Quick facts: Home of the Polynesian culture that built stone monoliths called Moai; GPS: -27.148291, -109.430584; GMT-6; Altitude: 32′
Hanga Roa – This morning was a good start to the day. I woke up with plenty of time to get ready. I went down to the lobby and ate breakfast where a buffet was being served. Came back to the room and got my stuff packed, then checked out and headed to the airport for my flight to Easter Island.
The flight was scheduled out at 10:25 and I’m glad I arrived early because after checking in I had a hell of a time finding where I was supposed to actually board the plane. Before heading to the gate I pulled out what I felt was all the cash I would need on the island because of what I read about limited cash availability. From there I tried following the signs based on what the ticket lady told me but had to double back multiple times when I hit a dead end.
After about 20 minutes of searching I finally found the actual sign that said departures for Easter Island. This was a completely separate area and security check point for flights going to the island. I don’t know why this is set up this way but apparently the agency can’t simply differentiate between passengers based on their destination and have to route us accordingly. The customs systems crashed and we had wait before actually getting through and being cleared for take off. While this was happening they didn’t say anything except for “wait” so I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on until they started waving the few of us all forward again.
Once I was finally through all that mess I meandered my way back down several unmarked hallways to the area where everyone else was and then it was like none of it happened. At the gate the one thing I noticed was there were a lot of people buying boxes and boxes of Dunkin’ Donuts. I can only assume that there must be a donut shortage on the island. With not much else around and the uncertainty of getting lunch I too went to the shop but opted for a couple sandwiches to have on the plane.
After getting on our way we broke out of the cloud layer and it was some time before anything below could be seen again. Once I could we were over the ocean and that view did not change for several hours. The flight from Santiago to Easter Island is scheduled for 5.5 hours. I mostly listened to podcasts during the flight and that made it go by much quicker. As we approached I kept an eye out to get my first glimpse of the mysterious island. While the camera was rolling I couldn’t see much and I realized that I made a mistake on which side of the plane to sit on. The only thing I did see while we touched down was some kind of oil plant and the big volcano, Rano Kao.
Finally! I made it to Easter Island. This final destination is really the goal of this whole trip and everything else has been a lucky happenstance by convenience and good planning. Almost 20 years ago when I was first in Santiago for work I had hoped to go to either Machu Picchu or Easter Island since I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get back down this far south but was not given the permission and time off to make it happen. I’m making both a reality after a long time.
Upon touch down the place taxied to the gate and we deplaned. From what I could see initially there was nothing that out of the ordinary that I could tell, the scene just looked like an ordinary island setting. I wasn’t sure what to expect, maybe moai just littered all over the place, and I did not see that which was a little disappointing. However, I was excited to get to the rest of the place and explore as much as time would allow. Since this island is technically just a part of Chile there was no immigration or anything (all that was done weirdly back in Santiago) so we just waited for our bags to be unloaded.
After I got my bag I went out and met the local guide, Patricia, who I had arranged beforehand and she started the tour off with going to Rano Kao. It was a short 15 minute drive there where we walked around the rim of the volcano and she told me about the history and significance of this place. The water contained in the bowl was extremely important to the Rapa Nui people in antiquity because this was their only source of fresh water. Also interestingly she told me about how this is also where rapamycin is from and how it got its name. This only rang a bell with me because of the health podcasts I listen to (mostly notably – The Peter Attia Drive Podcast) and is being referred to more and more for several of its potential helpful possibilities.
We then drove a couple minutes up to Orongo on the backside of the rim. I purchased my national park ticket which is valid for several days and at this time costs $80 USD per person. This ticket is required for all the sites on the island and only allows entry to each site once. I got my stamp on this site and we walked over to the cliffs that over look the smaller islands where she told me the locals conducted what was known as Tangata manu or “the birdman competition.” This competition lasted for around 150 years and was the answer to selecting the governing family after the fall of the moai society. I believe she said the last one was held in 1868 and then discontinued because of pressure from the missionaries on the island at the time.
