Hello from Peru Again!

Day 12: Rapa Nui

The morning sunrise continues to both amaze and awaken us. We have our breakfast routine down pat and even had time for a much-needed second cappuccino. It took us to our last full day at an Explora hotel, but we finally achieved “private tour” status by being the only ones on both of today’s explorations.

Easter Island sunrise

We met our guide Nico at the map and drove west to Ahu Tahira, a moai platform where the statues are made from basalt, and even feature a female moai. Nico explained the key influences that changed the culture of the island in the 1700s when European explorers made first (recorded) contact with the Rapa Nui people. Nico showed us the uniform shape and clean lines of the platform which is why some people believe this particular ahu was made by the Incas (but Nico doesn’t really buy that theory).

Moai hide and seek

Top knots are the new pot of gold

From this platform, we started our hike towards Rano Kau crater. We had a little rain to start, but the weather soon cleared. After all, Nico said it is “rainbow season.” We had a great view of the coastline behind us and didn’t see any other people on the way.

Good thing the animals aren’t this nimble

Hiking up to the rim of the crater

When we reached the rim of the crater, we had a stunning view. We could see the entire rim, the lake within its basin, and the tiny islands off the coast. We circled the crater and ended up in Orongo, the ancient ceremonial village where the Birdman competition took place.

The Birdman islands from the rim of the crater

Reached the top

Steep walls keep most things out of the crater… or in it

We found a use for the fisheye lens!

Navigating the aggressive vegetation

Island crater life is ruff

For almost five centuries (until the 1860s), the Birdman competition took place once a year, during the first two weeks of September. One tribute from each district (aka villages) would climb down the side of the crater, swim nearly one mile to the far island, climb up the rocks of the island, and wait for a Sooty Tern to lay an egg. They would then gather the egg, tie it to their head in a reed basket, swim back, climb back up the steep, rocky cliff face on the main island, and present the egg to the elders. If he succeeded, his tribe’s leader would become the king for the next year. A few years ago, Red Bull came to the island to scope out the route to potentially host a Birdman-inspired competition, but finally determined that it was WAY TOO dangerous. That’s right, Red Bull – the company that condones people going off Niagra Falls in kayaks – found it too dangerous.

Bird-inspired carvings in Orongo

Tight quarters but you’re paying for the location

We returned to Explora for lunch and a quick break with delicious cocktails, including what can best be described as a tropical Moscow mule (obviously not the official name). For our afternoon exploration, Sebastian was our guide (same as Monday), and we headed to Rano Raraku, the quarry where the moai were cut and carved. Our approach to the quarry followed one of the three moai transport routes the Rapa Nui used to move the statues around the island. Legend has it the moai “walked” to their platforms, much the same way a Weeble would. Statues often fell in transport and were abandoned, as this loss of mana, or spiritual power, was not covered under the warranty.

Impersonating the rare face-up fallen roadside moai

Nice hands, but not meant to be

As we walked around the quarry with a few other tourists, we got an up close and personal look at moai in various states of construction. The quarry itself has some of the most iconic images when you think of Easter Island. The many moai heads that are buried in the ground are full statues (with bodies and all) that were intentionally moved down the hill into cup-holder type pits so the carvers could work on detailing their backs. When the tradition of carving moai ceased, the statues remained in their pits, which filled in over time, leaving the buried statues we see today.

Moai in various stages of completion

Demonstrating the hidden bodies of these moai

The strong, silent type

Many of the statues at the quarry have more details than the ones we see on the platforms. Some have red body paint, tattoos, and/or ear piercings that match the person the statue represents. We also learned that the word moai literally means statue, and is the proper term to use before it reaches the platform. Once they make it, the true name is aringa ora o koro, meaning “the living face of our ancestors” as they now embody the spirit of an important, deceased, tribe member. The quarry also holds a few ginormous statues, that were apparently too large to move. Somebody obviously bet a carver that they couldn’t make a Godzilla-sized moai and the carver had to prove him wrong, but didn’t say anything about moving them.

Carved from the right tuff

Leaving so soon?

The park closed and we made our way back to the hotel for a sauna and jump in the cold pool to refresh. We enjoyed dinner and have every intention of going to sleep on the earlier side so tomorrow we can see the sun rise over Ahu One Makihi, a platform with 15 statues, before we head to the airport and fly back to Santiago.

Day 11: Rapa Nui

Now that we are further north on the globe, the sun rises at around 7:30AM, which means we are greeted by the Easter Island dawn as we woke for the day. Thanks sunshine! At breakfast, we were expecting the dining room to be crowded (like last night), but everybody already cleared out and we had the place to ourselves. We grabbed our packs, and met our guide Estefan in the lobby along with Chase, our hiking cohort for the day.

