Last Updated: 03-MAR-2022
DAILY WRITE UP - Today was our around the island explore day. We headed out by bus, to archaeological sites along the south coast starting at Ahu Vinapu, an archaeological site that has raised many questions over the years because of the similarity in appearance and construction to the pre-Columbian structures found in Cusco, Peru. Located here are the ruins of three notable temples, one of which has unusually finely shaped and fitted walls, constructed of huge stones. We will then went to Ahu Akahanga, which is known as the platform of the king with its four ahu, twelve moai of various sizes and shapes, and eight pukao, some carved with petroglyphs. On the front of the main ahu is red scoria fascia, carved with petroglyphs. In the rear is the head of an old moai incorporated amongst the stones. Afterward, we will make our way to Rano Raraku, the quarry of the moai. As we climb the mountain on foot, we will view the quarry from which the massive moai were carved out of the hard basalt. Moai in all stages of production cover its southern flank - unfinished giants still imprisoned in stone, including the largest one ever attempted at 70 feet long!
We then went to Tongariki, the largest ahu (temple platform) on the island. Demolished in 1960 by the tremendous force of a Pacific tsunami (tidal wave) generated by an earthquake in Valdivia (southern Chile), Tongariki has recently been restored by Chilean archaeologists Claudio Cristino and Sergio Rapu, with the help of Japanese archaeologists and the Rapa Nui people. Once again, it supports its 15 moai. We then went to Anakena, a beautiful, sheltered white sand beach surrounded by swaying palm trees where we had some time to swim.
Like mainland Chile we encountered protesters on Easter Island. They seemed to be harmless and I felt like I was in a Northern Exposure copy in the South Pacific. I would see the same people over and over. They did delay us from going to our restaurant (a good thing) and besides making lots of noise and attracting many dogs, they did no harm.
Using a GPS tracking software to see exactly where we traveled each day. Here it is overlayed onto Google Earth. We did a counter clockwise coverage of most of Easter Island.
ROAD SCHOLAR WRITEUP -- Field Studies at Ahu Vinapu, Tongariki & Anakena
Easter Island
B,L
Hotel Otai
Activity note: Driving approximately 30 miles roundtrip, with frequent stops for field trips; about 1.5 hours total drive time. Walking up to two miles total throughout the day; periods of standing up to one hour at a time; navigating up/down into the quarry, uneven terrain, unpaved paths, stairs at some locations, limited shade.
Breakfast: At the hotel, we will enjoy plated meals featuring local ingredients. Coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Morning: Heading out by bus, we will begin our full day field study to archaeological sites along the south coast starting at Ahu Vinapu, an archaeological site that has raised many questions over the years because of the similarity in appearance and construction to the pre-Columbian structures found in Cusco, Peru. Located here are the ruins of three notable temples, one of which has unusually finely shaped and fitted walls, constructed of huge stones. We will then continue to Ahu Akahanga, which is known as the platform of the king with its four ahu, twelve moai of various sizes and shapes, and eight pukao, some carved with petroglyphs. On the front of the main ahu is red scoria fascia, carved with petroglyphs. In the rear is the head of an old moai incorporated amongst the stones. Afterward, we will make our way to Rano Raraku, the quarry of the moai. As we climb the mountain on foot, we will view the quarry from which the massive moai were carved out of the hard basalt. Moai in all stages of production cover its southern flank - unfinished giants still imprisoned in stone, including the largest one ever attempted at 70 feet long!
Lunch: At the National Park picnic area at Rano Raraku, we will have a picnic deli lunch.
Afternoon: We will depart for Tongariki, the largest ahu (temple platform) on the island. Demolished in 1960 by the tremendous force of a Pacific tsunami (tidal wave) generated by an earthquake in Valdivia (southern Chile), Tongariki has recently been restored by Chilean archaeologists Claudio Cristino and Sergio Rapu, with the help of Japanese archaeologists and the Rapa Nui people. Once again, it supports its 15 moai. Next, we will continue to Anakena, a beautiful, sheltered white sand beach surrounded by swaying palm trees where we will have some time to swim. This beach, the largest in Rapa Nui, is where Hotu Matu`a is said to have beached his canoe and lived in one of several caves while waiting for his boat-shaped house to be completed. While the foundations of an unusually large oval house (82 feet long) are visible nearby, it contained no traces of very early habitation. Afterward, we will return to the hotel.
