South American Adventure - Montevideo

1. Booking
2. DEN-IAD-ATL-MIA
3. Miami
4. MIA-SCL
5. SCL-IPC
6. Easter Island
7. IPC-SCL
8. Santiago
9. SCL-MVD
10. Montevideo
11. MVD-SCL-MIA-IAD-DEN

Montevideo has an architecturally stunning new airport.  There is only one taxi company operating there, Taxi Aeropuerto de Carrasco, and they charge about a 67% premium over local taxis going from town to the airport.  Taxi Aeropuerto advertises a new fleet of Mercedes and takes credit cards, so it I thought the service offered a premium experience.  Not exactly, the cab was dirty on the inside and I saw the steel belting on the tires.  I didn’t have a choice and they had my money, so off I went.

Montevideo, Uruguay

I arrived safely, if a touch car sick, at the Four Points by Sheraton Montevideo about 25 minutes later.  The hotel has an impressive lobby and friendly staff.  I was staying on points and received full Platinum status benefits, unlike the awful Intercontinental Santiago.  I was upgraded to a suite and had a welcome gift of Uruguayan wine, meats, and cheese.  The room was a tad dated, but nothing was worse than equivalently dated US Four Points.  After a quick email check, I planned out my day of sightseeing with the help of the front desk.  I had a map, a plan, and a goal of finding Chavita Marcos (as seen on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain).

Walking and Biking Path, Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo has a walking path that runs along the entirety of their coast line.  Along the path there are numerous parks and beaches (the ocean water was brown, so I didn't think about taking a dip).  It looks like the most popular place in town and most everything is just a few blocks from the shore.  I enjoyed my walk along gaining an insight into life as a local and was the only tourist I could spot.  After about 90 minutes of walking, I didn’t look at the map scale before I set off; I made it to Chavita Marcos.  The Chavita is Uruguay’s burger; it has beef, ham, cheese, and veggies.  It is incredibly filling and delicious, worth the walk, but next time I’ll take a cab. 

Chavita Marcos Sandwich Montevideo

McCafe Cake, Yes, It Was Amazing

The next block over was a mall and I went to find a shirt for my niece.  Once inside, I felt more like an anthropologist than a shopper.  I was endlessly fascinated with the mall layout, store designs, three McCafe’s, and watching locals shop.  I also found a cute tee shirt for my niece and had a slice of cake from McCafe.

Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay

I slept in the next morning, all I needed to do was buy and send some post cards before heading to the airport.  Despite my last four flights with LAN, I still had a Lufthansa sense of time and wanted to be punctual to check in for my flight.  The front desk called a cab for me even though they said I was leaving a little early.  The local cabs are cash only, but do accept US dollars (about 20 of theirs to 1 USD).  I confirmed the rate before leaving by showing the cabbie US$33 and saying areopuerto.  He eagerly nodded, covered the meter, and off we went.  We drove along the coast and I had a great time looking at the scenery on the way to airport.  

South American Adventure - SCL-MVD

1. Booking
2. DEN-IAD-ATL-MIA
3. Miami
4. MIA-SCL
5. SCL-IPC
6. Easter Island
7. IPC-SCL
8. Santiago
9. SCL-MVD
10. Montevideo
11. MVD-SCL-MIA-IAD-DEN

I was surprised to find a 767 going from Santiago to Montevideo on a Sunday morning. Could there be such an increase in traffic to merit the significantly larger plane than the standard A318?  I wasn’t going to complain because there was excellent business class availability and it is equipped with the long haul lay flat seats.  This was going to be a fun hop over the Andes. 

Santiago Airport Mass of Coach Passengers

I arrived at Santiago airport and found a giant mass of people by the LAN check in desks.  I looked for the business class desk, but couldn’t find it.  I asked an agent and she directed me to the far end of the airport.  After I walked from one end to the other, I found the LAN international business class check in lounge.  There was no line and plenty of people to help me with my flight.  The space feels private and removed from the rest of the terminal, but that is balanced out by the lack of signage. 

