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Published: September 20th 2006
An early rise to catch the cheap Centropuerto bus to the airport and we were on our way to the very middle of the Pacific Ocean. Save for a spectacular view of chile's fog enveloped mountains, the flight was entirely over water so a fairly uneventful 5 hours. It was still funny to see our computer generated flight plan crop up on our personal TV screens showing a lonely little aeroplane on a big blue screen.
As the plane eventually began its descent, we caught our first glimpse of the green rolling hills of Easter Island and then another even better glimpse as the pilot made an arse of the landing and had to circle again for a second attempt! At the tiny airport we strolled off the plane and towards the small terminal building where we simply grabbed our luggage and walked out the door without any security checks. As we stepped into the sun, the daughter of our pre-booked hostel owner presented us with a Flower garland around our necks and we all jumped into their jeep for the short drive through Hanga Roa's only main street and passing wild horses which grazed at the roadside along the
way. Our accommodation for the week was to be Mana Nui inn, a cluster of chalets which sat overlooking the Pacific Ocean and within sight of the Tahai Moai. There we were immediately made to feel at home by Bicki, her daughter Patty and the two mischevious but lovable dogs "Oha" who was a cheeky little pup with no regard for anything and in the absence of his real name "Boxer man" who was a fierce looking big softie.
With it being midday we decided against hiring any kind of transport and instead chose to walk around the surrounding area. On route we witnessed a traditional Polynesian funeral taking place at the nearby cemetary where the mourners sang tearful ballads for their lost loved one. After walking from there to view the nearby Moai upclose we considered trying to walk up to Orongo the largest of the island's volcanoes but after 2 hours of walking around the bay we realised we hadn't got close so backtracked toward Hanga Roa to check out some vehicle rental prices. As evening approached we watched the sun set behind our neighbouring Moai statues and walked into town under an incredible starry sky to
eat Pizza at a funny little bar/cafe/restaurant (it couldn't decide) run by a friendly but achingly camp man.
The next morning we took a guided tour around the island to get our bearings and to give us ideas about where to go and explore further once we get our own wheels. First up on the tour was a stop at Ahu Vaihu a desecrated set of Moai figures and original centre of the Rapa Nui civilisation where our guide explained how in the 16th Century the population of the island grew to 10,000 and as a result of the competition for land, food and water, civil war broke out between the tribes of the Island. During this destructive period the massive statues were toppled and destroyed to cause offence. Through fighting and slavery to Spanish visitors the population had dropped perilously to 192 by the time the Europeans a century later.
Along the coast we briefly stopped at another destroyed platform at Aka Hanga before rounding the bay to the most notable and spectacular set of statures at Ahu Tongariki. Nothing can really prepare you for the sight of these 15 immense statues, all lined up along the
rocky bay and all facing inland towards the location of their creation at Ranu Raraku. Whilst these magnificent Moai were not immune to the destructive powers of civil war they were also dealt a further devestating blow in 1960 when a huge Tsunami caused by a monsterous Chilean earthquake hit the island and incredibly carried the massive broken heads up to a mile inland. Thanks to the help of the Japanese and the Chilean government, Tongariki was painstakingly restored to its former glory in the 90's to now stand as a spectacular reminder of the mystery and power of this unique civilisation. Although we knew we would come back to this site our tour moved us on after a good while walking around the peaceful site.
From there, we travelled to the nearby towering caldera of Ranu Raraku where all the moai around the island were cut in single pieces from the face of the volcano. Known as the Nursery, all around the grassy green exterior, Moai sit buried up to the neck in various degrees of completion. As the moai were carved and cut from the bedrock, they were rolled to the base of the volcano to have
their features finished and carved to final precision. Once finished the moai were rolled on palm trunks in every direction and to every corner of the island. In fact, the culture which produced these incredible statues made and transported moai with such a fever that it is thought the use of palms led to the complete deforestation of the island which in turn added fuel to the fire as war between the two tribes broke out.
As we walked around the chiselled face of the volcano every 20 or so meters we were faced with cave like features where gigantic moai lay half cut from the rock, many, far more immense than anything seen dotted around the island. One moai in particular, the largest ever constructed still lies diagonally at 45 degrees and measures an astonishing 20 meters. The variety and scale of these unfinished works of art clearly suggest that in the final throws of this remarkable civilisation, sculptors sought to improve upon all their previous work presumably in an attempt to reunite the warring factions of the island and revitalise their waning faith.
