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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Program Itinerary | | | | | | | | | | | |
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OVERVIEW |
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Day |
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1 |
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Tue. |
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July 6, 2010 |
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Arrive
Santiago |
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Day |
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2 |
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Wed. |
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July 7 |
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Santiago -
Easter
Island |
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Day |
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3 |
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Thu. |
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July 8 |
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Easter
Island |
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Day |
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4 |
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Fri. |
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July 9 |
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Easter
Island |
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Day |
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5 |
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Sat. |
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July 10 |
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Easter
Island |
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Day |
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6 |
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Sun. |
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July 11 |
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Easter
Island -
Eclipse Day |
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Day |
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7 |
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Mon. |
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July 12 |
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Easter
Island |
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Day |
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8 |
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Tue. |
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July 13 |
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Easter
Island -
Santiago -
Onward |
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Day 1
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
No Meals
Arrival Day
Santiago Chile |
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Arriving on your own
at Santiago Airport (airport code SCL) you will be met and transferred
to our Santiago hotel, regardless of your arrival time on July 6th.
Because most international flights arrive very early in the morning,
your tour includes guaranteed early check-in, assuring you will
have a room ready for you upon check-in on July 6.
This
afternoon join your English-speaking guide for a private bus tour of
Chile’s capital city to see principle buildings and scenic sites. This
evening is free for dinner on your own and a good night’s rest. |
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Overnight:
or similar |
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Day 2
Wed, July 7 Breakfast / Lunch
/ Dinner
Santiago -
Easter Island |
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After check out today we’ll board our private motorcoach for more
sightseeing of beautiful Santiago followed by a seafood lunch at the
famous Mercado Central. Later, we will transfer to the Santiago Airport
for our scheduled 5.5-hour (LAN #833 16:20 - 20:00) flight to Easter
Island (Rapa Nui). Upon arrival we will be met and transferred to our
respective hotels. |
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Overnight:
or
(6 nights) |
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Days 3-7 Thu-Mon,
July 8-11 (Eclipse Day) & 12
Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner (Daily)
Easter Island |
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Over the next 5 days
on Easter Island, your local guide will take you on excursions around
the island to see major archaeological sites that will give you a
profound introduction to Rapa Nui archaeology and history. You will
visit the quarry of Rano Raruku where most of the island’s 1000 moai
were carved. There are 397 moai still standing or lying on the slopes of
this extinct volcano. You will also see the quarry at Puna Pau, source
of the red pukaos, the topknot hats found on many of moai. Other
highlights you will visit include restored ahu (the temple platforms for
the moai), including stunning Tongariki with its 15 re-erected statues
of varying sizes; Ahu Nau Nau at beautiful Anakena beach; and Ahu Akivi
in the middle of the island.
During your stay you will also see testimony to the conflict and
destruction that took place on the island over the last 200 years -
platforms with toppled statues that tell of tribal wars and the demise
of a whole culture. Another aspect of Rapa Nui culture will also be
examined during your stay with a visit to the ceremonial village of
Orongo, where the birdman cult existed.
Our drives around the island - often on rutted dirt or mud tracks
– will take us to breathtaking viewpoints, caves and lava tubes,
skirting the island’s rocky coastlines overlooking the expansive Pacific
Ocean.
Your leisure time can be spent exploring the village of Hanga Roa,
horseback riding, diving, snorkeling, bike riding and guided hiking
tours. You can also rent a Jeep to revisit interesting sites or just
stroll around the village of Hanga Roa to see the art market and other
interesting places within walking distance of your hotel.
On the evening of July 10, we will gather for dinner and an
eclipse lecture and weather briefing. |
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● Eclipse Day
Sun, July 11 |
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Given the number of people on the island for this event and the
favorable weather conditions on the coast (see Jay Anderson’s weather
description below), the very best place to watch the eclipse today is
from the grounds of your hotel. Those of you who wish to view in town
among the moai can walk to their preferred location. |
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Local Eclipse Contact Times
Easter
Island Airport |
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Eclipse begins |
12:40:33 |
Altitude of Sun |
40o |
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Totality begins |
14:08:29 |
Altitude of Sun |
40o |
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Totality ends |
14:13:08 |
Altitude of Sun |
39o |
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Eclipse ends |
15:34:15 |
Altitude of Sun |
32o |
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Duration of totality: 4
minutes and 39 seconds |
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2010
EASTER ISLAND
WEATHER
PROSPECTS |
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by eclipse meteorologist Jay
Anderson |
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Mysterious Easter Island lies
under the southward-turning
portion of the eclipse track,
within the influence of the
storm tracks that bring air from
the “Roaring Forties” into
tropical latitudes. Fortunately,
the island is not too close the
main path of these storms, but
July comes on the shoulder of
the wet season and the weather
tends to be on the cloudy side.
One-third of the days are bright
and while the others are partly
to mostly cloudy, overcast is
uncommon. Clouds are always
present on Easter Island, even
on the best days, because the
dormant volcanic peaks lift the
moist marine air and bring it to
saturation. Weather systems come
and go – on days when storm
fragments remain to the south,
the island enjoys warm and
partly cloudy skies, usually
without rain. When decaying
fronts reach up from the Roaring
Forties, broken cloudiness and
rain are the weather for the
day.
Notably, conditions
offshore from Easter Island are
almost always sunnier than over
the land. To take advantage of
this feature of the island
weather, we try to mimic the
over-ocean conditions on the
shore. To do this, we look for a
location close to sea level and
away from the cloud-forming
slopes of the volcanoes. We want
to have winds that are blowing
off of the ocean to suppress the
development of convective clouds
by keeping temperatures a little
cooler than at more inland
sites. |
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Day 8
Tue, July 13
Breakfast
Easter
Island - Santiago -
Onward |
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Check out of our rooms this morning and transfer to the airport for our
afternoon flight back to Santiago (LAN #842 12:00 - 18:45) where we will
arrive in time for evening flight connections onward or to join our
program. |
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(Flight schedules and tour activities are
subject to change based upon local conditions.) |
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