Face to Face with Maoi in the most isolated place on Earth

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Day 98: Sunday 5th October - Arriving in Rapa Nui and climbing up to Rano Kau

I need a guy in the bunk below to wake me as I end up sleeping through two alarms. Fortunately I make my flight but I feel rough on the taxi ride to the airport and also sat about the airport.....maybe it wasn't a good idea staying up drinking to the early hours?! The flight leaves at 8am and it is five and a half hours to Easter Island, which although a Chilean territory, is almost 4000km from the coast of South America. Easter Island happens to be the most isolated place on earth, being almost 2000km to the nearest inhabited island. The airline which is the Chilean national airline, LAN, is very good. One of the best airlines I've ever used, with a pretty good in flight entertainment system. Watch the latest Indiana Jones movie, which I missed before I left the UK......not as good as the original trilogy.

With Easter Island being two hours behind the Chilean mainland, we arrive at about noon. Its hot and sunny, when we arrive (around 25C) so its straight into shorts when I get to the hostel. I've booked a hostel (or so I think as the owners never acknowledged the email I sent) but I can't see any sign of them at the airport to pick me up. Eventually I spot them....and they were expecting me. The lady who owns the hostel starts by announcing that she hasn't got any single rooms but offers me a dorm instead....its half the price so I'm happy! A Canadian couple (Matt and Megan) also get in the transfer to the hostel off the flight.

I need some food to soak up the beer so end up having a steak at a restaurant overlooking the sea. It costs 10000 pesos (10 pounds) for a main course which is steep and the food isn't great. Unfortunately this proves to be a running theme with Easter Island - food is expensive, and because a lot of it gets shipped from the mainland its expensive and the alternative going to the supermarket isn't great as there isn't a great deal of choice, or fresh food for that matter. After the steak, start wandering around Hanga Roa, the only town on the island. Its not exactly big (only 5000 people live on the island) but as the streets have no names its easy to get disorientated. As its Sunday afternoon the place is deserted and there's no agencies open to book a tour of the island with so that will have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, decide to take a hike around the South of the island but as its mid afternoon now will have to get my skates on.

Start walking up to Rano Kau, the volcano situated on the south of the island. There is supposed to be a walking trail up to the crater, but I miss the start of it, so end up taking the much longer route via the road (well dirt track!). It must take an hour and a half before I reach the crater, and although its a steep walk the view is well worth it. The volcano is now extinct and there is a lake and reeds in the bottom of the crater. I walk around the crater and spend time contemplating as I look over the crater to the ridiculously blue Pacific just behind the volcano, that there is no land mass in the southerly direction between me and Antarctica...mad! Walk further around the crater to Orongo, which is a restored ceremonial village. Pay to have a look around for half an hour. The inhabitants of Rapa Nui must have been smaller than hobbits to get in these houses as the entrances are miniscule - they would have to crawl in! Also seem some petroglyphs (drawings on rocks) in the village which were part of the Birdman tradition of the 17th - 19th centuries. After Orongo I walk down the trail which is much more pleasant than the road and offers views over the island on the way down. At the bottom of the trail, although its after 6pm and sunset will be within the hour I decide to head to Vinapu, which is another archaelogical site on the south of the island. It must take an hour to get there on foot and its not worth it - just a pile of rocks! The sun is now setting and its going to take me another hour to walk back.....by the time I arrive in Hanga Roa its dark. Spend a further half hour or so trying to find my damn hostel.....this place might be small but its hard to find your way around. I end up having to ask in a hotel, when I finally admit to myself after much cursing that I am ridiculously lost! Go straight to bed when I eventually get back to the hostel.....after only 2 hours last night I need to catch up on some sleep!

Day 99: Monday 6th October - Walking the northern loop

At breakfast I arrange with the Canadian couple who I met yesterday to get dinner with them this evening. After breakfast I head to the main street of Hanga Roa to book a tour for tomorrow as the sites in the East of the island are too far away to reach on foot. The Canadian's hired a scooter yesterday for 15000 pesos (15 pounds) so that's one option, but I think I prefer getting some historical background as well so if I can get a tour for a reasonable price I'll do that. The first place I go to offers one for 30000 pesos but find it cheaper for 23000 pesos at the next place I visit so go ahead and book it for tomorrow. That sorted I start off walking the northern loop of the island which takes in the sites of Puna Pau, Ahu Akivi, Ahu Tepeu and Ahu Tahai and finishes back in Hanga Roa. The Chilean guy who is staying in my dorm reckons it takes 6 hours to walk around, so starting at 11.30am I've plenty of time to get around today and get back before dark!

