Easter Island

After an early start in Santiago i flew out to Easter Island (or Rapa Nui, or Isla de Pascua) and got there around lunch time on Saturday, 17 Mar. Dropped my bags off at a small hostel just 5 minutes from the centre of town, but it was on the coast. Checked out local Hanga Roa where not much happens. A local surf competition was underway which provided some entertainment for the afternoon, but not quite a complete replacement for St Pats Day which hasn´t yet penetrated to this isolated island.


Sunday I packed a few sangers and hiked up the volcano crater just outside town. This trek was a killer with the stinking hot sun beaming down and no shade to take shelter under all day. Getting to the top I was rewarded with great views over Hanga Roa and the entire island. The inside of the crater was extremely steep with a patchwork of reeds and fresh water lining the bottom. Up here there was also Orongo, which is the site of the bird-man ceremonies. They had some cool little stone houses with flat grass roofs, although these guys must have been midgets to fit in the tiny doors.
Most of Monday was spend swimming in the local bay, and in the arvo I walked out to Ahu Tahai were there were several restored maoi, and one with painted eyes that looked great with the sunset behind.

With nothing happening on the island after dark it was an early night after eating yet another meal of pasta and tomato sauce. This seems to be the only food that is not exorbidently priced (dont know why they cant catch some local fish given they´re in the middle of the ocean!).
Tuesday i jumped on a tour with all the old poms and germans. Saw plenty of amazing maoi. First stop was Ahu Vaihu where several of them were fallen over from the islander war. Then to Ahu Akahanga which is where the first king was buried (apparently the statues are headstones for the graves of the islander kings). Walked around Rano Raraku (maoi quarry) which is littered with maoi. After lunch we went to Tongariki where there are 15 maoi lined up, and also Te Pito Kura which at 12m tall is the biggest one they managed to get standing on an ahu.
Great views of maoi at Anakena with the white sand. Nice swim before heading back. Sunset again at Ahu Tahai where there was a local wedding underway complete with the local witch-doctor out in full dress.