LAN Business Class Check In, SCL - Santiago Chile

There is nothing really to do on the ground side, so I went into the customs line and then to security.  The customs line looks long, but moves fast.  There were a few Asian passengers that blatantly cut the line, but they didn’t respond to people’s comments in Spanish or English, so they got away with it.  After customs and security there is the duty free shop.  It’s large, but doesn’t have anything special.  Most amusingly, the walk in humidor’s door was broken in the open position, so all the cigars were ruined (but still for sale).  I wasn’t interested in shopping because I would be back in a day and have a long layover.  I did grab some prices off the Scotch to compare with Montevideo.  Both airports price items in USD making shopping simple unless you, like me, were in a habit of dividing by 500 to convert into dollars.  3000 pesos ($6) for dry Cuban cigars isn’t bad, $30 for the same broken cigars is a rip off.

Looming over this trip was my 13 hour layover the next day.  I didn’t want to see or do anything so I can have something new to see the next day.  I quickly found the LAN VIP Salon lounge and grabbed a seat.  The free wifi was lightning fast and there was a decent food and drink spread for mid-morning.  The lounge was comfortable and quiet; I was the only tourist in the place.  I enjoyed some surprisingly tasty finger sandwiches and a few Cokes while I caught up on email.

LAN VIP Salon, SCL - Santiago Chile

I went to the gate a few minutes before boarding; SCL is a small airport so you are never more than 5 minutes from your gate.  When I arrived, I saw the crew still in the gate area and settled in for another delayed LAN experience.   When the boarding announcement was made, the gate agent started with families, but it was a tad messy because they had to fight their way, strollers and all, through all the other passengers lined up for boarding.  When general boarding began, business class went first.  The agent stopped me to put a gate check on my roller bag.  I knew it would fit no problem, even in the crazy small 767 bins.  Luckily he put the tag on the top of my bag, so I just placed my backpack on top of my bag to hide the tag.  I boarded, tossed my bag in the bin and it was a non-issue. 

LAN Chile Business Class Preflight Snack

I was settled with a Coke and some nuts while the rest of the plane boarded.  Late in boarding an American family of four sat down in business class and one of their grade school age children said “What is this Mom?  I thought we were sitting in first class.”  Wow.  Really, it was said as obnoxiously as you think.  After my initial shock, I started laughing.  The parents noticed and then explained to their son that not all planes have first and they were in the best seats on the plane.  The explanation also made me laugh (I would have preferred a “be polite or sit in the back” style reprimand).

LAN Chile 767 Business Class Cabin Panorama

A few minutes after takeoff we were flying over the Andes.  There was an announcement made to stay buckled up even though it was smooth sailing.  There are some great views too and 15 minutes later, it was over and then came the plains of Argentina. After the Andes, a simple, but flavorful, turkey salad was served for lunch.  The cheese plate was great as always, but there was mold on the fruit (gross, but noticed before I ate any).  I substituted wine for fruit and vegetable serving.  

Andes Mountains

Business Class Meal on LAN Chile 767 to Montevideo

A gentle landing was followed by a quick taxi.  I was first off the plane and first in line for customs.  The customs agent was friendly and worked quickly.  I grabbed a Champaign sample on my way through the duty free store after customs and found the taxi desk.  I had less than 24 hours in Montevideo and I needed to make the most of them.

JP Morgan Palladium Card Detailed Benefits Explanation

“Welcome to one of the most desirable and most exclusive credit card programs in the world.”

JP Morgan Palladium Card - FrequentFlyerGuy.com

This story starts innocuously enough.  I called Chase to cancel my British AirwaysVisa card.  I explained my situation and the agent told me I couldn’t have my annual fee waived.  I asked to have the card cancelled and then inquired if there are any other Chase cards with a smart chip (I almost starved in Denmark last year because everyone took chip and pin cards, but no one took swipe and sign cards).  I asked about Freedom, Sapphire, Continental, and United cards and they do not have chip versions.  The agent suggested the Palladium card as a smart chip card I could have.  I said I was intrigued and she emailed me an application that I needed to return by fax (strange I thought, but I’ve never gone through the phone channel for a new card).  

JP Morgan Palladium Card Box

The application was like any other credit card application and has the standard disclosures and legal writing.  Unlike other applications, there was very little detail about the card benefits.  This line did jump off the page, “Receive 35,000 bonus points when you spend $100,000 annually and make another purchase within that year,” as did the $595 annual fee.  I looked for more details, but could not find a page about it on chase.com or jpmorgan.com.  To find out what this card is, I had to apply.

