Me and all Moai friends

It’s hard to put into words all that I experienced last week*. I never imagined I would ever get to Easter Island in my life time - especially this early on! The intrigue of Easter Island is a) because I’m an environmental history nerd, b) because I’m a nerd and c) because of the island’s history. Getting to see the Moai in person and to learn more, first hand, about the history and culture of this island has been #2 on my travel bucket list for well over a decade. The amazing thing is that bucket list #1 is climbing Kilimanjaro, which I was able to at least see earlier this year! Who would have thought I'd complete one in full and a second in part in the same year. (And for the record, my goal is Kili by 2023)

In August of this year, I was having a crappy day. Usually this prompts me to check out flights to any number of places and for whatever reason I happened upon a deal that I just couldn’t pass up**. Round trip airfare to Easter Island for a 10th of the price I usually see it at. I felt like this was too good to be true, but sure enough, it was a legit flight and price.

Upon arrival I was picked up from the airport by the hotel’s owner. She drive me around town and helped me to navigate my way around before arriving at the property to get settled and take a much needed shower***. I then ventured into town (about a 20 minute walk each way and involving a trek either up or down a hill) in search of a much needed bite to eat. And this is when I learned just how small the island is...

Within a few minutes, I had bumped into someone I had met on the plane. We then proceeded to tour around Hanga Roa (which means long bay in Rapa Nui language) coming across Tahai, the cemetery and several horses. We eventually parted ways, I grabbed dinner and made my way back to the hotel to catch some overdue zzz’s.

Look at the blue! First impression/visual of Hanga Roa.

First glimpse of Tahai. These are recreations of Moai that were originally placed here.
(Above and below)

The cemetery. Such a beautiful space with so many bright colours celebrating the lives of those found within. 

Day two started with a delicious breakfast and then I was picked up for a the first of two full days of cruising around the island. And they were full days! The guides for both days, Ata and Benjamin showed us the many highlights of the island, while offering up much of its history and just being genuinely fun guys to hangout with.

This tour included six stops, including: Anakena, Te pito kura, Puna Pau, Ahu Akivi, Tahai and Orango. Each told a different part of the island’s history.

Anakena - the birthplace of Rapa Nui culture. The Moai that sit upon this alter are the tributes to Royalty. 

On the backs of the Moai are carvings that depict several things, but usually represent the transition from life to the afterlife. You can’t see them well here - partly due to sunlight and partly due to how far away you are from them as a measure of protection/preservation - but the detail on these Moai are quite visible. This is possible because of their location.

Te pito kura or the navel of the world. Really cool history here, but also - stellar backdrop!

The view of Hanga Roa from Puna Pao!
This is the site where the pukao, or hats/topknots were carved. 

The quarry where the pukao were created. It’s pretty overgrown now, but you can see subtle reminders of what once was. 

Ahu a Kivi, or the Seven Sailors. It is believed that a priest had a dream which prompted seven sailors to take to the seas only to find themselves upon Rapa Nui! Of course, it also correlates to a certain seven-star constellation which happens to pass by this exact spot for three months of the year, beginning around the month of June...

The Seven Sailors from behind. It also rained while we were here, creating a nice break from the heat and humidity!

Back to Tahai for the second time in as many days! 

Picture perfect - this is Moto Nui, which is sometimes called Birdman’s Island. This is the island that was part of the Birdman competition! What a view from Orongo - the birthplace of the Birdman Society!

These are the houses that competitors would live in leading up to the competition. It reminded me so much of L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland. Now I want to go there even more! There are 54 in all!

Also at this stop is Rano Kou - one of the three volcanos on the island! The unique feature here is that the crater is home to a large source of water! See the video below. 

Afterwards, a fellow tour mate, Chicago, and I continued our venture in Hanga Roa and eventually found a place to grab dinner. Then we parted ways, and I made the trek up the hill for an evening of relaxing, reading, and trying to recount every fact I had been given throughout the day. 

The next day I jumped back into the van with Chicago and the boys (great band name!) and a few others we picked up along the way and began the second day of touring. This day included: Tongariki, Reno Raraku, Akahanga, Vaihu and Vinapu. Again - we uncovered more of the history and culture. It was also a sad break fro my travel buddies, as Chicago was heading on to her next destination, and I could no longer afford to pay Ata and Benjamin to hangout with me.

The 15 Moai that make of Tongariki and the fallen 16th. In 1960, a tsunami hit the island, which destroyed this area. It was actually referred to as the mess. The tallest of these Moai is 10 feet, and estimates place the wave at a minimum of 15 feet. In the early ‘90s, a Japanese company donated a crane and paid for the restoration of this site, which was completed in 1997. To recreate the ahu, old pictures and drawings were used to put the pieces together so that we can see them as such today. 

