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PATAGONIA & EASTER ISLAND November 9-28, 2012
FRI, NOV 9 - DEPART MIAMI Our South American adventure begins this evening as we board a Lan Chile flight bound for Santiago. SAT, NOV 10 - SANTIAGO-PUNTA ARENAS We arrive early this morning and connect with a flight to Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of Chile. Founded a little more than 150 years ago, Punta Arenas was Chile's first permanent settlement in Patagonia. We'll take a short orientation tour before checking in at the hotel. Welcome dinner in the hotel's excellent restaurant this evening. Hotel Finnis Terrae (D) SUN, NOV 11 - PUNTA ARENAS No longer an important stop on trade routes, this port town exudes an aura of faded grandeur. The central square is surrounded by 19th-century structures recalling a time when Punta Arenas was one of Chile's wealthiest cities. The panoramic view from Mirador Cerro la Cruz, the bizarrely ornate mausoleums of the original families in the Municipal Cemetery, several interesting museums, and resplendent mansions are possibilities to explore in your day at leisure. Hotel Finnis Terrae (BLD) MON, NOV 12 - PUNTA ARENAS-PUERTO NATALES This morning we drive north to Puerto Natales, stopping en route at the Seno Otway penguin colony. About 3,000 Magellanic penguins (also known as jackass penguins due to their braying sound) return to the sanctuary between October and March to breed. We may also see some of the other wildlife which inhabits this area -- nandus (lesser rheas), grey foxes, chimangos, and caracaras. Once we arrive at Puerto Natales, there's free time to explore this scenic waterfront town on our own before dinner. CostAustralis Hotel (BD) TUE, NOV 13 - PUERTO NATALES A full-day cruise takes us to Parque Nacional Bernardo O'Higgins, accessible only by water and composed primarily of the southern tip of the vast Southern Ice Field. We see numerous glaciers and waterfalls, a cormorant rookery with nests clinging to sheer cliff walls, a small sea lion colony, venture to a glacier at the base of Monte Balmaceda, and dock at Puerto Toro for a half-mile hike to the foot of Serrano Glacier. CostAustralis Hotel (BL) WED, NOV 14 - PUERTO NATALES-EL CHALTAN Today we drive northeast to El Chaltan, Argentina, our base for exploring the superb scenic attractions in the northern end of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. The park, founded in 1937, was declared a Natural Heritage of Humanity site by UNESCO in 1981, and possesses a beautiful landscape of extraordinary ecological value. It covers nearly one and a half million acres, its main attraction being the majestic Perito Moreno Glacier, 262 feet tall and 3.1 miles long. Other glaciers are Upsala, Onelli, and Spegazzini, surrounded by the Onelli and Bertrand mountains. The park also includes Lake Argentino, Lake Viedma, and Fitz Roy Mountain, a popular destination for climbers. Senderos Hosteria or Lunajuim Hotel (BD) THU, NOV 15 - LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK El Chalten, a small village at the entrance to the park and tattered from the winds whipping down the Rio de las Vueltas floodplain, was slapped together in 1985 to claim the land before Chile could. It's Argentina's youngest town, with a steady winter population of a mere 140 that grows to 400 in the summer, when over 20,000 hikers, mountaineers, and climbers from all corners of the world arrive to tackle the surrounding mountains. Our plan for today is to take easy hikes to various viewpoints for good views and photography of glacial lakes, a 60-foot waterfall in the forest, and stunning Mount Fitz Roy. These will include Laguna Capri, Chorrillo del Salto, and Mirador de los Condores. Senderos Hosteria or Lunajuim Hotel (BD) FRI, NOV 16 - LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK We leave El Chalten this morning and drive 136 miles to El Calafate, a town of about 8,000 in the southern end of the park. Avenida Libertador General San Martin, the main street, is prettily lit, tree-lined, and full of souvenir shops and restaurants. The afternoon is free to shop and explore on your own before dinner at Las Barricas. Hotel Sierra Nevada (BD) SAT, NOV 17 - LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK A full-day excursion takes us to the most spectacular of local attractions -- breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier, one of Earth's few advancing glaciers. Several times, as the 262-foot-high glacier advanced, it dammed the Brazo Rico (Rico Arm) of Lago Argentino, causing the water to rise. The melting ice below was unable to support the weight of the water behind it and the dam collapsed in an explosion of ice and water. To be present when this cataclysm occurs is unforgettable, and when the dam formed and threatened to burst in early 2004 thousands of people converged from all over the world to witness the event. Visiting Moreno Glacier is no less an auditory than a visual experience, as huge icebergs on the glacier's face calve and collapse into the Canal de los Tempanos (Iceberg Channel). From a series of catwalks and vantage points on the Peninsula de Magallanes, we can see, hear, and photograph the glacier safely as enormous chunks crash into the water below. We'll also take a one-hour boat ride on the Rico Branch of Lago Argentino to the face of Perito Moreno. The views from the boat are fantastic; on one side huge icebergs float in the lake, on the other side