JP Morgan Palladium Card Box

The application faxed, I sat around for a letter saying I was rejected.  I didn’t want to ruin a shot at a Sapphire card and 50,000 bonus points, but this mysterious card seemed too good to pass up.  When checking my accounts online, I saw a new credit card on my page.  I was approved! The next day UPS delivered an overnight box.  I opened it to find the best card presentation ever.

JP Morgan Palladium Card Box

The card arrived in a silver JP Morgan box with a tan felt liner.  It is very impressive.  The card is the focal point when you lift off the lid.  Under the card is the glossy benefits guide and all the paperwork, neatly packed in a folder.

JP Morgan Palladium Card Box

The JP Morgan Palladium Card is the same size as a normal credit card, but metal.  Not just any metal, 23kt gold and palladium (Pd, number 46 on the periodic table).  It is rigid and much heavier than expected.  The card information is laser etched on the front and the signature is etched on the back (it arrives activated since the signature is on it).  The JP Morgan signature on the front and customer service numbers on the back are engraved in the card.  The card feels impressive and special and is made for the holder to feel the same way.

The 58 page guide to the J.P. Morgan Palladium benefits guide starts with an overview of the “J.P. Morgan Palladium card experience” that strives to go beyond expectations.  Here are the details:

Airport Lounge Access

The card comes with a Priority Pass membership (good guide to PP).  There is no lounge copay and guests are free up to the lounge limit.  Prepare for some irony coming up.  American Express uses Priority Pass for their lounge access benefits too.  Chase controls United (well most of their debt and can buy miles for their cards in advance to ease liquidity issues, or not and create leverage) and didn’t want Amex customers receiving lounge benefits at United.  So now all Priority Pass United Clubs come with this message, “Note: Members holding a Priority Pass Select membership card and Priority Pass cardholders in the U.S. that receive their membership through a U.S. financial institution will not be allowed access to this Lounge.”  So in Chase’s efforts to block Amex, Chase’s top customers are hit in the cross fire.  I didn’t find this out until after my card arrived and I am extremely upset that I can’t go into a United Airlines lounge (I rationalized the fee by subtracting out the cost of a United Club membership and I almost exclusively encounter United Clubs in my domestic travels).  I called to request a Priority Pass card, but have not received it yet.

The J.P. Morgan Concierge

The guide claims that “We are able to provide you with a virtually limitless array of unique offers, time-saving conveniences and personalized insider expertise.”  I haven’t found a situation to put them to the test, but it sounds like a fun challenge to see what impossible dinner reservations they can make for me.  They also provide travel planning services, ticket procurement, travel assistance, and airline, hotel, car, and cruise reservations.  I am really excited about this benefit and how far reaching it goes.

Ultimate Rewards

The guide book spends 10 pages on Ultimate Rewards, about 8 too many.  The JP Morgan Palladium card Ultimate Rewards site is the same as the Chase Sapphire card and allows 1:1 point transfers to United, Continental, Southwest, and British Airways along with a $.01 per point cash option and merchandise rewards.

The JP Morgan Palladium earns 2 points per dollar on travel spend and 1 point everywhere else.  There is no sign up bonus, but if you spend $100,000 annually, you get 35,000 bonus points.  If you are in it for points, get the Sapphire card.  I don’t think airline miles are worth much thought to the target audience because of the next benefit.

Complimentary Flight Hour from NetJets

First time Marquis Jet Card purchasers get an extra hour free when paying with their JP Morgan Palladium card.  On the cheapest card (Embraer Phenom 300 maybe?), this is worth $4,636; an amazing benefit that I can’t use unless someone else comes up with the $116,000 for the other 25 hours.

Unsure what private aviation solution is best for you?  The card also offers a private aviation consultation.  "A Marquis Jet executive will begin to understand your travel needs and learn when and where you fly to help you select the best private aviation solution for you. If you are unsure about your needs, we will help you to select the NetJets aircraft type that will provide you with maximum flexibility."

Hotel Privileges

Using the card and booking through the J.P. Morgan Concierge service can bring some benefits similar to what top tier status brings.  These benefits differ by property.  This is another benefit I look forward to exploring.

Travel Protection

The card (like many other cards) comes with many different insurance benefits when traveling.  There is a few pages of fine print on these, but at a high level the card provides: primary rental car coverage, roadside assistance, emergency evacuation, $1,000 for repatriation of the cardholder’s remains, supplemental medical and dental coverage, travel accident insurance, trip interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, baggage delay coverage, lost luggage reimbursement, and hotel burglary (forced entry) insurance.  If you have any questions or want more detail on these, please leave a comment with your question.

