Last Updated: 29-NOV-2019
DAILY WRITE UP - Today was one of the lowest planned (activity) days of the entire trip and this was good. We spent the morning at the Parque Nacional Rapa Nui to study Rano Kau crater and Orongo Ceremonial Village, two of the truly great sights of Rapa Nui. The park, which is on the southwestern point of the triangle, provides spectacular views of the whole island. The ceremonial village, Orongo, is on the sea ward edge of the crater of Rano Kao. Rano Kao houses a huge crater lake, a bog filled with native totora reeds floating on fresh water.
Using a GPS tracking software to see exactly where we traveled each day. Here it is overlayed onto Google Earth. We explored the southern end of Easter Island and walked around town a good bit.
ROAD SCHOLAR WRITEUP -- Parque Nacional Rapa Nui, Free Time
Easter Island
B,D
Hotel Otai
Activity note: Driving approximately 25 miles roundtrip to Parque Nacional Rapa Nui; about 1.5 hours roundtrip. Walking approx. one mile total throughout the day; periods of standing; uneven terrain, unpaved walking paths, some stairs necessary to access sites.
Breakfast: Hotel plated meal.
Morning: From the hotel, we will board our bus and transfer for a field study at the Parque Nacional Rapa Nui to study Rano Kau crater and Orongo Ceremonial Village, two of the truly great sights of Rapa Nui. The park, which is on the southwestern point of the triangle, provides spectacular views of the whole island. The ceremonial village, Orongo, is on the seaward edge of the crater of Rano Kao. Rano Kao houses a huge crater lake, a bog filled with native totora reeds floating on fresh water. Afterward, return to the hotel.
Lunch: On your own to explore the regional cuisine.
Afternoon: Free time in Hanga Roa. You may wish to visit the Padre Sebastian Englert Archaeological Museum, the local craft market, or stop at the local post office to get a stamp in your passport with a unique moai statues stamp. The stamp doesn't have any legal effect - it's just for fun!
Dinner: (Moved - Yesterday) At Te Ra`ai restaurant, we will be treated to a delicious traditional dinner cooked in an umu (traditional Rapa Nui earth oven). Soft drinks and water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Engage in some Rapa Nui-style face-painting and a traditional Rapa Nui dance show. Return to the hotel after the show for the remainder of the evening at leisure.
The morning was free - Mary found a friend
More Protest stuff
Another Moai
Walked over to The Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum and on the way back I walked thru the Tahai area that we visited on the first day.
Walked by the Hanga Roa Cemetery - The cemetery in Hanga Roa is a curious mixture of Spanish Catholic, Polynesian and traditional Rapanui influences, it is located in front of the sea
Various views
Small moai (probably a reproduction
Cat at the hotel who enjoyed the beef jerky that I was eating.
The cat was fine but the photos of it looked like it was just run over.
Looking back at the group & bus
Carving on rock
A couple of us walked up to the summit. Considerable obsidian along this trail which they looked for at the airport. But, they were not that good at finding it.
Elevation & location at the high point
Rabo Kau information - Rano Kau is an extinct volcano with fresh water crater lake.
Motu Nui (large island in the Rapa Nui language) is the largest of three islets just south of Easter Island and is the most westerly place in Chile and all of South America. All three islets have seabirds, but Motu Nui was also an essential location for the Tangata manu ("Bird Man") cult which was the island religion between the moai era and the Christian era (the people of the island were converted to Roman Catholicism in the 1860s). Motu Nui is the summit of a large volcanic mountain which rises over 2,000 meters from the sea bed. It measures 3.9 hectares in land area and is the largest of the five satellite islets of Easter island.
The ritual of the "Bird Man" cult was a competition to collect the first egg of the manutara. This took place starting from Motu Nui where the Hopu (representatives from each clan) waited for the sooty terns to lay their first eggs of the season. The Hopu who seized the first egg raced to swim back to Easter Island, climbed the cliffs to Orongo and presented the egg to their sponsor in front of the judges at Orongo. This gave their sponsor the title of Tangata manu and great power on the island for a year. Many Hopu were killed by sharks or by falling. The winning clan gained certain rights, including the collecting of eggs and young birds from the islets.
Some rowers at Motu Nui.
Looking back at Hanga Roa - It's the main town, harbour and capital of the Chilean province of Easter Island. It is located in the southern part of the island's west coast, in the lowlands between the extinct volcanoes of Terevaka and Rano Kau.
One plane in at the airport
Looking down the East Coast at Ahu Vinapu, Rano Raraku (quarry)
Rabo Kau various views
Orongo - Ancient ceremonial village located on the western top of the Rano Kau volcano
1000 feet down
Some type of Caracara - Caracaras are principally birds of South and Central America, just reaching the southern United States.
Unknown flower
This park employee was sitting at a high point and would yell at you if you stepped of the trail.
Back at the hotel - Various plants & gardens
Bird of paradise plants
Tired Mary
I forgot what the heck this was
Pandanus fruit only grows on the female version of the plant and they can be confused with pineapples. The male version, however, produces lovely fragrant flowers that make pollinating the female trees possible. The flesh of the ripe fruit is edible - like a pineapple, you have to get through the fruit's tough exterior to the sweet edible part inside. Early Hawaiians used the fruit medicinally, to restore women who'd just given birth, as a laxative, and more!
Not good as the entire town would be gone
Estadio Municipal de Hanga Roa
Local beer - very good
We ate at Oheho Surf Cafe which was very good. The bug chunk of butter looking material with chives on it was Mayonnaise. You got it with everything. Yuck !
You had to step over one of the local dogs at Oheho Surf Cafe
Last sunset on Easter Island. We tried to set up an evening star program but it was cloudy at night 2 out of the 3 days we were there. The only night that was clear was the night we went to the luau, which we did NOT enjoy.
We got ice cream at Mikafe which was good but VERY EXPENSIVE - Made me realize that they probably had 2 prices for everything here. Locals & rich tourists as I doubt the locals could pay $6 US for an ice cream cone.
The southern moon ?
On to Day 13 - Easter Island - Fly from Rapa Nui to Santiago, Chile
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