The walk to Puna Pau takes an hour and a half. Puna Pau is the site of the quarry where they mined the reddish coloured top knots (hats) for the Maoi. There are around a dozen rocks dotted about the site which never found themselves attached to a Maoi. The views west over Hanga Roa and the Pacific are stunning from here as it is at a higher elevation than the town. Spend an hour or so eating my packed lunch and reading a book in the solitude of the site. Must see only 2 other people whilst I'm sat here. From Puna Pau I walk another 4-5km to Ahu Akivi which takes 45 minutes. On the way I pass an English couple who I've seen in Potosi, Bolivia and San Pedro, Chile....wierd! Mind you given the size of the island and the relatively few sights, bumping into the same people day after day becomes a recurring theme. Ahu Akivi represents the first time I come face to face with a Maoi. There are seven of them stood in a line, facing out to the sea. This in itself is unusual as at all the other sights the Maoi face away from the sea and in the direction of the villages which were once there. Spend some more time just chilling here taking it in and reading a book. When it starts clouding over and spotting with rain decide to move on to Ahu Tepeu.

Ahu Tepeu is a further 30 minute walk, and lies on the coast. Ahu Tepeu used to clearly be a village but it hasn't been restored so being just a pile of various rocks and half ruined buildings its not that impressive. Don't hang around long before following the coastline down to Ahu Tahai which must take a further hour to reach. Its late in the day now and the sun is low in the sky as I pass a couple of Maoi on the west coast before I reach Ahu Tapai. There are seven Maoi at Ahu Tapai, five stood together and then two stood separately on their own. One of the Maoi stood on its own has been restored to include face markings as well. Reach Hanga Roa at around 7pm and bump into Matt & Megan in the town and we agree to go for dinner at 8pm. Dinner is expensive, and is a bit better than the meal of yesterday but for this price I expect more! At least the company is good, Matt is actually a Brit who has emigrated to Canada. Get an earlyish night as I'm tired after all the walking.

Day 100: Tuesday 7th October - A tour of the South & East of the Island

My tour is an all day affair so arrive at the office ready to depart at 9.30am. After picking everyone up we have a brief stop at the garage where I get a few snacks for the day as I've decided to opt out of the packed lunch which seems rather extortionate at $15. On my tour are a couple from Chile, a Mexican couple and a CRAZY Korean lady (yes she was that crazy, constantly interrupting anyone who spoke and demanding photos!). Our first stop on the tour is to Ahu Vaihu on the south coast of the island. Our guide explains the history of the island before we explore the site. The popular theory (as nobody is 100% sure) is that the island was colonised in around 400AD by people sailing across the Pacific Ocean from South East Asia, much in the same way they colonised the whole of the Polynesian triangle from New Zealand in the west to Hawaii in the North to Easter Island in the east. The first inhabitants were obviously great sailors and navigators (using the stars) and they had a good life fishing and making boats from the plentiful trees on the island. The island was also a good place to grow crops which they did by clearing many trees. By 800AD the island had divided itself into approximately 8 clans, and the practice of building Maoi began. The Maoi guarded over each village, and the villagers ancestors were buried under the Ahu (platform) on which the Maoi stand. The Maoi it was believed would protect the villagers in day to day life. By 1500AD at the height of the history of Rapa Nui the island is thought to have been home to 15000 people. From late in the 17th century it is believed that a series of wars broke out between the rival clans, thought to be due to a lack of natural resources on the island, many of which had been diverted over the years to building the Maoi and Ahu. In 1722 the island was discovered by a Dutchman on Easter Sunday, hence the name of the island. For the next 150 years the wars between rival clans continued, until by late in the 19th century no Maoi were left standing in the villages, and all had been destroyed. Today where you see the Maoi standing overlooking what was once villages, they have been restored to look this way.

