As happens on our longer trips we have fallen behind in blogging. For that, you can blame Rapa Nui itself, thanks to ample summertime sun, tons to see and do, and often frustratingly slow internet connections on the island. Also, you can blame us, because who wants to blog in a place like this?

We leave this place tomorrow, which is a shame. Although we are looking forward to getting home, we’ll be sad to say goodbye to one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth.

This place has many names: Easter Island (to the English-speaking world), Isla de Pascua (to Chile–which claims ownership), and Rapa Nui (to the culture that has called it home for about 1000 years). Whatever you call it, it’s magical. Our visit coincided with the annual island culture festival, Tapati, although we only caught the last few days of this two week event. So in addition to visiting archaeological sites in our rental car, swimming, snorkeling, and hiking, we also caught the annual Tapati parade and several musical performances–as well as one of the best fireworks displays we’ve seen.

A week here was exactly what we needed, and a perfect ending to our month in Argentina and Chile–once we got used to everything happening on island time.

Anyway, we’ll be catching up the blog once we’re home. There are several things we haven’t shared yet, including more of Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls, and more from the island. Though traveling with just an iPad has been a pleasure, it has been less than ideal for both image editing and blogging, and I will also be putting a post together on this topic for photographers considering traveling as light as we did. We’ll be able to do our images much better justice once we are back to a proper workstation. So for now, enjoy a few shots from Easter Island.

Despite the highs of our trip, we are both looking forward to returning to home and work, refreshed and ready to kick some ass. We’ll see many of you soon!

Cheers,
Chris

P.s. – We learned of the passing a longtime Grande Prairie photographer as well as the birth of our friends’ baby, both in the last 24 hours. The wheel of life spins and spins. Go hug your loved ones.

20140219-101933.jpg

20140219-132243.jpg

20140219-132412.jpg

20140219-132537.jpg

20140219-132648.jpg

20140219-132746.jpg

20140219-132902.jpg

20140219-133011.jpg

20140219-133034.jpg