Dag 13: Isla de Pasqua

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Vanmorgen heel vroeg opstaan want om 6 uur staat de taxi alweer voor de deur van het hotel. Want vanmorgen vliegen we naar…. Paaseiland!
Het vliegtuig stijgt om half 9 op en we landen rond 2 uur ‘s middags (er is nog een tijdsverschil tussen Paaseiland en Santiago van 2 uur; dus Santiago-tijd landen we rond 4 uur ‘s middags)
Snel de koffers in ons hotel Gomero afleveren en dan op pad. We lopen eerst naar het kleine haventje, waar we wat info vragen voor het duiken op Paaseiland. Maandag zouden we mee kunnen op een guided dive. Dan lopen we verder langs het water waar we de eerst Moai-beelden kunnen fotograferen!
Na het wandelen langs de beelden hebben we honger gekregen en gaan we laat lunchen bij Merahi Ra’a, dan een auto regelen voor morgen want dan gaan we het eiland verkennen.


Lonely Planet:
Easter Island (Rapa Nui): population: 3800, elevation: 506m
Rapa Nui is simply spellbinding. It will take your heart and your soul in a few days. One of the most isolated places on earth, this tiny speck of land is blessed with an extraordinary collection of archaeological sites, including the iconic moai, scattered amid an eerie landscape. These enigmatic statues, shrouded with a palpable aura, form one of Rapa Nui’s most enduring images and exert a magnetic power that is hard to resist.

What’s in a name? A Chilean territory since 1888, Rapa Nui is officially known by its Spanish name, Isla de Pasqua (Easter Island). Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name.

Rapa Nui, just south of the tropic of Capricorn, is a tiny volcanic island formed where lava from three separate cones of different ages coalesced in a single triangular landmass. Its maximum length is just 24km. At its widest point the island is only 12km.

Ahu Tautira: you’ve just set up a base in Hanga Roa and can’t wait for your first encounter with the moai? Ditch your bags and leg it straight to Ahu Tautira, which overlooks Caleta Hanga Roa, the fishing port in Hanga Roa at the foot of Av Te Pito o Te Henua. Here you’ll find a ahu with two superb moai.
Ahu Tahai & Ahu Akapu: a perfect introduction to the more remote sites, the beguiling Ahu Tahai, in the vicinity of the museum, is a highly photogenic site that contains three restored ahu. Ahu Tahai proper is the ahu in the middle, supporting a large, solitary moai with no topknot. On the north site of Ahu Tahai is Ahu Ko Te Riku, with a topknotted and eyeballed moai. On the other side is Ahu Vai Uri, which supports five moai of varying sizes and shapes. Along the hills are foundations of hare paenga (traditional houses resembling a upturned canoe, with a single narrow doorway). Continue further north along the coast and you’ll soon come across Ahu Akapu, with its solitary moai.

Ahu = ceremonial platform
Hare paenga = boat-shaped thatched houses

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