chile.

Since I had to set out for the Santiago airport in the middle of the night, I just stayed awake. There was no point in kidding myself that Mr. Sleep would bestow even the slightest amount of shut eye upon me. A few minutes before 3:00 am, a driver in a grey mini-van taxi showed up and whisked me at breakneck speed through the trafficless streets and roads to the airport around 20 kilometers away from the city center. Inside, I took a big plastic bag of produce I had bought at the market the day before and crammed the contents of it into every available nook and cranny in my backpack and messenger bag until they were both bulging. I did this because I read that food is considerably more expensive on Rapa Nui.

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