The Native Iowan

Time travel can be tough. Either not enough sleep, or too much sleep, or sleep at the wrong time.

I did not sleep much on the flight over from the East. When we arrived we had; a few hassles and it took a few dramas and mishaps before we got to the hotel. The car/ transfer we’d booked d’id not show up so we got a taxi. Of course we are working under a language deficit barrier so I showed the driver the hotel’s address. He knew where we were going and I certainly did not so any argument or assistance from me was impotent.

We it delayed and detoured by a protest. Cops and redirections so the ride took quite a while. We got to the hotel and unloaded started to check in only to find we were at the wrong hotel. Same name but different location.

My 80USD fare did. Get us where we needed to be, so another taxi ride was required and another fare paid before we found where our bed for the night was.

We checked in by maybe 330pm. Showers were the first required activity. after a shower I went to the desk n sorted the missed car out. I ensured the car for 630am was organised, and drank 2x nice heavy beers at the bar.

I was very floaty n hapi as I closed all the important business for the day out and headed back to the room.

By the time I got back to the room Grace was asleep. So I plugged in and got up to date, ordered some room service.

By 7pm supper was done and I was in bed watching a Transformer movie dubbed in Spanish with Spanish subtitles. I don’t think I had my eyes open for much of it.

By 5am we were up and moving, by 630am we were ‘on the road to the airport. Grace had slept too much too early and had stayed up watching TV. I probably went to sleep a bit early. By 5am I was very ready to get up and moving. grace wanted to stay ‘in bed.

It’s 8am on a Sunday morn. I’m sitting in the departure lounge of Santiago domestic airport. We are heading to Easter Island for a few days.

The adventure of getting to where we are has indeed been an adventure… The language barrier is part of it, the cultural and national and regional differences adds to it all. The various differences that one normally takes for granted. An example… The Flight to EI is like flying to another country. It has a completely seperate customs and security clearance. It took us ages to find, with several smiling requests for directions… we got 2x on second floor, 1x 3rd floor, one turn right at the elevator (that we could not find) and one turn left. So we wandered around an office area of the airport for quite some time. And no one got frightened or annoyed or scared. In the US or Aus or Europe we’d have caused a security alert.

Our flight was called. It was a mad crush to get onboard. Very little straight line waiting. So I showed my scrum skills and we got on pretty easy. Again, in other lands the ropes are narrow and the lines straight. Not here.

It’s a 6+ hour flight from the mainland to Easter Islands. It was comfortable and uneventful. Once we landed we were shown to the hotel and by 3pm we were having a seafood in coconut milk soup. It was pretty good.

Our after-meal walk was not arduous. Jet lag and a full belly kept us from going to far. Tomorrow we have a nice lady who’ll show us around and tell us some stories.

Struggling to upload Picts so for no only words.

More later