Although it is impossible to be sure about the final demise of the
Oha
Just a 4 month old pup....so mischevious but very cute.Rapa Nui civilisation and the events which led to the downing of tools, it is fascinating to imagine a society so gripped by its want to create lasting idols of their gods and forfathers. Ironically, it is surely only on a tiny island several thousands of kilometres from any other landmass where such a pre-occupation of worshiping their fortune in finding the land can eventually lead to the destruction of their civilisation.
From the nursery we walked up to the crater rim itself where a reedy lake now sits where scalding Magma once spewed. Rising higher to the leading edge of the crater lip we ate lunch in possibly the most spectacular spot you could ever eat lunch... on the very top of a volcano looking out over much of the island and down onto the 15 Moai of Tongariki. On virtually all sides, a flat and deep blue horizon of seemingly endless Ocean and from our southerly facing direction, nothing but ocean until Antarctica!
After Ranu Raraku, we boarded our coach and headed to the north of the island and the only sizable, swimmable beach in Anakena. As we drove, the landscape was that of low rising
hills of sun bleached grass, grazing wild horses and littered with black and porous volcanic rock. Although its formation couldn't have been more different, it reminded us of Dartmoor and its heathland scattered by rocks carried in ancient glaciers. Bizarelly, a nerdy and high sock wearing guy in our group who had earlier been frantically taking rubbish photos out the window spent the entire afternoon journey playing Sudoku... Why you would want to travel to the most remote island on the planet only to do quizzes was beyond us!
The beach at Anakena is a curling bay of soft white sand surrounded on all sides by huge palms (imported!) and the location of another series of Moai "Ahu Nau Nau". Nau Nau was actually only discovered as recently as 1996 as the figures were completely buried under a huge sand dune. As a result, these Moai are the best preserved on the island and even had white eyes made from inset coral. We did ask why none of them now had eyes but our guide was not for the first time unable to explain and merely offered that one eye now sits in the museum!
After an hour
Sunset at Ahu Tahai
This was a mere 200m from our guest house. on the beach we were taken to Ahu te pito Kura, the largest Moai ever raised on the island at 9 meters but which no lay face down at the hands of the civil war and then onto Te pito o te Hunua (The Navel of the World). Not the only navel of course as countless other countries claim ownership of Earths bellybutton but here, four smooth spherical rocks surround one huge one the size of a sat on space hopper. The Centre stone is famed for creating havoc with ones compass and we all stood around to watch how South reads as North when placed on its surface. Although this particular stone may well produce wilder results, I did point out to our guide that most rocks and particularly Volcanic ones have their own Magnetic properties which are given to them at the time of their creation. In fact, if you were to look at the ocean floor using the appropriate instrument, you'll find that it is rippled like a zebra with positive and negative polarity and it is actually these patterns on the sea bed which many fish and particularly sharks navigate by. Nevertheless, the stone is a
remarkable sight even if only for its perfect smoothness and of course its signifigance to the people who once inhabited Easter Island.
When we arrived back at Mana Nui inn and sat in the evening sun on loungers next to a sighing Boxer man and looking out to the West and a vast expanse of Ocean. It was exciting to think how we now faced our next destination in New Zealand and how from this point onwards, our trip will be a totally different experience. Whilst contemplating the remoteness of the island on which we sat, it was humbling to think how vast the earth was but comforting to realise how our trip made it feel so small.
To give you an idea of its remoteness, Easter Island is the tiniest of dots in the largest Ocean on the planet. Formed by three volcanoes which are positioned at each corner of the islands triangular shape, legends have it that 7 explorers set out from Polynesian Islands having been exiled and miraculously found this isolated landmass to begin a new civilisation. If you face north, the nearest landmass is the Gallapogos islands some 3800km away. Turn to the West,
and you'll need some water wings to swim the 4000 km to Tahiti discounting the teeny Pitcairns at 2000km. To the east you're going to want a decent boat to get you the 3700km back to Chile and to the south you'd need a brave heart and a warm jacket to reach Antarctica some 5000 kilometers away. Such is the position of Easter Island that the runway has been specially extended to accomodate an off course Space shuttle! In short, Easter Island is a long way from anywhere.