Ahu Vaihu is an Ahu (platform) which has not been restored. The platform still remains close to its original form but the Maoi have been left in their state after the wars, all broken and not standing, but situated next to the Ahu. The site is situated next to the sea, in a beautiful location (in fairness the sites are all in beautiful locations on Easter Island). After Ahu Vaihu we drive along the coast to Ahu Akahanga which is similar to Ahu Vaihu in that it hasn't been restored. The platform and the Maoi that surround it are however a bit more impressive. After Ahu Akahanga we continue along the southern coast to Rano Raraku volcano. In Santiago at the weekend I had commented to James & Charlotte that whilst Chile was pleasant enough, my experience hadn't been on a par with the rest of South America to that point. Rano Raraku was the point that all changed. Walking from the minibus you walk through some trees and staring at you is the most wonderful site. Rano Raraku volcano is facing you with dozens of Maoi littering the slopes also.....wow! Rano Raraku is known as the nursery, being the site where the Maoi were constructed over the years from the stone they quarried in the inactive volcano. In the 1000 years in which Maoi were believed to have been built, only 900 were ever carved out of the quarry, and less than half ever left Rano Raraku being so difficult to transport. The average Maoi must be 5 metres tall and weighed in at tens of tonnes, and it isn't totally understood how they were transported around the island. At Rano Raraku we climb up the slopes of the now dormant volcano to get a closer inspection of the Maoi and its here that you get your first site of Ahu Tongariki, the most famous site on Easter Island being where 15 Maoi stand in a row on an Ahu. On the slopes of Rano Raraku we are shown the largest Maoi ever carved, which at 21 metres tall and 160 tonnes is huge, but never left the volcano, probably after they realised how heavy it would be to transport. After spending an hour around the slopes of Rano Raraku it is time for lunch. I use this opportunity to climb inside the crater, where you can see further Maoi, a lake and have a great view down to Ahu Tongariki if you climb to the top of the crater. Rano Raraku is right up there with things i've seen to date on my trip.....i'm left quite breathless....my Chilean experience has had its 'lift off'!

From Rano Raraku we get back on the bus for the short trip around the coastline to Ahu Tongariki. The most famous of the restored sites, Ahu Tongariki is 15 Maoi of various sizes which have their backs to the Ocean. I've seen this site on various pictures but am still awe struck when I see it in person. I spend 10 minutes just taking it all in before posing as the 16th Maoi in the line (it had to be done!). From Ahu Tongariki we head towards the Northern coast and Ahu Te Pito Kura, which the islanders believed to be the 'navel of the world'. The site consists of an unrestored Ahu including the largest ever standing Maoi at 78 tonnes and a circle of stones with a large round rock in the middle which was the navel. From Ahu Te Pito Kura its only a short ride along the coast to Anakena beach where we have an hour to chill out. Its clouded over unfortunately, so the attraction of the beach isn't what it could have been. Nevertheless, Ahu Nau Nau, a restored site of seven Maoi is at the top of the beach which against the backdrop of the beach and palm trees (imported from Tahiti!) is stunning. The tour ends at 4pm and we make our way back across the island - it only takes half an hour to drive from one end to the other. Having been dropped off on the way to Hanga Roa I stop by the supermarket and get some provisions, I've decided I'm not eating out again on the island, its just too damn expensive.

Apart from making dinner spend the evening just chilling out with a few new guests that have arrived at the hostel. A couple of the girls decide to go to a Polynesian dance and music show, but it doesn't grab me so spend the rest of the evening just hanging out in the hostel.

Day 101: Wednesday 8th October - A scooter ride to Anakena beach

I've seen all of the sites of the island....it really only takes 3 days to do that, and you could manage it in two quite easily, so I'm planning to spend my final day on the island at Anakena beach, one of only two beaches on the island. To get there I'm going to have to hire a scooter (much more fun than getting a taxi), which at 15000 pesos (15 pounds) for the day isn't bad. Before I get the scooter I decide to visit the museum on the edge of Hanga Roa, which is very interesting, reinforcing much of what I'd learnt about the history of the island on the tour. I bump into a German couple at the museum who I've seen the previous two days at various places around the island on their bikes.....you seem to bump into the same people time and time again. Hurry back from the museum as I've asked the lady at the hostel to get me one for 11.30am. When I arrive 10 minutes late there's no sign of it, so get her daughter to ring and book one. Within five minutes the rental shop arrives to pick me up. The scooter's mine for 8 hours, let's go!

