Santiago has a very European feel to it but seems to be lacking in character. The most exiting thing we did there was go to a Robbie Williams concert and we are not even fans. As we had three days to kill before our flight to Easter Island, we decided to head south to the Lake District. The scenery here is picturesque, with stunning snow-capped volvanic peaks. This of course is when the sun is shining. Our time there was a complete washout. We went to Valdivia which is a pretty riverside town, known for it`s lively fish market and frequented by cheeky sealions (the biggest ones we have ever seen) trying to pull a fast one on the fish mongers. On one day when it was raining on and off, we decided to chance it and do some hiking in the Puyehue National Park. Unfortunately we got hailed on and were soaked to the bone. Gortex my arse....The day we left to get back to Santiago for our flight to Rapa Nui, the sun came out to slap us in the face. Never mind, the best was yet to come. Awesome Easter Island, the highlight of our time in Chile. Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is a tiny Polynesian island, which is one of the most isolated places on earth. It lies 3,700 km west off the South American coast and is a 5 hour flight from Santiago. There is no place on earth quite like it. This special place is magical and mystical and has a wonderful energy about it. We covered half the island on foot. Hiking up tp Rano Kau, a volcanic crater lake on one day and then covered another part of the island which is only accessible on foot, encountering no people accept for some wild horses. It almost felt like we were the only people there. There are massive Moai statues dotted all around the island. One has to wonder how they were moved from the volcanic quarry of Ranu Raraku to their final resting points. We did a day trip to see all the Moai that were further away and hiked up Ranu Raraku for a spectacular birds eye view of the island and Ahu Tongariki, a stunningly restored ahu with 15 standing Moai. The rugged coastline, the volcanic landscape and the awe inspiring Moai consumes you with a feeling of peace and serenity. We were back in Santiago for Tanya`s birthday and had a fantastic meal. We were then serenaded on the pavement and dragged into a bar, crashing someone elses birthday party. A bottle of wine, several cocktails and four hours sleep later, we had to get up for our day trip to the Andes mountain range. We got to play in the snow and got our dose of snow capped peaks, which we missed ou on in the Lake district. Next was Valparaiso, a quirky seaside town full of character, charm and colourful street art. Here we caught the hillside ascensores (elevators), some dating back more than a hundred yeard, for vistas of the chaotic hills and port below. We moved onto San Pedro De Atacama, which is another on of Chiles diverse landscapes, the desert. The town itself is small, an oasis in the desolate and barren landscape. While there we visited Valle de la Luna, which has been designated a Natural Sanctuary, formed by a depression surrounded by small hills with impressive sharp ridges. From here we organized our onward journey to Bolivia.