Leaving the Southern Tip, Passing Through the Big City, and Crossing to a Remote Island in the Pacific: Week 18 of Our Trip Around the World

KITAMURA FAMILY: A record of our family of five's trip around the world ↓

The few days we spent in Ushuaia were wrapped in a stillness that felt as if time were slowly stretching out.
We walked through the streets blown by cold winds,

carried the children on our shoulders,
played in the park,
were saved by Argentine food and beer,
and met the penguins.
The days spent at the end of the world

gently slowed down the pace of our journey.
That stillness will surely remain in our family's memories for a long time.
But the journey does not stop there.

We packed our bags again,

headed to the airport,
and as we boarded the plane,
the cold air of the southern tip gradually faded away.
Click here for Week 17's events ↓

Our next destination is
the big city of Buenos Aires.
And beyond that lies
a remote island floating in the middle of the Pacific—Easter Island.

From the stillness at the end of the world
to the hustle and bustle of a big city.
And then, to the leisurely time on an island surrounded by the sea.

The journey takes another big leap,
and our family's story moves into a new chapter.

🇯🇵→🇺🇸→🇲🇽→🇨🇷→（🇨🇴）→🇧🇷→🇧🇴→🇦🇷now

10/27 A morning of power outages and our return to Buenos Aires

Power outage since the morning.
Couldn't take a morning shower, so we packed up to leave in the dim room.

The Uber arrived in one minute.
We headed straight to the airport early.

It took quite a while to check our luggage, but
while relaxing at a cafe,
we finished the beer we couldn't drink the night before.
It tasted like the 'finale' of our trip.

The flight was on time, or rather, arrived about 20 minutes early.
The applause upon landing is, as expected, very Argentine.

Took an Uber to our accommodation.
It's a historic place, and the air feels a bit heavy but comfortable.

10/28 A leisurely afternoon, walking around town and shoulder rides

A late start to the morning.
As expected, we only got active in the afternoon.

We walked to the park to explore, but
halfway through, the little ones stopped walking, saying 'I'm hungry' and 'I'm tired.'
I carried Sena on my shoulders the whole time.
I'm the one who's tired.

Had a late lunch at M Cafe.
Argentina has a high cost of living.

Did some shopping, returned to the accommodation, and had a late dinner.
Rice is a blessing.

10/29 Park, bar, and a sudden cancellation notice

Managed to go out before 12:00.
Went to a slightly larger park.
The little ones played happily.

While we were having a late lunch at a bar,
we suddenly got a notification that tomorrow's flight was canceled due to a strike.
Our move to Chile is delayed.

Shocked.
Extended our stay by one night.
No compensation.

Travel really doesn't go as planned.

10/30 Walking slowly through our last day in Buenos Aires

Our last day in Buenos Aires.
After eating lunch at the accommodation, we walked toward the rose garden.

The little ones played on the outdoor fitness equipment,
and we spent a relaxing evening at the accommodation as well.

A quiet time flowed within the big city.

10/31 Just getting to the airport was a struggle. And then to Chile

Arranged an Uber to head to the airport, but
we finally secured one on the fifth try.
We were told 'Five passengers is not allowed,'
and even at the end, a tip was demanded.

Still, we managed to get to the airport.

The flight was on time.
However, it was quite shaky for a long time, which scared me a little.

When we arrived in Santiago, we found an Uber XL right away, which was a relief.
We arrived at our accommodation late at night.
Good work today.

11/1 A quiet day in Santiago and preparations for Easter Island

At the breakfast venue in a separate building from our accommodation,
the fresh fruit is a delight.

Uka dropped and broke a glass, but
it didn't lead to anything serious.

We went for a walk after 2:00 PM.
We let the kids play at the park, and
had a late lunch that doubled as an early dinner.

At night, we handled flight change procedures and
preparations for Easter Island.

The water I bought at the convenience store was carbonated, and
it had a punchline: my wife got soaked when she opened it, likely because it had been shaken.

11/2 To the Pacific. Landing on Easter Island

To the airport early in the morning.
It was a relief that the Uber XL arrived quickly.

Check-in was a bit chaotic, but
one checked bag was free, and the rest went as carry-on.

The flight to Easter Island was on time.
It was a bit bumpy, but we arrived safely.

We were picked up from the airport and taken to our accommodation.
My watch didn't switch to Easter Island mode,
and it's quietly annoying that it's still two hours ahead.

