For spring break, we headed to Easter Island by way of Tahiti on the outbound leg and Santiago, Chile on the return one. Easter Island is suprisingly easy to reach, with an international airport, a runway built to accommodate the space shuttle in an emergency landing, and daily flights to the mainland. The population is about 6000, concentrated in the lone town of Hanga Roa, with the rest of the island given over to cattle, wild horses, farms, and statues. The moai (statues) are everywhere- some upright, many more not. Surprisingly, there are a number of large freshwater lakes in the craters of extinct volcanoes. The highlight of the trip was the quarry where the statues were carved, with hundreds in various stages of construction and transport.
We took it easy in Tahiti, mostly lazing by the pool or swimming the lagoonarium.
In Santaigo, we took the funicular railway up San Cristobal hill, walked down, then headed to the cental market for lunch. The striking setting at the foot of the Andes is spoiled somewhat by Los Angeles levels of pollution.