rises the towering wall of the glacier. Every couple of minutes a great crash announces the birth of a new iceberg. Hotel Sierra Nevada (B) SUN, NOV 18 - EL CALAFATE-TORRES DEL PAINE Early this morning we drive back to Chile, with a lunch stop in the little border town of Cerro Castillo before proceeding north to a true highlight of Patagonia -- Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978, the park is internationally renowned as one of the most beautiful, unspoiled, and remote places on the planet. Among its attractions are spectacular granite spires that dominate the landscape, numerous glaciers, waterfalls, and lagoons, and lakes of such unlikely hues as turquoise, aquamarine, and emerald green. Another draw is the bountiful wildlife like the guanaco (a woollier version of the llama) and the nandu (resembling a small ostrich). You may also spot the graceful soaring of the endangered condor. Upon arrival, we check in at our hotel, situated on a small island in Lake Pehoe and connected to the mainland by a footbridge. The hotel has spectacular views of the Cuernos del Paine and Paine Grande. Hosteria Pehoe (BD) MON, NOV 19 - TORRES DEL PAINE Today's full-day excursion with picnic lunch takes us to several scenic areas, including the Explora Lodge boardwalk for gorgeous views of Los Cuernos and Paine Grande; the Lago Nordenskjold Viewpoint; Paine Casades; Guanaco Valley; Laguna Azul (the view of the Torres del Paine is magnificent from here); Laguna Amarga for yet another breathtaking view of the Torres del Paine; and Laguna Amarga Ranch, where guanacos often graze in the meadow with the Torres del Paine as a backdrop. Hosteria Pehoe (BLD) TUE, NOV 20 - TORRES DEL PAINE The morning is at leisure to enjoy the splendid scenery on your own, or you may want to take an optional hike from Salto Grande to the base of Los Cuernos. Salto Grande -- Grand Waterfall -- is where the emerald waters of Nordenskjold Lake pour into Pehoe Lake. This afternoon we drive around looking for beautiful things to photograph! Hosteria Pehoe (BD) WED, NOV 21 - TORRES DEL PAINE-PUNTA ARENAS At leisure until check-out time, then we return to Punta Arenas with photo stops on the way. Hotel Finnis Terrae (BD) THU, NOV 22 - PUNTA ARENAS-SANTIAGO The morning is at leisure before our midday flight to Santiago. Upon arrival, we transfer to an airport hotel. Hotel Diego de Almagro (B) FRI, NOV 23 - SANTIAGO-EASTER ISLAND This morning we fly to Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, arriving about noon. The triangular land mass formed by three belching volcanoes is 2,300 miles from Santiago, and hundreds of miles from its nearest neighbor. Its earliest inhabitants cleared the vast forests to make room for neatly cultivated fields, and fished the surrounding waters which teemed with tuna and swordfish. To communicate they created a beautiful script called rongo-rongo, the only written language in all of Polynesia. But their greatest achievement was the hundreds of stone heads called moais they erected to honor their ancestors. The afternoon is at leisure to explore the small town of Hanga Roa on your own before we briefly visit Ahu Tahai for sunset photography. Hotel Taha Tai (BD) SAT, NOV 24 - EASTER ISLAND This morning we return to spend more time at the ancient ceremonial centers of Ahu Tahai and Ahu Akapu, walk through Hanga Roa's colorful cemetery, and visit the anthropological museum, whose displays include various theories about how the moais were transported and set upright. This afternoon we visit unrestored Ahu Vinapu, where the tight-fitting stones of the foundations for several boat-shaped houses recall the best work of the Incas, and the crater of Rano Kau, on whose rim is the partially restored ceremonial village of Orongo, where islanders worshipped the god Make-Make and we find amazing petroglyphs of birdlike creatures. After dinner we thrill to the rhythms of a traditional Rapanui dance performance by Kari Kari. Hotel Taha Tai (BD) SUN, NOV 25 - EASTER ISLAND Today we take a full-day island tour with box lunch to visit many important sites. When it comes to moais, Ranu Raraku is the mother lode; researchers have counted 397 moais at the quarry in this long-extinct volcano. At breathtaking Ahu Tongariki, 15 moais stand side by side along the rocky southern coast. We also see Ahu Hanga Hoonu; Ahu Te Pito Kura (with the largest moai ever successfully erected) and Navel of the World; then finish up in late afternoon with a return visit to Ahu Tongariki in different (and better) light. Hotel Taha Tai (BLD) MON, NOV 26 - EASTER ISLAND Another full-day island tour today. We see Ahu Nau Nau, the island's best-preserved moais at tropical Anakena Beach and the squat little moai on Ahu Ature Huki, then enjoy a picnic lunch and time for a swim at Anakena Beach. This afternoon we visit Ahu Akivi, whose seven restored moais gaze out to sea; Puna Pau, the quarry for moai topknots; and Ana Te Pahu, underground caverns that once served as dwellings. Hotel Taha Tai (BLD) TUE, NOV 27 - EASTER ISLAND-SANTIAGO The morning is at leisure before we transfer to the airport for our flight to Santiago, connecting with a late-evening flight to Miami. (B) WED, NOV 28 - ARRIVE MIAMI Our unique Patagonia/Easter Island adventure ends as we arrive in Miami early this morning.
Note: Included meals are indicated by B, L, and D for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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