Sheep in Santiago de Chile?

Today we crossed the city of Santiago de Chile.
We didn't see any sheep.
For people who love sheep, Santiago is not worthwhile a visit.

You have to go to the South Island of New Zealand.
For sheeplovers, that is a MUST.

Santiago de Chili

Today was our first full day in Santiago.
It is a very big city (6 million inhabitants) and it looks moreless like a spanish town when you are in the old parts. Some houses look like english cottages and why, I don't know.
There are very many skyscrapers (for instance we have an appartment on the 22nd floor).
There is a Metro and we used it to do some shopping.

We didn't make any pictures because, till now, we didn't see buildings or something else, worthwhile photographing.

It's hot here and there is a layer of smog over the city.
The smog makes it difficult to see the high mountains, around the city.
In the morning the mountains are beautiful and our landlord told us you can ski in three different ski-area's near the city, within less than an hour driving.

But, it's summer overhere and in the summer: no skiing.

What we'll do tomorrow isn't decided. We have to think about that.

I'll let you know tomorrow evening (local time).

Mainstreet Hanga Roa

This is a photograph of the mainstreet of Hanga Roa (the only town on Easter Island).

Sometimes this street is very crowded and than there are at least 50 cars on the road.

There is only one piece of road (in the interior) where you can drive 100 Km's per hour. But only for a short time because this road is short.

The rest of the roads are very bumpy or, when a dirt road, very difficult to drive on because of all the holes in the road.

Ahu Tanga Te'e

At Ahu Tanga Te'e you can see seven or eight thrown over Moais. In front there are a few Pukao, the red stone hairdo's of the statues.

In front of the Moais you can see a little sign which says: "Get of the grass, or......" or "Cut of the grass, or......"

I just can read it right anymore. C'est dommage.

We had a French guide.

Clouds over Easter island

Threatening clouds over Easter Island.
The first days the weather was fine, nice and warm, but the last days we had lots of rain.

Luckily we had good weather during our tour around the island.

Ahu Te Pito Kura

Near Ahu Te Pito Kuro (I don't make these names up!!) there lies a big round stone which is magnetic.
The guide showed us that the compass on his watch, when held close to the stone, suddenly changed to other directions than before (the right direction).

It is believed that one king bought this stone from another island somewhere in Polynesia.
It is a very big stone.

The rocky coast of Easter Island

The coast of Easter Island looks often like this.
Black rocks and the sea with all the shades of blue to grey.

Playa Ovahe

The second white water beach on Easter Island.
Here the coast is more rocky but still there is white sand. The place is called Ovahe.
There is something strange about the water here in the lagoon.
The water evaporates so quickly, that over the ages, the water in this lagoon is so salty that you can float in it, almost like in the Dead Sea (see some months ago).
I didn't do that, because the water was to cold, we didn't have the time and we brought no swimming gear.

Ana Kena Beach

People swimming at Ana Kena Beach.

I thought the water was to cold for swimming but others thought different.

Ana Kena Beach

Lost of people visit Ana Kena Beach because of the white sand beach, the Moais on their Ahu (some of the Moais with Pukao's) and it is a place where some of the islanders made a picnic place.
This beach is at least 10 Km.s from the town.

This was the owner of "our" restaurant.
Something different from the restaurants we are used

Ana Kena Beach

Easter Island has two white sand beaches. On of those is Ana Kena beach.
Near Ana Kena there is an Ahu with 7 Moais.
The palm trees were a gift from the French Government to the island. The reason I forgot.

In the right down corner of the picture you can see the head of another Moai.

Papa Mangai

Easter Island is not just the 850 Moais, the statues that are littered over the island.
There is more.
For instance the many carvings on stones you can find all over the island as well.
This is te carving of a fish.

The place is called Papa Mangai.

View on the eastern part of Easter Island

One of the three volcanos on Easter Island.

Ahu Tongariki

The 15 Moais on their Ahu (Tongariki).
Look at the beautiful orange coloured flowers in the front.

Rano Raraku

The rocks out of which all the Moais were carved.

You can see many lying and standing in front of the rocks.

Foundations of an old island house

Ankie is standing next to the foundations of an old Easter Island house.

If you look well, you can see here and there that there are holes drilled in the foundations in which the people put bamboo stakes and they bound them together at their top and on the stakes they put banana- or palm leaves to keep the rain out.

The two stones left make the foundation of the entrance.

Those old houses were not wide (you can see that) but they were sometimes 20 meters long.

Only the important people lived in these houses, the commoners lived in bamboo-houses without the stone foundations (our guide tells us). You can see our guide on the right side of the picture.

Rano Raraku

Next to the 15 Moais at their Ahu at Rano Raraku stands one Moai, looking to another point, inland.

Moais near Rano Raraku

These Moais stand near Rano Raraku (the Quarry) on the base (Ahu) looking inland as they should.

Moais don't look at the sea but inland because they have to watch (standing guard) over the people, living on the island.

Complete Moai

As I told you before lots of the Moai (there are some 850 on the island) are lying around.
Only 50 or so are standing up on their bases (ahu) and not many of those have their red hairdo (Pukao) on their head.
And, as far as I know only one has the seashell eyes in it's head and that is this one.