After walking the area of Orongo, we drove about 40 minutes to Rano Raraku which is almost completely on the other side of the island. This is the actual quarry where the stone used to make the moai came from. As we got closer I could make them out and this is where the picture in my mind’s eye became a reality. This place was littered with moai! I got my stamp and we walked through this park looking at all the statues laying here and there. About half way through I ran out of space on my SD card and had to go back to the car to get another one and the camera was back to shooting pics all over the place. I really enjoyed this place. It’s fascinating to hear the theories, which she offered several, of how these moai were constructed and moved to their ultimate resting place. But really since there are no written records it’s anyone’s guess until it can be definitively proven, which it hasn’t yet. The culture that made these had already fallen and stopped production before Europeans ever landed here.
The next stop after the quarry was practically next door, Ahu Tongariki. This site is where the largest Ahu (the stone platforms the moai stand on) is. It consists of 15 moai that were toppled during the civil war and then further mangled by a tsunami in 1960. In the 90’s the site was rebuilt using photos from before the tsunami and with help from the Japanese and now is a prime example of how the island once looked hundreds of years ago in its heyday. As elsewhere on the island the moai are all facing inward which is intended and significant but again with no written language its meaning has seemingly been lost as I have heard many theories of why this is the case. I spent maybe 30-45 minutes taking photos here knowing that I would be back in the morning for the sunrise.
After that we headed to Anakena on the north part of the island. This is really the only true beach on the entire island. The guide also said this is where lore says the original Polynesians that set foot on the island landed here. This makes sense as risking a landing anywhere else from the looks of it would certainly mean the destruction of the boat. I walked around the beach a little and took some pics of the moai that are here. If I had more time it would be nice to come back here and hang out as I can see this is a popular recreation site for the locals. But as it is, I can go to a beach back home so I didn’t want to spend very long here even though it is beautiful.
At this point the tour was pretty much over. I got a late start since my flight came in about 4 hours after the normal starting time of this full day tour. I am not sure what else exactly we skipped and it would’ve been nice to spend a little more time at some of these sites but really I don’t think there was anything I missed as far as this tour goes. The guide drove me back the 30 minutes or so to my hotel in Ranga Hoa.
After checking in and taking a look at what was nearby for dinner I jotted some options down and headed out into town. Hanga Roa is not very big but I did not want to waste too much time since it was getting later in the evening. The first option and closest to the hotel was closed so I kept walking towards the ocean where more and more places would be open. I didn’t see too many places that I liked until I got to the water. I wound up at Te Moana. It’s right on the water but since the sun was already down, there wasn’t much of a view. It was a nice setting and since I was back at the ocean I decided to order fish.
One thing I have noticed on this trip is that while I am conversational in Spanish to some extent but I am by no means fluent I have a theory that I initially present well as I use language I am comfortable with and this throws native speakers off after my ability degrades the more I have to venture into unknown linguistic territory. I say this because when trying to order a michelada to go with my dinner the waiter tried to describe what one was. I lived in Guatemala for a whole year and have been to Mexico MANY times. I know what a michelada is. What I was asking was what the beer options were since on the menu they broke it down as separate in it’s own right which I have never seen before. So I guess in asking if it included a beer that perplexed the waiter and he spent the next 5 minutes explaining what a michelada is.
After the drink situation was rectified I was happy. A short while later I was eating my fish and rice dinner while washing it down with another michelada. For some reason even though I hadn’t eaten much today, I was really full and just barely could finish everything on my plate. I guess that’s a good thing because it was delicious and to some extent I would rather have quality over quantity.
Fat and happy I walked back to my hotel which was only 15 minutes away by foot. It gave me some time to digest my food and see the town by starlight. Once I got back to the hotel I got ready for bed and hit the rack. It’s another early start in the morning and I want to be ready.