Column
Hanga Roa – Launching Pad for Visiting the Moai
My eyes fell on a tiny speck on the world map spread out before me. Easter Island. One of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. I leaned in to inspect the map closely and came to a jarring realisation – Easter Island was a territory of Chile, a country that was on my itinerary! In my ignorance, I’d always thought it as a largely inaccessible Polynesian island! But wait! If I was going to be in Chile, was there even the slightest possibility of visiting? And with that seed firmly planted in my mind, I began my lengthy, almost neurotic research on getting to a place I’d only ever dreamed of.
The Vineyard by the Sea
As our taxi wound its way down the wide avenues of Santiago, our driver, despite his rudimentary English, regaled us with his vacation stories. “Viña Del Mar! Very good! Nice beach! Nice food! I go on weekend,” he announced excitedly, as he fumbled in his pockets while stopped at a red light.
As part of my fortnightly travel column “South of the Equator,” I write about relishing in the serenity of Viña Del Mar.
Vibrant Valparaíso
As the setting sun cast an orange glow over the hilltops, the multi-coloured houses lit up, as if by technicolour magic. 19th century funiculars, still in operation, rattled up and down the hills, ferrying passengers up ridiculously steep terrain. Below, the plains stretched out to the harbour, the shimmering water dotted with an array of ocean going vessels, all painted ginger by the setting sun. An Instagrammer’s dream, the scene made me itch to paint, but alas I had none.
As part of my fortnightly travel column “South of the Equator,” I write about falling in love with the dog-poop infested city of Valparaíso.
Sleepless in Santiago
In the first installment for my fortnightly travel column for The Daily Star,”South of the Equator,” I come to grips with the reality of backpacking with a toddler. Jetlagged, we discover the nocturnal side of Santiago.