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This is a weekly blog with a fun vibe that often veers off gardening, so stop on by and join the conversation. We are here every Saturday at 9AM Eastern with new content and chit chat continuing throughout the week.
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It’s a 5 to 6 hour flight from Santiago.
Approach to Easter Island
We were in the neighborhood of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) early last spring. Easter Island is part of Chile, and we ended up in Santiago after our trip through Patagonia. Santiago is the only airport with flights to and from Easter Island, so we had to take the opportunity to visit.
Our main goal was to see the fabulous bathrooms at the Rapa Nui Botanical Gardens. They’d gotten a rave review from one of our very own SMGBloggers. More on that later.
Recent welcome rains had broken a long drought, and the island was lush and green.
After we checked into our abode, we set off walking to the Botanical Gardens.
A random foot on the walk to the Botanical Garden.
It was about a mile and a half, uphill, and hot and humid. But we made it.
The Botanical Garden TauKiani, located in Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile, is a private botanical garden established in 2009 by Juan Carlos Poblete and his family. Spanning 3,600 square meters, it houses over 1,200 plant varieties from around the world, including native Polynesian flora and various tropical species. The garden features a landscape design with woods and volcanic rocks characteristic of Easter Island, and includes moai statues and sculptures that evoke the legends of the god Make Make and the Tangata Manu (birdman). Paths with ramps make it accessible to all visitors, and the garden emphasizes environmental care by utilizing rainwater for irrigation and recycling materials for various structures.
I haven’t identified the plants, many of you will be able to recognize and name some of them. Enjoy.
Suggestive flower structures
And now… the bathrooms. Missy’s Brother wrote a SMGB about their trip to Easter Island in 2016 — "bathroom voyeurism on Easter Island". Be sure to check it out. They are responsible for my quest, and I found the holy grail.
As beautiful as ever.
Of course, there are other things to see on Easter Island.
Sunset view near our hotel
We hired a local guide and visited multiple sites over two days. Guides must be certified and you must have one in order to visit all archeological sites in the national park. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable.
Moai
There’s some controversy regarding the cause of the collapse of the society and ecosystem on Easter Island. Did the people cut down all the trees or did the trees die due to drought? What the Easter Island Myth Gets Wrong.
Many Moai. The Moai are images of real people, not gods.
Tropical Milkweed (not native)
Rano Kau is an extinct volcano that was once a source of drinking water. The water filtered through the volcanic rock.
Rano Kau
Tibouchina urvilleana, a neotropical plant but not likely native to Easter Island, IMO.
One of the sites we visited was a restored village. These holes are for growing crops in the harsh island environment. The depressions create wind-protected, humid, shady microclimates.
The very top topknot is a hat and the larger top depicts hair.
We were happy to find a great small bar and restaurant next to our hotel.
The lobby of the hotel. Our cottage is to the right with the brown roof. Breakfast.
We drove across the island to watch the sunrise before we flew back to Santiago.
The Easter Island airport waiting area and its chicken.
I’d recommend the novel Easter Island by Jennifer Vanderbes. It involves two women who visit Easter Island, one in 1913 and one in the 1970s. And one is a botanist!
We had a day to wander around Santiago before our late night flight.
Santiago. The royal cat is street art. The green wall was at the airport.
Ginger-mint limeade. Who doesn’t want “Danky” ice cream? I opted for sorbet.
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Pictures of tropical flowers are a nice break during the Michigan winter. It’s been unseasonably warm (40-50 F) over the last couple of days, with rain and a record breaking 60 F yesterday. The snow has melted and the Hellebores are still green. Today it’s back to more normal winter temperatures, in the 30s with a bit of snow in the forecast.
What’s it like where you live? What’s happening in your garden or what are you doing for springtime prep?