Having returned to Hanga Roa we headed out for a meal at Te Moana restaurant on the main strip which was surprising on two counts. Firstly, it was a surprise to find a place with an extensive menu and extremely high quality of style and presentation when all the guide books had warned us of bland and expensive eateries. Secondly, it was a surprise to find that our immaculately presented dishes were stone cold! After the second time of sending it back and a turned nose from one waitress (clearly its rude to ask for hot food) the food and the live polynesian band were fantastic.
The next day the
weather had taken a slight turn for the worst so over a gorgeous polynesian breakfast of fritters (Hoodi Hoodi!) and fruit pancakes we chose to explore the nearby coastline on rented bicycles. Up the coast we kept stopping to marvel at the huge waves which continuously rolled into our side of the island. All the way along the rocky shore, perfect lines of Crystal blue water crashed into the jet black rocks sending explosions of white spray 20 meters high. Our first stop on the ride was an underground cave "Anu Kakenga" which took some finding actually as its entrace was a small dustbin sized hole in the ground. As we shuffled down the tight entrance by torchlight, the cave opened out and was lit by two windows which overlooked Motu Tautara Island and the crashing waves below. This cave, like the many dotted around the island is a huge bubble in the volcanic Magma and was regularly used by the tribes to hide in order to escape enslavement by visiting Spanish from Peru and also by the women and children during the years of fighting.
From there we rode along the bumpy mud track up to another cave
in Anu te Paku which was huge in comparison and must have run for about 70 metres. (A pretty big bubble!) Inside the huge banana tree cloaked entrance lay small constructions in a patterned formation and which led into two massive spaces where the dripping water echoed around the cave walls. Tired and hungry, we continued to nearby Ahu Akivi, another ceremonial Moai platform where 7 huge statues stand having been restored in 1960. These Moai are the only on the island which face out to sea and are said to be the effergies of the first 7 explorers who discovered the island.
With lunch inside us and a large looming cloud fast approaching, we decided to head back to our hostel via the quickest route possible... across the Rioho Lava field! Although there was supposedly a cycle track to take us back to Hanga Roa the vague and indiscernable track dissapeared and split in many directions as we off roaded through huge boulders of black volcanic material. At points, the ground was rippled from where the lava had solidified in mid flow and made riding our now battered bicycles quite difficult... Wearing a bright orange coat in fields
of menacing bulls however meant there wasn't much time to take in the scenery! More through luck than judgement we safely made it back to the town just in time to beat the rain and to watch a handful of surfers expertly ride the perfect waves.
The weather the next day was impressively poor so we had no option but to sit in our chalet for the entire day watching the torrential rain pour off our roof. Having started during the night before, the rain fell and fell for the entire day with the only respite being a bizarre 30 second patch where the bright orange sun dipped below the cloud line before dissapearing over the horizon moments later. Simultaneously, the rain resumed. The deluge from the sky was actually quite a pleasant experience made all the more easier as Bicky our delightful hostel owner kept us supplied with hot drinks and even the use of her jeep to get into town for dinner. It was also a bit of a blessing to have a cheap day on this expensive island!
After one wet day we awoke the following day to a howling gale and yet more rain.
Not content to hire a jeep in this weather we waited for the showers to pass before walking into town to purchase our very own Moai carved beautifully from local wood. In the local artisans market on the main strip it seems the art of creating moai still lives on only now for the benefit of tourism. Although no doubt easier with wood than out of the side of volcano, the carpentry skills of the islanders is remarkable. Some esquisitely carved Moai out of the rarer Mahogany were fetching as much as US$500! From the market we walked a further 4km along the rugged and rocky coastline to another cave used by the Moai people. Still a bubble in the lava flow only this time at sea level, the inside walls of this cave were layered with slate like sheets and in several places these plates of lava still displayed faint petroglyphs of animals and gods drawn by the cave dwellers. Were it not for salt water erosion, these markings would also appear carved on the backs of every giant Moai.
A new day and a new sun! Woohoo! After wolfing down another fine breakfast we grabbed the keys
of Bicki's jeep and set out on our own little adventure! Our first stop once I had got my head around the left hand drive, right side of the road thing was the dominating volcano of Ranu Kau and the National Parkland of Orongo. At the main office high up on the volcano we paid our conservation fee and armed with an informative guide we strolled along the clifftop to the beautifully restored Orongo village. Perching on the blustery top, were row upon row of low oval shaped buildings which were restored painstakingly to original Rapa Nui floorplans. The trail led us through the low rise village to a cluster of overhanging rocks which were plastered in carvings of all the Rapa Nui gods and turning inland again, the view over the stunning lake filled crater of Ranu Kau was incredible.