Dinner: On your own to sample the local fare.
Evening: At leisure.
Large friendly roaches here
The Chile post office. I should have checked out the stamps and mailed a postcard back to myself. Oh well.
Our first site visited was Vinapu - It was at the end of the runway
Our group heading to the ruins
Vinapu - area with Ahu Tahira, most perfect ahu rock wall of Rapa Nui - This wall is by far the most perfectly fit rock wall of on the island. The flawless fittings of Ahu Tahira are made with a different engineering style than virtually all other ahus: the stone blocks were constructed and polished for a perfect fit, as opposed to randomly trying to fit naturally shaped rocks. The back wall is still in perfect condition, except for the center portion that got in the way for American archaeologist William Thompson's destructive curiosity in 1886.
Indicated possible contact with Inca Empire - The high level of rock wall carving that Ahu Tahira shows doesn't really belong in Rapa Nui as well as the rest of Polynesia. This makes many draw conclusions on contact with a different civilization. The most probable option would be the Inca Empire, which co-existed with Rapa Nui high culture (16th century), and the Incas are well-known for being the masters of rock wall building.
Various views
Puna Pau is the quarry where the red stone for the pukao, or topknot, for the moai statues comes from. This is an example of the topknot.
In the later period of moai statue carving, a final decoration was built for the statues - a huge red block of stone on the head of the moais. This red stone is called pukao and represents the hair of the person the statue represents. The mana - a magical power - was preserved in the hair, so more hair would potentially mean more mana.
Isla De Pascua VOR-DME just above Vinapu
In Akahanga or Aka Hanga there are the remains of what was an old village near a small bay (hanga), located on the south coast of the island.
At the entrance of the enclosure, after crossing the wall, there are the stone foundations of several hare paenga or boat-houses, so called because of their elliptical shape reminiscent of a ship, where the old inhabitants lived. In front of the access of each house, there is a small area paved with round marine boulders (poro nui), which form a small square.
Very close to the houses, there are several umu pae or old stone ovens, which were used to prepare the umu.
The fallen giants of Akahanga - This large platform of 60 feet in length has not been restored, the statues lie face down with their hidden faces and their turned backs.
Explored a cave that was used as a living quarters
Rano Raraku Quarry - This had been a primary quarry for the construction of the large statues, moai, which are found along Easter Island's coast. A large number of moai in various stages of carving are at the quarry today.
Chickens & cats in the store / restroom area. We had a brief on what we will see
Various views not in any order as I took so many photos here
Steep trails
Main quarry area
Another unfinished moai
I think that this is the largest moai called "El Gigante," located in the Rano Raraku Quarry, which would have stood some 72 feet tall. El Gigante weighs in at an astonishing 160-182 metric tons, more than the weight of two full 737 airplanes. However, El Gigante was ambitious even for the master movers of Easter Island. Experts believe that had they finished this Moai (there is some question as to whether they ever intended to), it is unlikely the islanders would have been able to move it.
Marco is showing us how they chiseled the moai's out of the cliffs
Looking at Ahu Tongariki - 15 Stone Statues from the quarry area. All the moai's at Ahu Tongariki where made here and transported 3/4 mile to the coast.
Various views not in any order as I took so many photos here
Plants seen in this area
Back at the gift shop
Ahu Tongariki - 15 Stone Statues - Ahu Tongariki is the largest ahu on Easter Island. Its moais were toppled during the island's civil wars, and in the twentieth century the ahu was swept inland by a tsunami. It has since been restored and has fifteen moai, including one that weighs eighty-six tonnes, the heaviest ever erected on the island. Ahu Tongariki is one kilometer from Rano Raraku and Poike in the Hotu-iti area of Rapa Nui National Park. All the moai here face sunset during the summer solstice.