Purchase Protection

I you find something on sale within 90 days of buying it with the Palladium card, you can be refunded the difference.  This feature is capped at $1,500 a year and the fine print refers you to other fine print, so it might not be as simple as you would like.  Also, as with most cards, the card holder in not responsible for unauthorized purchases.

Financial Flexibility

The target JP Morgan Palladium card customer is one with large balances with JP Morgan and Chase.  JPM has your money and are making a fortune off you, so they have very few fees with the card so you feel special and not nickel and dimed.  There are no foreign transaction fees, no cash advance fees, late fees, over-limit fees, return payment fees, or advance check fees.  This card exists to build a stronger relationship with JP Morgan.  Fees don’t further that goal.  There is a $595 annual fee though, so not every fee is waived.  Additional card members are $100.

The “No Preset Spending Limit” does not let me walk into an Aston Martin dealer and leave with a DB9.  My limit is three times my normal Chase card limit and purchases in excess of that will be evaluated before approval.

Summary

I’m really excited to have this card and explore all the benefits.  I just received it this week, so I can’t say if it is worth the $595 annual fee.  Ask any questions you have in the comments section and I’ll try to answer them.

Update - 2/16/12
After the Priority Pass membership worked in 2 out of 21 opportunities (a United Club card would have worked for 21 out of 21), I called to complain.  The agent said I could buy a United Club annual membership and have it reimbursed.  The usual policy is that only day passes are reimbursed, but I was able to have an exception.

Update - 3/2/12
I need to remove my card to pass through metal detectors at airports.  I tried going through with the card as the only metal on me and it set off the alarm.  The TSA agent gave me a quizzical look when I said my credit card must have set it off.

Update - 12/5/12
My card data has been stolen again. The Palladium card is a very high profile target and not difficult to copy or photograph.  Chase has stopped all the fraudulent charges before they posted (except one which was promptly removed), but it's starting to get annoying to change my card on file with Hertz, Avis, United, Paypal, etc.

I now use the lower profile (not low profile) plastic version when traveling.  Same info as the metal card, just plastic with a smart chip.  The Palladium team will send you one if you ask.

South American Adventure - Santiago

1. Booking
2. DEN-IAD-ATL-MIA
3. Miami
4. MIA-SCL
5. SCL-IPC
6. Easter Island
7. IPC-SCL
8. Santiago
9. SCL-MVD
10. Montevideo
11. MVD-SCL-MIA-IAD-DEN

What would you expect for $30 a night?  What do you expect from the Intercontinental hotel chain?  While these are two very different questions, they were both on my mind as the TransVIP van dropped me off at the Intercontinental Santiago.  In the weeks leading up to my trip, I booked the hotel with a point special so it cost me 5,000 points instead of the regular 30,000.  You can buy points at a rate of $30 per 5,000 (see this post for details), so that is why I was seeing my rate as $30 a night instead of $250 and had mixed expectations.

Intercontinental Hotel Santiago Chile

Upon arrival, I noticed that the lobby looked top notch. My excitement was building.  The front desk agent found my reservation and thanked me for being a Platinum Priority Club member.  I asked what benefits I would get, and he said none because “Priority Club only paid for the room.”  No lounge access, no wifi, no upgrade, no welcome gift, nothing. My excitement plateaued. It is incredibly frustrating that IHG doesn’t recognize status when you aren’t paying with cash; it kills the relationship with the brand.  Disappointed, I grabbed my keys and went to my room.

Intercontinental Santiago Room

Intercontinental Santiago Room

Intercontinental Santiago Room

When I entered the room, I noticed a strange moldy smell.  This was an instant deal breaker.  I immediately called the front desk, explained the problem, then (I couldn’t believe this step was needed) explained why I wanted to switch rooms.  They sent up a bell hop a few minutes later with my new keys.

Intercontinental Santiago Room

The new room was on the top floor next to the Presidential Suite - a good sign. I opened the door and it looked as though the room hadn’t seen a decorator since Pan Am stopped flying there.  The problems didn’t stop with the wallpaper color (carpet stains, runny toilet, shower door didn’t close properly), but by this point it was too late for me to care.  I unpacked, plugged in, and fell asleep on a lumpy bed.

