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Published: August 8th 2007
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We travelled back in time like Marty McFly, leaving Auckland at 5pm on Monday and arriving on Easter Island at 10am the same day. Of course, we werent going back in time to save the world or anything.
We were hit by the heat and humidity as soon as we got off the plane. A change from NZ, but probably nothing like the changes in weather we'll experience in the coming year. First stop was the YHA to put up our tent, then the necessary trip into town to get some money to pay for everything. Only the could we start looking for what we had come to see. Only we didnt see any Moai for a bit.
We went past Ana Kai Tangata, a cavern at the foot of some cliffs with some old and faded rock art of the roof, on our way to Ranu Kau and Orongo. Ranu Kau is a volcano with a huge crater filled with about 30 small lakes. Orongo is a restored village to one side of the volcano. The houses are partially dug into the ground and are made of slate with grass roofs. That evening we saw our first Moai
at Ahu Tahai. We were advised to go and watch the sun set behind the moai, but it was too cloudy!
It was still cloudy the next morning, but not raining. We met a couple of Australians we'd chatted to last night to see about hiring a car between us, but it was really expensive. We ended up hiring a taxi to drop us off at Anakena and pick us up a couple of days later the other end of a long walking track. A much better (and cheaper!) option.
Anakena is a beautiful beach, the sea was inviting even in the rain. We didnt swim, instead went for a look at Ahu Te Pito Kura. This is one of the largest moai on the island. It has toppled off its ahu (platform) and lay face down, broken at the shoulders. Its red Puka (top know) was lying nearby. The whole things was huge. We passed other piles and clusters of stones that may have been something, but who knows. Back at Anakena we saw Ahu Nau Nau, a line of moai in various states of disrepair, and Ahu Ature Huke, the first moai to be re-erected by
Petroglyphs at the ruins of Orongo
This is the area where the birdman cult flourished. Thor Heyerdahl in 1956.
The next day was amazing - we walked round the island to Ranu Raraku - passing more moai and piles of rocks that again might have been something. The rain stopped and the sun came out, making everything look much more impressive. Walking south between Cerro Maunga Puakatiri (the first hill to come out of the sea) and Ranu Raraku took us to Ahu Tongariki - the most impressive yet. A platform with 15 moai and a couple of others nearby.
Ranu Raraku is an amazing place. It is the remains of the volcano that the moai were cut out of. There are over 300 partially or totally completed moai there, and perhaps 100's more partly buried in the ground. There were small ones, huge ones, heads sticking up out of the ground, half carved moai lying in the rock faces. A hard place to describe, and no doubt our photos wont do it any justice. We walked up the outside of the volcano and down into its crater past even more heads. The crater held a lake surrunded with totara reeds. On the lower slopes of the volcano there was a moai with
Orongo
Partially reconstructed village of slate houses with turf roofs. a Eurpoean style sailing boat carved into the back. We camped that night in the ranger station just below the moai at Ranu Raraku.
The next morning we headed back towards Hanga Roa, passing loads more ahu and moai. We found one moai lying in the grass slightly inland, face down, so cut across the srub to see it. We found a track signposted "Camino de los Moais" - Road of the Moais - and followed it back towards Ranu Raraku. We passed at least 16 moai, all but one face down. We went back to Ahu Tongariki for a better look around, finding rocks with petroglyphs and a circle of pieces of moai (like ancient stone circles in the UK).
Back in Hanga Roa that evening, we went to Ahu Tahai again for a much better sunset. We found a good hare paenga - boat shaped house - too, although only its foundations were left.
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