Actually Santiago hadn’t been on my bucket list, but it was the only way out of Easter Island. And once I’m there, I can stay for a while 🙂 I already got a list with the No-Go areas before I went there, and here I get safety warnings continually. So I found possibilities to fix everything I have inside my jacket. And get serious problems, if it’s too warm. In Santiago I never use my mobile outside, so I navigate by printed maps again. And I try to avoid going out alone at night. Last issue is quite easy as I stay in a nice hostel, whose staff organize parties with free drinks every evening. Actually the first night they made Glühwein!! I was so happy about that, and the next morning began with a little hangover and the following mornings as well. Another great drink was “Terremoto” (earthquake), a mix of pineapple ice cream, Granadina and Vino Pipeño. Sweet, but really good. So I haven’t seen that much in Santiago, but if I trust the stories of other travelers, I haven’t missed that much, too.

Wow!! So many colors! Cinque Terre can give up! Actually Valparaíso is the most colorful city I’ve ever seen. Every available space is decorated colorfully, each house painted in another color – street art at its best! The best way to get an extensive impression is to take one of Valparaíso’s nostalgic cable cars (ascensor) to one of the hills. And there just stroll around, but be careful – that’s what lots of people told me since I arrived at the mainland of Chile and that’s why I still feel a bit uncomfortable.

The last four days I spent at Easter Island, the most remote place I’ve ever been. The distance to the next inhabited island is more than 2.000 km, to the mainland of Chile it is about 3.500 km. There are one or two direct flights per day running from/to Santiago de Chile and one flight per week from/to Tahiti. That’s it. I’ve also met some travelers who came by boat. So if you have a plenty of time and you like the lonely life in the middle of nowhere, that might be another option to go there, but there are no regular cruises.

The Easter Island is famous for its Rapa Nui National Park, which is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home of the Moai, giant stone statues, date back hundreds of years, which hide a great mystery as nobody can definitely say how they were moved and positioned at the platforms.

Usually every inhabitant and every tourist will stay at Hanga Roa, the only town at the small Easter Island. Me too. I rented a car which was relatively cheap compared to the general price level (I wouldn’t recommend to rent a bike as the weather can change rapidly and outside Hanga Roa it’s hard to find shelter). It was the most simple car rental I ever made. No contract, no deposit, no driving license. I just took the key and paid when I returned the car. It’s easy to drive around, beyond Hanga Roa is only one road which leads around the island. But there are always animals on the road, horses, cows or dogs, that’s why it’s highly recommended to drive slowly – but no policeman will give you a ticket if you drive too fast. So I visited almost every main spot of the National Park and enjoyed the cruise through the nature, which is quite similar to New Zealand. I’ve only seen one hitchhiker, who I gladly took with me – a world traveling lady from Israel. Most of the people I’ve met at the Easter Island are young people from Santiago. Everybody was super nice and wanted to chat. But I can’t speak Spanish, which is a big problem definitely, also for my further travels. I have to learn at least some basics as fast as I can.

To conclude, it’s a very basic and simple life at the Easter Island. I guess the wifi is the slowest in the world. When I had been there, the only highlight at night was a traditional Polynesian show, which I joined accidentally. So if I ever want to dropout and leave everything behind me, the Easter Island would be a great choice. I had some very pleasant and happy days at the most remote place I’ve ever been.