Hardly anyone was here.
From behind
Estimates on the horse population vary wildly. In A Companion to Easter Island, James Grant-Peterkin writes there are almost 3,000, but locals often claim: "We have more horses than people." (There are about 6,000 inhabitants.)
Horses, originally introduced by 19th-century Catholic missionaries, now roam freely on Easter island. But all are branded and owned by someone. And the horses have the bad habit of scratching themselves on the moai - the stone walls at major archaeological sites such as Ahu Akivi can't keep them out.
This is probably an introduced plant. Easter Island flora doesn't have a great variety, unlike the other Polynesian islands. The island is 90% covered by grassland, 5% by wooded land or crops and the remaining 5 % by sparse vegetation.
However, botanical and archaeological studies indicate that the vegetation wasn't always like this. In the last 40,000 years there have been great changes in the abundance and distribution of the flora. Among them, it is of importance to point out the existence of vast forests surrounding the big volcanoes. Unfortunately, the Polynesians used the slash and burn system for their intensive agriculture, which led to the extinction of species like the island's endemic palm tree (Paschalococos Disperta) and the Sandalwood, and eventually led to the loss of all trees. Simultaneously, the arrival of the Polynesian rat, which bred thanks to the lack of predators, contributed to the loss of species due to the fact that they fed mainly on seeds and palm tree coconuts.
Currently, a total of 212 different plant species have been identified, of which 46 are native and 166 were introduced to the island at different times in Easter Island's history. The latter dominate the island's current terrain, with the Eucalyptus, Melias, and guavas standing out.
Various views... This is a hard place to take photos as it's so big.
Topknot - Hair (like a bun) that did not get installed. Until 1960, almost all the statues of Tongariki had topknots, but after the tsunami they were thrown deep into the island. How to install topknot? Scientists have long wondered, but recently received an answer. The natives used something like Egyptian technology: they rolled the topknot along an inclined plane, that is, they built a tower and an inclined plane was attached to it with a pulley system. It turned out to be a design similar to a children's slide, but more reliable. It can withstand about 12 tons - such is the weight of the largest topknot.
Marco taking the group photo - Group photos from Steve
Various views
Hawk ?
Looking straight down the line
One that did not make it all the way
Anakena - Beautiful beach
Another naked person changing on the beach
Here it is if you missed it
Looking back at the moais
So as I am standing on the beach taking photos and this woman in teal just strips down an changes. I love this country
Six photos combined. Nice beach considering that its cold here.
We enjoyed the beach here and did not walk up to the smaller moais here. Now I wish I did as I did not go into the water here. These photos were from the web.
Very scenic here on the drive back to the hotel
Back at the hotel. It smelled like dill
I assume a fake moais at the hotel. Still, I would love to have one of these at home.
Our group waiting for the delayed bus because of the protesters to go to the Te Ra`ai restaurant. The WiFi was around the front office. Cell service data really SUCKED here.
Idiot protesters up the street from our hotel.
Looking down the street from our hotel to the Pacific Ocean. Not good as we are definitely in the tsunami zone
We saw a number of people getting around via horseback here.
Still waiting for the bus
The flag of Easter Island (also known as Rapa Nui or Isla de Pascua) was adopted on 9 May 2006. It is a white flag with a red reimiro (a wooden pectoral ornament once worn by the people of Rapa Nui) in the center.
The flag is representative of the Polynesian past and culture of the islanders.
A man's face appears on both sides of the red figure, a figure that reportedly represents a moon.
Here comes the protesters who want to be independent. They have no concept of what that actually represents. But, it was interesting to watch.
Did not remove duplicates
Sunset from the bus on the way to the Te Ra`ai restaurant
Te Ra`ai restaurant. The food was ok. I passed on the face painting but they got Mary
Similar to a southwest pit BBG. Cooked in the ground. The food from my persepective was ok. But, I would have passed and spent the evening looking at stars.
They had a very loud dance which being in the front was a bit concerning as they were coming too close to Mary. Again, would have liked to skip this.
On to Day 12 - Easter Island - Parque Nacional Rapa Nui
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