Santiago, Chile

Intercontinental Hotels has a web series showing tours of the local area given by the hotel concierge.  This is a great selling point and I have had great experiences in the past with their advice (Budapest was the best).  In the morning, I went to the concierge desk and he brushed me off to a bell hop instead of answering my questions.  He was too busy taping a package to help me explore Santiago (it looked like the same guy from the video). The bell hop was able to hand me a map and practice his broken English, but not help me at all. I was looking for the concierge to enhance my stay, like the video series suggests, but not at the Intercontinental Santiago (luckily I ran across the W hotel and their staff was amazingly helpful).

Santiago is a gritty city. I toured it on foot and saw a few sights and had some odd food (they put green beans on sandwiches).  It’s not the most tourist friendly place to visit though. I enjoyed finding the Christmas by Coca-Cola experience and the huge old cathedral.  There aren’t many actual tourist sites in town.  I did stumble upon a large loacalmarket (selling everything from ceviche to underwear to soap), Chilean art museum, and a pleasant park that runs along the river and is popular with locals.

Back at the hotel, one of the elevators was broken, so it took forever to go anywhere.  I felt like unwinding with a swim and went to the top floor pool.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the pool was deserted.  The views were great, but there were no towels.  I called to have some brought up and was told to go down a floor to the (closed) gym and grab some there.  Not even a roadside Hampton Inn would do that.

I stopped by the concierge desk in the evening to get some post card stamps.  About four staff members were behind the desk watching soccer (there is a mirror behind the desk so I could see the computer screen, earlier they were watching porn).   I knew the stamp price and objected when they quoted me a 20% premium.  They didn’t budge, so I had to give in.  Over a month later, none of these post cards have arrived; I have the sinking feeling they may have just pocketed my cash.  I then went to the front desk to arrange for TransVIP to pick me up in the morning (it was $12 and 90 minutes to the airport).  I was happy to leave.

Travel Tip - Priority Club Points

Never pay more than $30 for 5,000 Priority Club points or more than $150 (cost of 25,000 points) for a Holiday Inn.  Priority club lets you buy 10,000 points for $60 when using their cash and points option.  If you cancel the reservation, the points stay in your account and can be used on any other stay.  Simple as that, I've been told.  I've never done this myself, but read successful accounts of this process online.  I have enough points now that I don't need to buy them, but it is great to have a simple cost equation available on when to spend money or points.

Cash & Points Option

South American Adventure - IPC-SCL

1. Booking
2. DEN-IAD-ATL-MIA
3. Miami
4. MIA-SCL
5. SCL-IPC
6. Easter Island
7. IPC-SCL
8. Santiago
9. SCL-MVD
10. Montevideo
11. MVD-SCL-MIA-IAD-DEN

I’m starting to get the LAN experience down.  This Easter Island to Santiago flight will be my third consecutive LAN business class flight on a 767 and have a good idea for the drill.  The flight doesn’t board until after 2, but LAN wants you checked in around 12:30; this still gives you a fair amount of time to see something in the morning, it is a small island.  They do run a Southwest style fast turn on the jet once it lands.  There is very little to do at the airport.  There is no business lounge, a small bar, and about a dozen souvenir stands.  Most of the action comes from watching the plane land and the ground crew spring into action.  There is also free Wi-Fi in the terminal.

LAN 767 arriving at Easter Island

Boarding started abruptly and haphazardly.  There was no announcement or boarding order; just a large mash of people formed around the gate agent and started walking to the plane.  IPC has no jet bridge, so it was a hop across the tarmac and up the stairs.  I had seat 4A, not realizing that row 4 is missing a window.  There isn’t much to see, but it does make for a little claustrophobic feeling.  The business class cabin was full and the flight attendants were trying to facilitate some seat switching.  I won seatmate lottery by getting an Antarctic research vessel crew member to talk with for 5 hours.  Very interesting stuff and now I really want to go and explore the southern limits of the earth (she worked as a liaison on a US flagged ship and made bank why playing with penguins and motor boats, sound like a great job).

Boarding my flight to SCL

The plane boarded fast and we were quickly away.  The meal service was what I expected from LAN, three courses and decent quality, again with a wide wine selection.  I did try one of the domestic beers, Chrystal, and it was awful; I used a Heineken to get the taste out.  I understand now why Corona and Tecate are imported to Easter Island.  After the meal service, the flight attendants were scarce (standard procedure I guess).  Ring the call button to get a refill because they don’t check very often.