On the way, we discovered an original 🗿.
We explored the island in the afternoon.
There were 4 or 5 sea turtles in the ocean.
The waves are good, and there are many surfers.

After returning, I went shopping by myself.
At night, our guide, Masaki-san, came to greet us.

Early bedtime.
The Pacific breeze is pleasant.

Week 18 Summary

— A week of leaving the southern tip, passing through the big city, and crossing to an isolated island in the Pacific

Week 18 was a week where the scale of our journey expanded all at once.

Leaving behind the cold wind and silence of Ushuaia,
a "travel-like morning" that began with a power outage.
Long baggage check-in at the airport,
the flight to Buenos Aires,
and the applause upon landing.
It was a journey packed with the essence of Argentina.

In the big city of Buenos Aires,
the little ones stopped walking on the way to the park,
leaving me exhausted from carrying them on my shoulders,
we were surprised by the high cost of living,
and our flight was canceled due to a strike,
so the "reality of travel" came crashing down on us relentlessly.

Even so,
walking through the rose garden,
savoring the gratitude for rice,
and spending time relaxing at our accommodation helped settle our hearts.

The latter half of the week was spent in Santiago, Chile.
We arrived at our accommodation late at night,
were soothed by a breakfast of fresh fruit,
played in the park,
and proceeded with preparations for Easter Island.

And at the end of the week,
we flew from the early morning airport to the Pacific.

Easter Island, where we arrived safely despite the turbulence, had
a slow atmosphere,
sea turtles swimming,
high waves,
and was somehow an "island where time stood still."

We found an original 🗿,
our guide Masaki-san came to greet us,
and we fell asleep early in the Pacific breeze.

Week 18 is
a week where the journey leaps from the silence of the southern tip to the hustle and bustle of a big city, and then to an isolated island in the Pacific.
The fatigue of travel and the troubles,
everything connects to the "beginning of the next chapter."

Week 19 Preview

— A week of touching prayers, the sea, and 🗿 on Easter Island, and then heading to the next city

Week 19 begins
with an intense time spent on the isolated Pacific island of Easter Island.

We watched a bit of church mass,
let the kids play in the park next door,
tasted ceviche at a seafood restaurant,
and spent the afternoon touring 🗿 at the national park.
Standing in front of the 15 Moai statues,
the history of the island quietly flows into your heart.

Moai standing on the beach,
Moai illuminated by the sunset,
the horizon seen from the mountain of the Birdman ritual.
The island's scenery is wrapped in a silence that feels like a "prayer."

However, the journey is not just smooth sailing.
Sena ran a high fever,
we scrambled to find accommodation,
were helped by the man across the street,
and there were days when we overcame anxiety as a family.

In the latter half of the week, we returned to Santiago,
and moved on to Valparaíso.
A city of slopes, street art,
sea lions on the coastline,
and the music of an international recital.
The journey returns once again to the "colors of the city."

Week 19 is
a week where the island's prayers and sea, the rest of the big city, and the colors of the hillside city overlap.
Stillness and motion visit alternately,
and the family's journey deepens once more.

Thank you for reading this far.
If you would like to enjoy the continuation of this story, please check out the next article.

Also, as a place where you can feel free to ask questions and consult about travel and health,
I have opened the note membership "Travel and Body Support Salon."
I would be happy if you could interact on the bulletin board and support our family's challenge together.

When you are traveling, you understand it well.

It's not about whether things go well.
How you decide changes everything.

・Not knowing if the flight will take off
・Not proceeding as planned
・Children getting sick
・The environment changing every day

In the midst of that,
whether to stop or go,
whether to change or quit.

I am constantly making judgments.

But what is actually important is
not special judgment skills, but

the "order" of judgment.

・Observe the state
・Decide the direction
・Take action

With just this,
hesitation decreases surprisingly.

It's not just travel.

Side jobs, health, and daily life are the same.

👉 The more you look for the correct answer, the less you can move
The more you observe the state, the more you can decide

If you currently have:

・Something you are continuing for no particular reason
・Something you are wondering whether to quit
・Something you are stuck on because you can't decide

Then, please try organizing it once.

👉 3-second judgment to eliminate hesitation
(Complete version of the thought structure to decide "continue or quit" in 3 minutes)

In this, I have summarized a judgment model that can be used in any situation.
※Please don't just finish by reading it

Making one decision on the spot changes everything