A view from behind. 

And speaking of behind...this one’s got a bit of a tushy! Always the mature one...

Welcome to Rano Raraku - THE QUARRY! This is where the Moai were carved out of the rock  and later transported to their alter. Here, you can see one still in the rock, which was abandoned for one of many reasons - the end of the Moai era, or to compete with an even larger one, among other reasons. 

This bad boy is the largest Moai found to date. Can you see him, sleeping amongst the stone? If you can believe, he is actually 7 stories tall, most of which has been buried due to erosion and such!

Carved Moai that were abandoned before transport, many of which had the details etched into their backs. Again, we can only see part of these, as most of their bodies are actually underground. 

An ocean shot from Akahanga. There was also a cave that we visited here, but the pictures all seemed blurry. These caves were used to mark territory and where quite uniquely designed...but you’ll have to take me word for it!

Vaihu. This is a recreation of a typical village found near the ocean. In this image you can see one of the housing structures. 

Aside from the home, there are these round planters, which are actually quite tall.  Here they grew a number of things, including sugarcane and a plant that was used to make cloth fibres for clothing. The rectangular structure in the background is a chicken coop!

The final stop, Vinapu, included the only female Moai. There is a bit of disagreement about what this actually represents. Some believe it’s a representation of Mother Earth, while others believe it to be Mary. Apparently it was two headed, which could also represent a woman pre-PMS and whilst PMSing... just a thought.  

The days following the two intensive tours were not as exciting. Ata and Benjamin were a tough act to follow. On my first day sans Chicago and the boys, I walked into town and made my way toward the museum. I ended up checking out Tahai for the third and fourth time and was amazed by how each visit to this same site showed the Moai in different ways. Before the museum, though, I started part of the hike along the shoreline, but gave up because it was hot and my need to pee outweighed my desire to exercise.

The outside of the Museum.

My best shot of Tahai! 

Afterwards, I grabbed a bite to eat, checked out some of the markets, and then made my way back to the hotel, as I had an early start the next day.

This was the view from my room. It was so relaxing to sit outside and read, or just watch the chickens run around. It reminded me so much of Uganda, which made me incredibly homesick, but in a comforting sort of way. 

My final full day started with a 5:50AM pick up. The destination? Back to Tongariki - the place I had started my tour only a few days before. I had a great conversation with my guide and we made it just in time to secure a good parking spot (both for the car and for me to witness and take photos of the sunrise). There is something spectacular about a sunrise. Sunset? Sure, they’re okay too, but how many people actually get to see sunrises on the regular? Tongariki did not disappoint.

No words. 

A side view. That mountain in the background is Rano Raraku, or the Quarry!  I think this was my favourite place on the island. So beautiful, but also oddly peaceful despite all the people. 

“Sun’s coming up and a new day starts. Ain’t nobody trying to break my heart.”
- Walk This Road, Bruce Guthro
How can you feel anything but alive when you get to witness this first hand?!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and doing some final wandering around Hanga Roa. I also had an incredible meal that will make all future meals pale in comparison.

My view from the restaurant. You can’t see them, but if you were to look hard enough there’s a couple of canoes out there that had just flipped. It was so much fun watching them chase the waves...and tip continuously!

In the evening, I jumped into another vehicle and attempted to undergo a stargazing tour. Here’s the thing, it was disorganized and a little preachy**** (there was a slide show!). It had been raining just as the tour began, so the sky wasn’t super clear. Luckily when we arrived back at Anakena, I found few stray dogs and got my money’s worth in dog snuggles. I named one of them George. My only regret in life is not bringing him back home with me. I did get to see some stars, though, between snuggles. Here’s my best shot from the night:

My final morning was odd. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve gone somewhere just for fun. It wasn’t work. I didn’t feel a sense of loss in leaving, other than the dread of returning to winter in Canada. But, I’d made a few friends on the island; people I hope I get to see again in this life. I’m still in disbelief that the past week actually happened. I feel grateful for the time I spent on the island and to all of those who shared a piece of their home, their history, and their energy with me.

Once in a life time, for sure.

-the Orange Canadian

*I mean let’s face it - I still haven’t been able to put my trip to Kenya into words yet - and that was in May!
**You know, because who doesn’t deal with rough days by daydreaming about running away...?
***Sometimes I feel like the less active I am the more disgusting I smell. Also, after living in Canada for a year, I’d forgotten how magical cold showers were! 
****Further proving just how great Ata and Benjamin were!