Peering down through the carved petroglyphs our gaze took us to the small island where after the demise of the Rapa Nui statue culture the islanders famously held the bird man festival. A gruelling annual event where the strongest tribe leaders would compete for overall leadership by scaling the vertical cliff and swimming to the island to camp
Carved from the bedrock
These Moai never made it out of the volcano... out for days awaiting the arrival of the Sooty tern for breeding. The first one to get their hands on an egg and return with it unbroken would be crowned as the Birdman and would be bestowed honour and privilege for the coming year.
From Ranu Kau we drove down to another Moai site but this time a huge and perfectly cut wall formed the base of the platform. This is the only example of such wallmaking on the island and remarkably, the style and expert finish of the huge bricks were almost exactly akin to Inca walls found throughout Peru and especially in Cusco. Although there is evidence that sailors from Peru arrived in Easter Island after the arrival of the Spanish, this construction clearly suggests some form of contact with the Inca civilisation during the Rapa Nui reign.
Having covered much of the Island on our organised tour we spent most of the day revisiting other sites around the island including the spectacularly positioned 15 moai at Tongariki and again to the Nursery slopes of the Ranu Raraku to see the half finished statures strewn among the grass. As a final jaunt before the sun went
down we decided to Off road our way up to the top of Mount Terravaka and the highest point on the island. The steep and bumpy climb took us through thick patches of forest before rising up muddy tracks to the tri peaked summit. Bizarrely, having met no other English people on the island, we ditched the jeep some way short of the summit and hiked to the very top, only to meet a similarly aged couple from London who had travelled up on their motorbike! Curiosities aside, the view from Terravaka was exceptional and with a full 360 degree view of the island it was possible to appreciate the endless blue horizon on all sides. Although we were unable to stay on top of the summit for sundown due to the hairy descent, we did have rental of the jeep for 24 hours so we planned a sunrise expedition for the following morning.
Waking up at 5am in pitch darkness and jumping into the jeep we set out on the long bumpy road to the 15 Moai of Ahu Tongariki. After sadly passing a dead horse at the side of the road on the way we weaved our
Ahu Nau Nau
Until recently buried under a huge sand dune and therefore very well preserved. way along the coast (although we couldn't see it) and parked up to await the first breaks of light in the sky. As sunrise was a little later than expected we spent an amazing 40 minutes watching the stars before stepping out to find ourselves a descent spot. It is times like these that will be truly imprinted on Claire's and my minds for life. Sitting on a slab of lava, we faced towards the gradually lightening sky as the magnificent sillhouettes of 15 gigantic Moai began to appear in front of the deep blue horizon. Dead silence and the occasional birdsong were all that interrupted a magical 30 minutes as the new day serenly arrived in this incredible place. As the blinding sun began to emerge from a thin cloud base a handful of other tourists arrived including a family of loud Americans who couldn't just come to enjoy the spectacle but had to dress up in polynesian outfits and run about.
Returning after an amazing morning we arrived just in time for breakfast and had a final relaxed day getting our belongings together and lounging in the sun and in the evening went to a fantastic polynesian
"Kari Kari" show held at the local Hanga Roa hotel. During the show Bickys' daughter Patty had a starring role and although a little pricey the passionate music and dancing were thoroughly entertaining. Even Claire and I got pulled up to make complete idiots of ourselves trying to wobble our booties and knees respectively.
With real sadness, after a final hoodie hoodie breakfast it was time to leave Easter Island and begin the next leg of our trip in Australasia. The island has been a truly magical experience and has captivated us with its fascinating and unique history. The experience of spending time on this remote dot of land and admiring the collosal Moai statures is one that will stay with us forever. As we said goodbye to Bicky, Patty and the two lovable dogs, we donned our sea shell necklaces and remenisced about the extreme relaxation felt throughout our time here. On the theme of rolling huge stones around, if it were not for the round the world ticket in our pockets, the wild horses couldn't drag us away.
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Faye
non-member comment
You both look so healthy, happy and relaxed. Missing you lots. Lots of love Faye xx