Biggest plane I've been on for a while, I think it's a 767-300 but I could be misremembering. 2-3-2 seating arrangement. We actually have personal screens in the seat backs, which is better than the transatlantic flights. I can't be arsed with watching a film though and am just listening to my MP3 player.
I am in an aisle seat in the middle block. At least it isn't the middle. The guy on my left is getting on my wick, he is visibly 'dancing' in his seat, probably trying to entertain his mate. I have this subtle but distinct dislike for the pair of them. Before we took off dancing bloke wanted to go to the bog, and of course he decided to come out on my side instead of asking his mate to move. He was perfectly polite and so on but I don't care, I've decided I don't like him/them.
Oh, the flight is apparently to some place called something like Papeete (probably not spelled correctly) with a stopover in Easter Island. I have no idea where this Papeete place is.
10pm (in Santiago). Still on the plane, the map on the entertainment system says we have an hour left to go. Feeling very dull. Not looking forward to arriving very much, I have visions of difficulty getting to my hotel and I also have some idea it's just a tiny bit out in the sticks, although I really don't know. I was lucky to get a hotel at all (which scarcely squares with them considering this low season, but still). So I suspect it will be a case of having to go to bed as soon as I arrive as I won't be able to do anything else. (Another night it may be different, I will have had a chance to take a GPS reading of somewhere in town and had a look at the road and assessed the possibilities for getting a taxi back. But I expect it to be dark when we arrive.)
I don't think it's quite such a desolate place as Isla Navarino, although who knows, so I vaguely hope there will be such conveniences as taxis.
Maybe it's just all the hanging around at the airport and sitting on the plane which is making me feel a bit listless and uninspired. I guess I may feel differently in the morning.
Oh, as a completely unimportant remark, the 'whole world' view which periodically comes up on the map channel on the entertainment system labels exactly two cities on the planet, Washington and Brasilia. The closer views do indeed label Santiago and Easter Island as might be expected.
I wonder if I can get a GRPS signal on the island or if I will be writing the mother of all blog posts over the next six days to be sent on my return. I think I should be able to though. I suppose I can always write something from an (apparently) expensive internet cafe. I have to go to one to book a hotel in Santiago for when I get back on Tuesday, having been too slack to do it before, and I also really need to book up hotels, flights and what have you for the first week or two in Argentina. I should have done it while I was in Santiago but there you go.
10:40pm (Santiago). Papeete just appeared on the edge of the map. Evidently it's some small island. I almost wish I was going there instead, it's obviously more remote. I feel I settled for second best.
10:45pm (Santiago). I suspect the island is visible in the twilight off the right hand side, because at least two idiots have tried to take flash photos of something...
Five minutes ago they said they were going to show a video about taking care of the island during your visit. Nothing yet, I am hoping we won't have to watch it now but I guess there's still time to squeeze it in.
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