Unfortunately in my haste to get going I fail to take much notice of how to start the scooter. Not to worry I've hired one before on Corfu so I know what I'm doing....... Take the scooter to the outskirts of town just to get a feel for it before setting off to the beach. Stumble across a Maoi down by the harbour, so stop and get off to take a picture for a couple of minutes. Return to my bike, and then realise I haven't a clue how to start the thing!!!! Try various ways, all unsuccessful before admitting defeat (not something I do quickly!!) and start pushing it towards a garage which must only be 100 metres away. I ask them in broken Spanish and with much pointing how to start it and they call for a friend who arrives from goodness knows where in the town and shows me how to do it. I feel like a right idiot! Back on my way again, I stop off at the supermarket for some snacks for the day, and the craft market where I buy a Maoi crafted out of a local wood. Its the first souvenir I've bought in 3 months........now all I need is a post office to send it home.

Finally get on my way to the beach, but its now cloudy and quite cool, just hope the weather is better on the north of the island? Take the coastal route to the beach which isn't the most direct route, but as it passes by Rano Raraku and Ahu Tongariki, which I am determined to see one more time, its the one I take. Stop by both sites once more to take them in again before I continue to Anakena. Not much chance to sunbathe at Anakena its overcast and apart from a few breaks in the cloud, it isn't particularly warm. Stay on the beach for two and a half hours before heading back to Hanga Roa. I have arranged to take a German girl, Marina who's sharing the dorm with me around the remaining sites in the island on the scooter for a couple of hours. She's on a tight budget, I have a scooter for the whole day, so do the generous thing and offer to take her round.....nothing to do with the fact she's 19, blonde and gorgeous, surely not!!! (Okay maybe a bit! - lets just say if it was a 20 stone bloke I wouldn't have been so quick to offer!!!). We meet back at the hostel at 5pm, and in the late afternoon sun (typical it comes out after I've left the beach) we go to Rano Kau, Puna Pau and Ahu Akivi where I'd been on the first two days of my time here. We return to watch the sunset over the Island from Puna Pau, which is a beautiful end to my 4 days here. After returning the scooter, cook some dinner and then go out for a beer with Marina and some Irish people she'd met on her tour.

Day 102: Thursday 9th October - Saying goodbye to Easter Island

After breakfast start walking to the airport with Marina who's on the same flight as me. On our way there a German guy I was talking to at breakfast kindly offers us a lift in the jeep he's rented for the day. Its only about a mile to walk to the airport, but with heavy bags its nevertheless very welcome. Checking in, guess who's in the queue n front of me???.....the same German couple I'd met yesterday!

Its only slightly more than 4 hours to fly back to Santiago (must be less than the flight out here due to the winds??). Watch the Western film Unforgiven and then 90% of Hancock with Will Smith before the plane touches down back in Santiago at 4.30pm. Its about an hour early by my calculation. After collecting my bags, catch a bus to the bus station from the airport, which takes about 45 minutes. Whilst I'm stood queueing at the Turbus desk for a ticket an American guy approaches me, telling me to go with another company as they're better and cheaper. Despite being initially suspicious of his intentions he turns out to be a genuine guy who owns a hostel in the city. I buy a ticket with another company who he gets 33% discount with, which is good and he also offers me some useful travel advice for Chile while I'm stood talking to him. My bus leaves at 9.15pm so I have 3 hours to kill in the bus station before it goes. Grab a McDonald's and spend some time on the internet to waste an hour. As its a 10 hour journey it will at least get me into Osorno at a reasonable hour.

Arrive at Osorno in the Chilean lake district at 8am. The first bus to Bariloche, where I'm heading in the Argentinian lake district leaves at 10am so I've got another 2 hours to kill. Find an internet cafe in the bus terminal so spend an hour or so uploading photos from the last week to my blog. The journey to Bariloche is 5 hours, and Argentina being an hour ahead of Chile, we should arrive at around 4pm. The journey passes with some confusion over the border crossing. Chilean immigration is straight forward enough but when we board the bus and travel for another 45 minutes, I'm starting to think I've missed Argentinian immigration...and start imagining a bus journey I'll have to take back to the border. However, we arrive at the Argentinian border and my fears prove unfounded - I later find out that the Chilean border post is some way from the actual border. The border crossing therefore proves yet again for South America to be straight forward. The scenery has changed to an Alpine one, and although we're not at a high elevation (less than 1000m above sea level) there is some snow on the ground. I start to think that Bariloche is not going to be as warm as I imagined - maybe the ski season is still running??

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