My last morning in Easter Island is all about shopping. My flight wouldn't depart until 2pm. So, after breakfast, I go to the handicraft market, I am really looking for a stone statue and plan to make a small decor in my room for the Easter Island. The thing is that there are many craved stone or wooden statues, available in different sizes. The bigger the more expensive, the wooden ones are also more expensive than the stone ones, the volcanic rock is more expensive than the ashy rock...etc. At moments when it involves money, I'm certainly not a size queen. Never claim to be one anyway. I am only looking for a small statue, smaller than my palm would be fine. However, I have a problem, I am out of cash, both Chilean Pesos and US Dollars. Well, the truth is that I have US$12 in my secret pocket for emergency, but I don't want to use it. So, I try to find somewhere I can use a credit card. Walk maybe 6-7 shops, nothing's really calling my name and crying out loud "Buy Me Buy Me", so I go back to the shop I got the postcards the other days. In there, I know there is a tiny stone craved moai with the topknot for CHP3000 (US$6), I planned to buy that if I cannot find anything more appropriate. So, I get the stone statue. All happy. But once my wallet is open, the money is like draining off. This silly Easter egg is kind of interesting, good for this friend; that magnet for refrigerator is cheap compared to everything else. Before I know, I get 3 things already and there are more coming...
When I get to the airport, I have to wait for 3 hours, after writing my blog entry and have nothing to do, and what do I do? ...buy a few more things at the shops at the airport. I get a nice little plate with a moai on it (so touristy I confess but it does look nice). It's for a friend of mine, who will be giving me a big help next week. And then coincidentally, the first ever printed newspaper (publication) - Premier Edition - on the Easter Island is out today, it's for CHP$1000 (US$2), with a local CD, it's CHP$4000. I get that too with the CD. Now, my task in Santiago and Sydney is to find a tube thingy so I can protect the newspaper, gonna put it in a frame or something. Maybe it will worth something many many years later. I have no idea what that tube thingy called in Spanish though, so no idea how to find it.
At 2pm, the runway is covered by fog, I hope inside, please don't let me get stuck in Easter Island. This is a bloody expensive to get stuck at. Our flight get delayed, but we do start to board around 2:30pm. The return journey to Santiago is an hour shorter than the journey coming to Easter Island, probably because of the current. I start to watch this movie call the Family Stones, a Xmas'y kind of movie starring by Diana Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker and Dermot Mulroney (the guy in My Best Friend's Wedding). Anyway, I am kind of enjoying it, but before the movie ends, the flight already arrives at Santiago, so I have no idea what happens at the end. Don't you get hate that? I mean, give me 15 mins more, I will be done with the movie.
Because of the time difference, when I pick up my backpack and walk out the arrival gate, it is already past 9:00pm. I have committed the stupid act of the day: withdraw money from an ATM that is not related to my bank, the transaction fee is CHP$2500 (US$5). I get the money so that I can take the cheap airport bus and the metro train to the hotel. My initial idea is to save some money by doing that. And then after I am already on the bus, I realize with that US$5 fees, I really haven't saved much. I might as well take the transfer bus (which costs only US$10) which takes me directly to the hotel quicker and more comfortable, and I can use a credit card. Dummy! Oh well, guess we often need to make an error in order to learn.
The hotel I am staying is called Hotel Paris, at 813 Paris St. I love my room, it's cheaper than the hostel I stay here last time, the room is smaller but nicer. It has a balcony, cable TV, comfortable bed and hot water. That's all I need. No breakfast included though but that's ok.
Photos here: Day 50
