 |
| This is Moai Kavakava. He's quite popular all over the island. He is found in carvings and paintings at the doors of houses or businesses. He is there to keep the evil spirits out. |
I only have first hand knowledge of the weather from what I've observed over the past six days, which has been very pleasant. Keep in mind that winter officially started a few days ago down here in the southern hemisphere. The high's have been in the low/mid 60's and the overnight lows in the 50's. We've slept with the windows open every night and it 's been quite comfortable. According to Peter, the owner of the property where we are staying, it does get somewhat hot during the summer but not too hot. Most buildings are air conditioned only by the tropical breezes.
What we've learned about the weather here on Easter Island is two things. First, don't trust the weather channel app! I don't really think it's the weather channel folks fault because the second thing about the weather is don't trust your eyes. The app and your eyes may both tell you it's going to be a sunny day, but don't leave the rain gear behind. There will likely be a passing shower in the next ten minutes. After a couple of days we learned when we would head out that no matter what we saw out the window or read on the weather channel to be prepared. We'd be armed with hats, sunscreen, jackets and ponchos and we'd likely use them all...…..within the first hour!
We enjoyed visiting a couple of sites that we had not previously visited, including Akahanga, where there were eight toppled moai and a reconstructed village. We enjoyed a nice one hour hike near the quarry, sharing the trail with horses, cows and several more moai. We then made one more visit to the beach (Anakena) where we did a short hike followed by another picnic. Again, we were joined by the chickens we shared our table with a few days before. This time they even seemed to bring along some of their buddies.
 |
| Akahanga-There were eight toppled moai. Some of their topknots were close by...…... |
 |
| while others had rolled far away |
 |
| Restored hut at the Akahanga site |
 |
| There were a number of moai along the trail we hiked. Why they were left there is another mystery of Easter Island. |
 |
| Sharing the trail with a cow and horse |
 |
| Another moai and more horses along the trail |
 |
| Our picnic guests. The small one was absolutely fearless. At one point he marched right up to the backpack and stuck his head inside to see if there was any food laying around. |
 |
| The marina in Hanga Roa is home to a variety of brightly colored tropical fish and a few sea turtles. They enjoyed the old bread that we brought along to feed them. |
Before returning the rental car we stopped to refill it with gas. Most if not all of the service stations have attendants. They're nice young men dressed in neat uniforms who pump the gas for you. I looked back at the pump when he finished and it was 14000 pesos (about $20 US dollars). I pulled out the bills I had in my wallet and counted seven 2000 peso bills and handed it to the attendant. He looked puzzled for a moment and then broke out in a huge smile. I really hadn't given him seven 2000 peso bills. I had actually given him seven 20000 peso bills. He handed me back six of the bills I had given him plus my change. Outwardly he was politely smiling the whole time, on the inside I'm sure he was laughing! I should have tipped him, but I would have probably got that wrong as well.
The story of this young mans honesty is just one example of the hospitality that we have received from everyone here on Easter Island (and in the Atacama Desert as well). We've been greeted with nothing but smiles and "hola" or "buen dia" everywhere we go. On two separate occasions when we've been walking and pulled out our map, people in cars have stopped to ask us if they could help us find something. You can't teach that kind of stuff, that's genuine hospitality.
Today is our last full day here on this special island. Our plans are to relax and enjoy it. We've seen what we wanted to see, learned much about the mysterious history and made friends with people, dogs, horses, chickens and cows along the way.
Easter Island isn't an easy place to get to, but for us it was well worth the effort. If you do find yourself planning some time out here in the middle of the Pacific, here are a couple of what might be helpful hints.
Currently the only regularly scheduled flights to the island are from Santiago or Tahiti.
Given that it's a difficult place to reach and that there is plenty to see and do, try to allow for at least five days. It'll go by quickly!
There are numerous accommodations on the island ranging from hostels to five star hotels. We are very pleased with Hareswiss. There are three bungalows on site all with nice terraces overlooking the water. Peter, the owner has been very helpful with ideas and suggestions. He also offers a nice breakfast for a reasonable rate (currently $8 per person, per day). It includes bread, fruit, meat, cheese, cereal, yogurt, juice and milk. There is enough to make sandwiches with for the day so it's like getting two meals.
As you would imagine, food is pretty expensive. You can cut down on this by bringing some items with you. We brought some meats, cheeses, peanuts, crackers, chips, and instant noodles. We did eat out several times and the food was very good. The portions are fairly large so if you're not too hungry you can also split a meal. If you're a fan of empanadas, make sure to visit Empanadas Tia Berta!
Bottled water is available for purchase. We bought some, but after confirming the tap water is safe, we have used it as well.
Driving on the island is easy. I would suggest a rental car for at least a couple of days. There are a couple of agencies in downtown. The roads are in fair shape and because there are so few of them a paper map is all you'll need to navigate around without any issues. If you don't feel like driving there are taxis everywhere. I actually read that per capita, there are more taxis on Easter Island than in New York City!
There is wifi on the island, however it isn't at the speed you typically find. It's faster late at night or early in the morning when there is less traffic on line.
Most places do take credit cards, but as always, having some cash on hand is advisable. There are a couple of banks on the island with ATM's. We used the one at the Santiago airport so we haven't had any experience with them. According to Peter, "they're pretty reliable".
When using local currency be sure to count the zeros......….and count them again!
