Arrival at Easter Island

After three weeks in Patagonia this summer, I had reached an impasse. It was winter, many of the buses were not running, and some of the roads were even shut down. I had managed to see practically everything I had gone to see and still had a week of vacation left. So I picked up the guidebook to Argentina. On the cover was Perito Moreno Glacier, which I had just seen (see post below). I picked up the guidebook to Chile. On the cover was Easter Island. I knew nothing about Easter Island, other than that there were some weird statues with long heads and that it was WAY out in the Pacific Ocean. It seemed nothing like the hiking I had come to do. But as I was reading about it, the possibility of going on a whim started to grow in my head. There was hiking on the island, and loads of culture and history to get acquainted with. And I have to admit that taking my hands out of my gloves for the first time in three weeks was appealing to me. Two days later I was stepping onto the plane heading into the unknown.

From the plane approaching the tiny island (it's about 25 miles wide with one little town), I could already see the moai (statues) dotting the coast near the village. That night, I went out to see the site closest to the town, and my discoveries began.

This is Tahai, a 15-minute walk from the town of Hanga Roa. You can see the broken moai on the left, and a canoe landing on the right. Because the island is volcanic, much of the coast is lined with stone (not sand) and the Rapa Nui had to construct landings to safely approach the island. There are two small beaches, which you'll see in a future post.

Tahai is actually a former village area, with three ahus (platforms). The moai on the right still has its topknot (below) -- most of them have fallen off or been lost. The eyes are not original. There are only a few of those remaining; moai were erected without eyes, and it was only when they eyes were placed in the sockets that the moai gained life. Some historians have asserted that the eyes were only inserted for ceremonies and rituals.

Near the moai are foundations of old houses and one reconstructed one. Because of the island climate, people spent most of their time outside, only going in to sleep or rest occasionally; hence the houses are very low.

This picture, taken the next morning, gives you a sense of scale. Note the man on the horse on the left. Click to enlarge.

This was my campsite, right next to the crashing surf (and a fake moai). The island is fairly expensive, but this idyllic piece of ground was only about 8 bucks a night.