Receiving the morning briefing

We drove northwest to our starting point near Ana Te Pahu (the lava cave system we saw yesterday) and started the hike by taking a quick detour to another cave Estefan wanted to show us if we were up for it. Well, since there were just three of us on the hike, we pretty much told Estefan we’d gladly see all the secret menu items he might not usually include for a larger group… and he did not disappoint.

Starting with the cave, we climbed our way down from the surface, past a couple feisty tree branches, and into a small section with a natural water reservoir – the like of which the Rapa Nui people would use to get fresh water.

Jo fights a tree to get into the cave

Then we went even further into the cave, through a narrow and short tunnel, emerging into a larger opening with a pool of water. This new area was pitch dark. With only our cell phone flashlights available for light, we oriented ourselves by the sound of dripping water coming down through the ceiling, and the splash made when Estefan threw a rock in the general direction of the deep pool of water.

Venturing deeper to the underground pool

Crawling back out of the cave, we returned to the path and started the “official” hike, which follows the island’s north coast for about 10 miles through areas that once belonged to the Miru, the most powerful tribe in Rapa Nui. The area is not visited by many tourists and we only saw one other “wild human” on the trail the entire day.

This kind of horseplay will get you killed

There may not be many people, but the area is an archeological paradise. Most of the moai we saw on this hike were on the ground, probably because they were knocked down by tribal fighting, fell down by accident in travel, or were worn down by erosion and the weather. However, a few moai we saw were still “standing” because they were essentially turned into building blocks in platforms built to put new moai on top of them.

Moai down

Weathered moai

Moai upon moai (back on the right)

One way the Rapa Nui people kept their belongings safe was using caves as storage rooms. We were able to explore one of these caves (“we” being Jo) with a very small entryway, but once inside, it opened into a nice little space.

Temporarily a mole person

It is relatively easy to tell when each moai was made. The oldest moai are smaller and primitively carved. Many of the older moai are also cut from different stone, such as basalt. The newer moai are bigger and carved with more detail. We saw a variety of moai from different generations along the trail, featuring different sizes and material.

Fallen moai covered in rocks

Having found a nice space on the high cliffs with a fantastic view of the ocean, we stopped for lunch. We’ve been hauling these backpacking chairs all the way from Chicago, and were finally rewarded with the perfect opportunity to use them. We may have even convinced Estefan to get one.

Backpacking chairs for the win

After our hearty lunch, we continued on with the hike. The caves make fertile ground for banana trees, and Estefan spotted one with a few ripe enough to become tasty hiking snacks. Next we saw a giant ramp (Ahu Atanga) at the northernmost part of the island that probably was designed to resemble a boat, given that the area was once the main fishing hub/port of the Rapa Nui people.

Get your fresh bananas here

Somewhat mysterious stone ramp

The Rapa Nui have three types of burial grounds. The most commonly seen is the basic flat platform with the moai on top. The second is a mountain-shaped structure that rises to a high point in the middle. The third is a wide, steep slope with a small moai at the top. This kind is rare and little is known about it, hence, Estefan joked this ramp is the best evidence of aliens having visited Easter Island.

Basalt moai

We continued eastward and saw a variety of notable archeological items, including a cave with hieroglyphs on the ceiling, carvings in the surrounding rocks (such as turtles and tuna), and additional platforms possibly used to denote tribal boundaries. We also saw the coastal walls of a half-crater, and inquired about the colorful vegetation.

Passing thru the Hanga Oteo crater along the north shore

Coral tree and lupine flowers

Too much lupine makes the horses sick

The final location of the hike was Anakena beach, one of two sandy beaches on the island. The area was once the capital city for the royal family (literally translated to “King’s Landing” from the Rapa Nui name). There are several restored moai on a platform near the beach that were well-preserved by the sand.

Approaching King’s Landing

These moai (Ahu Nau Nau) have red-ish top knots (carved from different stone), representing hair worn in a bun on the top of the head, also known today as a “man bun.” Since they were built around the year 1100, one might say the Rapa Nui were pioneers in this hairstyle. The moai were first built in the year 880, so these are among the most recent. It is clear to see how much more detailed the carvings are. They even started adding decorations such as pierced ears, back carvings, and the top knots.

The evolution of the man bun

Three moai at Ahu Nau Nau

Island beach life is ruff

After spending a while looking at the moai at the beach, and sharing some delicious ceviche Chase ordered from the roadside cafe, we returned to the hotel. Wanting to relax in the jacuzzi after the hike, we learned it is not heated in the winter. But hey, the jets worked wonderfully, and it was refreshing.

Maybe slightly warmer than Lake Pehoé

Tomorrow, we’ll start the day with a hike to the rim of a crater and we’ll learn about something called the Birdman competition (which we don’t believe has anything to do with Michael Keaton). In the afternoon, we’ll check out the quarry where the moai were made, and where the majority of the statues remain today.