LAN Business Class Meal

I watched two movies on the flight.  LAN’s inflight entertainment is very good and they have quite a few selections.  The time went very quickly.  Halfway through my flight though my seat broke and a flight attendant was able to fix it, but it looked like she had to take it apart.  The flight attendant was able to take care of it in less than 5 minutes; I had a feeling this wasn’t the first time she saw this problem. 

LAN 767 Business Class Seat

LAN 767 Business Class Seat

LAN 767 Business Class Seat

Landing was smooth and then I had a quick taxi to the gate.  I wished my seat mate safe travel back to Alaska and made my way to the Trans VIP counter to get a ride to my hotel in Santiago.  Trans VIP charges about $12 to go into Santiago.  They run new vans (4,000 kms on mine) and depart very frequently; an overall great experience and recommended highly.  It’s good to have your hotel’s address handy just in case they don’t recognize it.  It took less than an hour from landing to arriving at my hotel, the Intercontinental Santiago.

LAN 767-300

South American Adventure - Easter Island

1. Booking
2. DEN-IAD-ATL-MIA
3. Miami
4. MIA-SCL
5. SCL-IPC
6. Easter Island
7. IPC-SCL
8. Santiago
9. SCL-MVD
10. Montevideo
11. MVD-SCL-MIA-IAD-DEN

I had a few expectations for Easter Island.  First, since their economy is based on tourism, I expected a well-developed tourist infrastructure; secondly, I expected the moai statues to be impressive; and thirdly, I expected a beach.  Two of the three expectations were met. 

The neon blue waters around Easter Island

The Explorer Hotel looks like the only place at a Holiday Inn Express level or better.  Unfortunately it was booked.  I wound up at a place that had 3.5 stars on Expedia that turned out to be a decrepit dump at $80 a night.  Just be careful when booking as these hotels change their names to get a clean slate of reviews.  My hotel was very old, but just changed names, so there were no customer reviews.

Main Street in Easter Island

Easter Island is about as far west as Phoenix, but is in New York’s time zone, so it stays very bright very late.  I had plenty of time to see the park at the southern end of the island.  It’s a 3-4 hour round trip hike from town and uphill, so try to bum a ride if you can.  A nice foreign exchange student from Seattle offered me a ride up the hill.  The park has some rock carvings, old stone huts, and great views.  The hike down the hill is nice and brings you to the airport and town.  The weather was perfect and the water was an amazing shade of blue.

Easter Island National Park

Once in town I arranged for a 24 hour ATV rental so I could get around the island the next day.  There are a few rental places on the main street in town and it costs about $60 for a day.  There are a few restaurants in town too, but none seemed very popular.

LAN oneworld plane from Polynesia

The next day I woke up to find it raining, seriously heavy rain.  Like raining so hard I left my digital camera in the hotel and just took my underwater disposable.  I only had one full day on the island, so I went out in the downpour to see what there was to see.  I drove along the eastern coast to get to the other national park and see the sights along the way.  The roads are in generally poor shape outside of town and the ground is covered with volcanic rock or poop.  It’s hard to tell the difference usually.

Easter Island is a very empty place

There are some status and rock carvings along the way, but the island is very barren and desolate.  It is almost creepy.  I arrived at the national park that was the quarry for the moai statues.  This park is up to a medium level of difficulty for hiking around.  There was also no signage explaining what you were looking at.  The park is very impressive with dozens of status dotting the side of the hill and great views of the island and sea.  This is the one place you have to go to on your visit.

Moai on Easter Island

A short drive down the road is the most impressive restored moai collection.  All the signage there explains how the Japanese helped restore it, with nothing explaining what it is. 

I found the very small beach at the top of the island.  The sand was almost pink and it looked amazing.

More moai statues on Easter Island

The one nice road goes from the beach to the airport; it was the only route that didn’t kill my back.  The infrastructure is lacking all around the island.  No signage, generally bad roads, crappy hotels, stray or wild animals everywhere, but it doesn't phase to locals and the tourist weren't likely to return anyway, so why invest?

Beach on Easter Island

At night, the island seems over run with cockroaches.  During the day, stray dogs take over.  You can see what you need to with only 24 hours on the island.  I took 48 because I thought the island was much larger than it is.  It also let me see it again when the rain stopped so I could use my digital camera.  I’m glad to have seen it, but don’t feel a need to return.

Not much there