July 2 – 13, 2010

From Easter Island's mysterious solitudes, where we pass among heads frozen in time and forever as inscrutable as their long-vanished makers, we journey in imagination to the star-studded entrails of the Southern Hemisphere sky.  Then to the Patagonian steppes, fjords, and soaring peaks, we travel in the footsteps of Charles Darwin to view the total eclipse of the Sun.

Your Tour Includes...

Your Itinerary...

Friday/Saturday, July 2/3, 2010 —U.S.A – Santiago – Easter Island, Chile
Arrive Santiago, Chile. You will be met and transferred to the Holiday Inn Airport for day use.
After a rest, later in the afternoon you will visit the city of Santiago included lunch at the colorful Central Market.
Transfer back to the Santiago airport for your flight to Easter Island. Upon arrival on Easter Island, you will be transferred to the Hanga Roa Hotel. (L)

Sunday, July 4, 2010 —Easter Island
After breakfast, a full day tour is planned to Rano Raraku, Tongariki, and Anakena to visit the ancient ruins of Vaihu temple. It is preserved just as it was left after the ancient wars and is situated next to the Vaihu fisherman’s wharf. Continue towards Ahu Akahanga, a large Ahu (platform) with four big fallen statues. Visit Rano Raraku quarry, classic symbol of the island and original factory of the moais. The gigantic statues cover the inner and outer slopes of the volcano.

After lunch, we continue to Tongariki, formerly the biggest platform on the island, destroyed by a tidal wave in 1960 and now reconstructed. This is the largest ahu on the island. It has 15 moai and the axis of the platform faces the rising sun of summer solstice. Beyond the main plaza, there is an important petroglyph site called Papa Tataku Poki with figures such as tunas, turtles, Make Make, Bird-Man. The tour continues along the North Coast to visit Ahu Te Pito Kura. From there, you will drive by La Perouse Bay to the beautiful archeological site of Anakena. (B/L)

Monday, July 5, 2010 —Easter Island
Another full day to study and photograph Rano Kao, Orongo, Tahi, Ahu Akivi, Puna Pao, Te Pahu. The route ascends the slopes of the Rano Kao volcano to the summit to reveal the impressive crater noted for its 1.6km diameter and more than 200m depth. Along the crater is Orongo, a magnificent ceremonial city where the majority of the island’s petroglyphs are concentrated, representing mainly images of the bird-like man Tangata Manu, Make-Make, god of creation, and Komari, a fertility symbol. From the edge of the cliff, observe the three islets Motu Iti, Motu Nui, and Motu Kao Kao.

The afternoon excursion is to Ahu Akivi, cave and quarry. The excursion visits Ahu Akivi site called The Seven Moais. These are the first Ahu to be scientifically restored on the island by William Mulloy and Gonzalo Figueroa in 1960. The platform with seven moai, faces the rising sun of the equinox. (B/L)

Tuesday, July 6, 2010 —Easter Island – Buenos Aires
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. You will be met and transferred to your hotel, Dazzler Towers, for three nights. (B)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 —Santiago - Buenos Aires
The morning is at leisure in Buenos Aires, a cosmopolitan city of glamour and elegance from its European roots but interwoven with its Latin American essence. (B/D)

Thursday, July 8, 2010 —Buenos Aires
This afternoon, enjoy a city tour, starting at the historical Plaza de Mayo surrounded by the Government House (Pink House), the Metropolitan Cathedral and the ancient City Hall, seat of the former Spanish Viceroys. Visit the most fashionable districts of the city: Recoleta, with a scent of French charm and the spacious and oxygenating Palermo. The bohemian neighborhood of La Boca and the elegant district of Recoleta, with a visit to its artistic cemetery, where Evita Peron is buried. (B/D)

Friday, July 9, 2010 —Buenos Aires
This evening, you will get in close contact with the sensual music and dance of the Tango, Argentina's major cultural export, accompanied by dinner. The national dance, the tango, is perhaps the best expression of that spirit--practiced in dance halls, parks, open plazas, and ballrooms. The production features a large cast of dancers, along with a big orchestra of musicians and singers. (B/D)

Saturday, July 10, 2010 —Buenos Aires – El Calafate, Patagonia
You are transferred to the airport for your flight to El Calafate. On arrival, you are met and transferred to your hotel for three nights. In the southwestern tip of Patagonia, the southernmost Argentine continental province rises a plateau, 1500 meters above sea level, which gives birth to immense ice rivers and glaciers. The 47 plus glaciers flow into the Argentino and Viedma Glaciers creating a magnificent backdrop of ice tongues and turquoise water lakes. (B/D)

Sunday, July 11, 2010 —Grand Patagonia ECLIPSE
This morning visit the Walichu Caves, dating from 4000 years ago. The paintings are attributed to the pre-Tehuelche people of the superior Paleolithic period. Francisco Pascasio Moreno, explorer, first made reference to the cave paintings existence by the aborigines in Punta Walichu. Afterwards drive into El Calafate to visit the Regional Museum.

This afternoon, continue to the viewing area for the two minutes and forty-seven seconds of Total Solar Eclipse. The sun is poised a few degrees above the horizon and offers a dramatic sunset as totality ends. (B/L/D)

Monday, July 12, 2010 —Perito Moreno Glacier
This morning you will be transferred to Bajo la Sombras pier and sail to the Perito Moreno Glacier, known worldwide for its features. The Perito Moreno glacier has a height of 200 feet and an edge of 2 ½ miles. It is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that are not retreating. You can see the impressive contrast of ice against the greenery of the flora and the woods. (B/boxed L/D)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 —El Calafate – U.S.A.
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires continuing on to the USA. (B)

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