Marc's arrival on Easter Island
The decision to go to Easter Island was made over several months. We vacillated about the costs versus the experience. One day I would be excited about going but Marc wouldn’t be, and vice versa. The relatively short flight and the idea that we never again would be so close tempted us. So, one day while in Arequipa when we were both thinking about it we booked the flight.
Easter Island (known as Isla de Pascua in Chile or Rapa Nui to its native inhabitants) is one of the most touristed islands in the world and visiting the place is a bit controversial. From what we have read the island’s resources are being taxed, particularly with respect to fresh water and sewage treatment. Some island residents are hoping to limit tourism and cap the number of mainland Chileans that can move there in an attempt to preserve the Rapi Nui culture. From a recent article in the Economist we learned that 70,000 travelers visit the island each year compared to 14,000 in the mid-1990s. Almost everything on the island is flown in by one of the daily LAN flights or arrives by a ship that arrives a few times every year. This results in exorbitantly high costs on the island. For example, food staples were 3x as expensive as on the mainland. We anticipated the high prices and brought some food with us but still needed to buy a few items at the local markets.
Day One: December 6, 2009
Our first day on the island was short. The flight landed around 9pm and we were picked up by our hostel owner who greeted us with two beautiful flower leis. Once at the hostel we settled in and decided on transportation for the next three days. Most people rent cars because the distances between sights is surprisingly far. This option costs $50/day plus gas and was not budget friendly so we opted to rent bicycles. We figured after all of our hiking we were in shape, and really, how hard could it be? [cue ominously foreshadowing music]
Day Two: December 7, 2009
In the morning we walked to the Make Make tourist shop to rent bicycles. I ended up with a dud and debated for a while about returning the bike but eventually accepted that it would be my mode of transportation for the following three days. Our first stop was Orongo – there are the ruins of a Bird Cult settlement here and we needed to pay our $10 park entrance fee. This site is at the top of one of the three volcanoes on the island and I was cursing the entire way up. Unfortunately, I took out my frustration on Marc who forgave my irrational behavior later in the day. The view from this archeological site is beautiful; you can see the ocean, the volcanic crater, and various petroglyphs.
After our visit to Orongo, it was an easy ride back into town where we headed to the moai on the western side of the island. We stopped at Tahai, Ahu Akqou, Ana Kakenga, Ahu Te Peu, Ahu Akivi, and Puna Pau. Our favorite stop on day two was Ahu Akivi, probably because it was the first site that resembled, in our minds at least, what we were expecting – seven moai in a row. The moai at this site were restored and returned to their positions on their ahu (ceremonial platform) but were missing their pokou (red top knots/hats). Later in the evening our last stop was to Puna Pau where the Rapa Nui had quarried the pokou from the red volcanic rock.
At Ahu Akivi
One thing we learned is that the moai traditionally faced inland toward the village, the one exception being at Ahu Akivi where they face the ocean. It’s also interesting to note that during the peak of the Rapi Nui civilization multiple tribes or clans inhabited the island. During times of unrest, warriors from different clans would knock down their opponents’ moai in the hopes of incurring spiritual damage.
After our first day of bicycling we returned to the hostel for dinner and turned in early to prepare for a long circuit the following day.
