From: "Philip Merryman" <phil_merryman@hotmail.com>

Date: Mon Apr 22, 2002 08:00:07 PM Etc/GMT

Subject: The Longest Day

"Iorana" from Rapa Nui

I have found an internet site on Easter Island!!! However one of only one or two, and an "internet cafe" here has but ONE PC! I found one a few days ago but it was being used!

Anyway, I'll try and bring you a bit nearer to being up to date.

The journey here from NZ was a bit of an epic within this whole saga! The schedule was an 11 hour flight from Auckland to Buenos Aires, 2 hours from Buenos Aires to Santiago, then 5 hours from Santiago to Easter Island! However the plane (Qantas) at Auckland started from Sydney and was an hour late!! This was already looking ominous as I only had an hour and a half or so for the connection in B.A. Anyway we eventually took off. This plane was the opposite end of the size spectrum to the last one: 747-400 as opposed to a 2 seat Cessna!! Almost totally full but fortunately one of the empty seats was next to me! I had a window seat.

The flight was pretty routine apart from some problems with the cabin bags of a couple of people nearby. They had come from Sydney and left their bags on the plane but whren they returned they had gone! Security had tidied up!! The lady next to me (other side of the empty seat) was going home to Brazil and her bag had her house and car keys in it!! So she was understandably a bit anxious until they found out that security had it and they were going to forward it to her, though via Los Angeles!! Once the steward had sorted this out I asked him about my situation. He said that after this lady¥s problem anythinh will ber easy! If I miss the connection for Santiago I will be stack because the flights to Easter Island are only twice a week!! So it is imperative that I make the flight! He said to wait to nearer the end of the flight as it will then be easier to assess the time available.

So, time to sleep on Sunday night. I sleep quite well, the spare seat gave that little bit of extra space. I wake up on Sunday! I crossed the dateline,so instead of putting clocks 9 hours forward to Argentinan time you put them 15 hours back!

The flight flew over the southern tip of South America, across the Magellan straight between Tierra del Fuego and the mainland. Then up the East coast of Argentina to B.A. This really is a wierd landscape. The most notable feature being lakes which look like they had all been spilt when the land was tipped up, as there were white deposits from on side of the depressions spilling out over large areas of land, and all in the same direction. As my window was on the left I saw the mainland, someone on the right could possibly have seen the Falklands.

By now it was clear that I would have 30-40 minutes to catch the plane to Santiago. As we landed and taxied in,the steward came and brought me up to the front so that I could get off quickly rather than battle through fom row 60-something! So I got off with the business class and walked briskly up the gangway. Fortunately the Santiago flight was only 2 gates away so I made it with ease. In fact I was one of the first on the plane!!! So I could now relax a bit as there was about 1h 45min for the connection in Santiago, and as both flights were Lan Chile there was a much better chance of a connection being kept. So 2 hours in an A320 to get to Santaigo, and change watch to Chile time, one hour behind Argentina (ie: back towards NZ time!). The flight was routine and landed on time. I only had a middle seat but there was a good view of the Andes amongst the clouds.

Arriving in Santiago I am not sure what to do about my bag. At Auckland I had checked it all the way to Easter Island,but this was landfall in Chile,so I did not know whether I had to reclaim it and check it back in again (as you do in the USA). I went to the baggage belt anyway, but shortly afterwards it stopped and everone was ushered to a desk. Some bags were behind it,buy not mine. Another English couple who had also dome Auckland-B.A-Santaigo could not see theirs either. Now I was in a dilemma. Because this was taking ages and although my flight was another hour away the boarding card (issued at Auckland) seemed to suggest an hour earlier. I was not exactly sure what the correct time was either. I asked around about what to do but the only staff with suffient English were not involved in the problem,and it was going to take hours at this rate to get to the desk.

So I decided to chance it and go for the E.I. flight anyway,however I still had to clear customs. Fortunately I went through the green channel without a hitch. I had to go up three floors and a few hundred metres walk to get to the gate for the E.I.flight. As I arrived it all looked deserted! An airport chap asked anxiously if I was Mr Merryman. It seemed the flight times had been changed since I got my ticket and it was about to go!!! So I was hurried through the X-ray and search and ran to the plane! Once on board the steward asked for my baggage tickets. I was still in a but of a fluster so this took time to find amongst my wad of RTW tickets! Eventually found it and so all OK. So now I CAN relax as I was going to get to E.I., but it was a close run thing!!!

This is a 5 hour flight on a 767. It is over half empty!! Despite the guide book saying it can be crowded. They probably have to use a big plane to have the range: If he cannot get in to EI thre is nowhere else to go exept back to Chileor on to Tahiti! However this is great because I can stretch out across the three empty centre seats and get some rest. I am now absolutely knackered!!! Flight uneventful, but as the map and flight details display has obviously the wrong time I am still not sure what the correct time is!!! However map shows the pacific ocean and this one little dot of Easter Island! Land at Easter Island with a bit of a thump, but down OK. I am here!!

Wait for bag: no sign!!!! Obviously I had time to get across at B.A.but the bag did not! This was the reason for the long queue at Santiago as I now have to go through the same process here of filling in the paperwork!! So I have to wait until the next flight for it: Wednesday!!!! When it did eventually get here the chap here from Lan Chile was almost as relieved as I was!

Gotta go now as the lady is closing for lunch!! (Siesta!!) So I'll tell you the rest another time!

Cheers

Phil