Since arriving in Latin America, I’ve never bumped into so many fellow countrymen while out and about. Surprisingly, this wasn’t during the National Day, Spring Festival, or the October long holiday, but at the end of March and the beginning of April [sly smile][sly smile].
Perhaps it was just a coincidence. When I visited the Moreno Glacier in Argentina, I didn’t meet a single compatriot and had to rent a car by myself, unable to find anyone to share the ride. In the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, I met around 20 people, mostly during the Spring Festival when everyone was on the move.
In Torres del Paine Park, I encountered about 10 people, many of whom were either gearing up for an Antarctic adventure or had just returned from one. Even in some of the more famous tourist spots in Mexico and Ecuador, like Cancun, Guanajuato, and San Miguel, I didn’t run into any tour groups.
However, my experience on Easter Island was quite different. The person sitting next to me on the plane was an Asian man, who turned out to be part of a tour group from Hong Kong, with over 20 members. At a local restaurant, I met a group of Chinese independent travelers from Los Angeles, about 30 people strong.
On the return flight, I encountered two more tour groups, one from Shanghai and another from Guangdong, each with over 30 people. The lady sitting next to me was from Guangdong, and after a chat, I learned that they had arrived just the day before and were already flying back to Santiago.
I was a bit taken aback. A five-hour one-way trip, folks! They arrived on the island at noon on the first day and flew back in the afternoon of the second day, spending only two half-days there. How much must they love these big stones [amazed][amazed]?
What is it about these massive stone statues that draws so many Chinese visitors? Before coming to Chile, Easter Island wasn’t even on my radar [laughing and crying][laughing and crying].
Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention in my geography and history classes. Where did everyone learn about these enigmatic stone statues?
#SouthAmerica
