Wednesday Feb. 20, 2013
The plane land on the island at 6:30am. I go to a hotel named "Chez Cecelia". The lady tells me that she will have something available but only in the afternoon. No problem, so I leave my bags there and head out in the direction of the trail that will lead me to the "Rano Kau" volcano top and the archeological site of "Orongo". What a view from up there on the town and the ocean. The crater is very impressive and "Orongo" is quite an interesting site. I get back in town and go back to the hotel and the lady tells me to pick my bags that she will bring me to her hotel house where she as an available room. We are almost all the way out of town and I would have to walk 30 minutes to get in town or have to take cabs every time. She had not told me that earlier, a little later she gets mad at me because I booked a tour to the Maoi sites with an agency downtown when she had already told me that she organized tours (Can I choose who I want for my tours, please). Not long after I go back to town to find another hotel because with the attitude she gave me and the dump she brought me too does not please me at all. I find another room, private this one, in town for only a few more dollars a day. I take a cab and go back to the other place and take my bags back and leave without saying thanks. She was asking 45$ US a night for a room shared with her nephew, no personal lockers for my valuables and the front door to the house doesn't lock. So I went back to Hotel "Atariki", where she asks 50$ US a night and I'm right downtown.
Mirador "Rano Kau", volcano crater
"Rano Kau"
View on the ocean from "Orongo" site
Ancestral homes of the Rapa Nui tribes, "Orongo" site
Petroglyphes "Orongo"
Town of Hanga Roa seen from "Rano Kau"
Thursday Feb. 21, 2013
I leave early you the tour group to go around the main Moai sites. First we go to "Hanga Te'e" and Aka Hanga" sites, to show us what all sites looked like before they were restored. Then "Ahu Tongariki" that is one of the sites that was restored and where the statues stand up. It is also the biggest site of Easter Island. Then it's off to "Rano Raraku" that was where they built all the statues of the island. The whole quarry is the the site of the volcano and the statues were carved right from the rock of the volcano. There is a very large quantities of Moai right on the quarry site. In the afternoon we then go to "Te Pito Kura" and we finish the tour at "Anakena" site where there are other standing Moai, but it's also where there is the nicest beach of the island. Back in town at 5pm. Such a nice day seeing and these sites and learning about the mysteries of Easter Island, there are still many unanswered questions. The cost of the tour was 30,000 Chilean pesos that would be about 63,74$ Can. with Rapa Nui tours. I would recommend the agency, because the guide was very interesting and interested in the subject. He knew the history extremely well and answered all of the questions we asked him.
Entrance from an ancient house, "Hanga Te'e" site
Ancient fire pit
"Aka Hanga"
"Ahu Tongariki"
"Ahu Tongariki"
"Ahu Tongariki"
"Ahu Tongariki" with a view over to "Rano Raraku" volcano
"Rano Raraku"
"Rano Raraku"
"Rano Raraku"
The worlds navel, "Te Pito Kura" site
"Anakena"
"Anakena"
"Anakena"
Friday Feb. 22, 2013
I walk a little everywhere around town in the morning and in the afternoon I walk all the way to the museum and also go see the "Tahai" site that is the only original site that as a Moai with eyes. I come back towards town slowly walking along the coast and stop in a small harbor restaurant when I get back. In the evening I decide to go rent a car to go drive around the island at my own pace this time and be able to go see some of the sites I had not yet went to. The same evening I decide to drive to "Ahu Tahiri" site and then go back to "Tahai" hoping to catch an very nice sunset over the ocean, but no luck tonight the sky is cloudy.
Statue at the entrance of the museum
"Tahai"
"Tahai"
"Tahai"
Entrance to a ancestral home, "Tahai" site
Quite an original cemetery
Park at the side of "Hanga Roa" town
West coast from a restaurant terrace
Saturday Feb. 23, 2013
I leave at 8am and go strait to "Panu Pau" site and then to "Ahu A Kivi". From there I take a walking trail to go up the highest volcano, that is "Maunga Terevaka". The volcano is only 511 meters but I have to go up a trail that's a total of 8km to go and come back on my steps. You can see almost the whole island from up there. Then I go to "Ana Te Pahu" a formation of caves that are in fact magma canals that date back to the volcanic era of the island. I do go quite deep, but at one point my headlamp is not powerful enough, so I turn around after a while. Then it to "Ahu Tepeu" that I go before deciding to go back on the road that goes around the whole island. I quickly stop again at the quarry of "Rano Raraku" and at "Ahu Tongariki", I then head to "Papa Vaka" and "O Vahe" that I had not seen on the tour. I get back in town at 6pm just in time to bring the rental car back.
(Car rental with "Insular Rental" for 60,000 Chilean pesos that is more or less 125$ Can. and the gas cost me 10,000 pesos, 20$ Can.)
"Ahu Tahiri"
"Ahu Tahiri", a good example of how big the Moai red hats really are
"Panu Pau"
"Panu Pau"
A very impressive sunrise over the island from "Panu Pau" site
"Ahu A Kivi"
"Ahu A Kivi"
On the top of "Maunga Terevaka" volcano
Sunday Feb. 24, 2013
A very big lazy day. I get up at 10:30am and spend most of the day at the hotel. I go walk in town a bit, but since it rains on and off all day I don't go very far and enjoy the time to do some reading.
Click on image to see the whole picture album for "Easter Island"
Panoramic view from the top of "Maunga Terevaka"
Wild horses are everywhere on the island
Magma Canal, "Ana Te Pahu" site
"Ana Te Pahu"
West coast near "Ahu Tepeu" site
"Rano Raraku"
Northern Coast near "O Vahe" site
Monday Feb. 25, 2013
I spent most of the day in town and at the beach. At the end of the afternoon I go to the tattoo parlor to immortalize my passage on Easter Island and also the end of my trip (I only have 4 more days before going back to Canada). The tattoo cost me 50,000 pesos that is around 100$. I had also gotten one tattoo done in Cusco at the beginning of the trip and I must say they are probably two of my favorite places I was to on this trip.
Town of "Hanga Roa"
Town of "Hanga Roa"
My immortalized souvenir on my left leg
Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013
I walk around town here and there, exploring some parts I had not been to yet.In the afternoon, I go to the beach again to get one last sunburn before leaving. I go see the site of "Hanga Kioe". In the evening I decide to go back to "Tahai" site to catch some sunset pictures again. I get some good shots but in the last few minutes before sunset some clouds come in again and I can't get the shots I rally wanted.
"Hanga Kioe"
Beginning of sunset on the way between "Hanga Kioe" and "Tahai"
Sunset over "Tahai"
Wednesday Feb. 27, 2013
Another lazy day going around town buying some souvenirs for some friends back home and for myself. I take the plane at 6:30pm, tha plane is late about 15-20 minutes. We arrive in Lima around 10:30pm and I go to "Pay Purix Hostel" for a very short night.
Sunset over "Tahai"
Sunset over "Tahai"
Thursday Feb. 28, 2013
I leave for the airport as soon as possible after having breakfast. My flight for Toronto is at 10:25am and we get there being 20-25 minutes late. I did not have much time to catch my next flight for Montreal, but I manage to get there with a few minutes to spare. I get to Montreal at 9:30pm where a friend is waiting for me to get on the road to go home in Rouyn-Noranda at 630km north-west of Montreal.
Copy of my Easter Island map
(Click on image to view larger format then right-click and "save image as...")
Friday March 1st, 2013
We finally get in Rouyn at 6am. I am back home, incredible after all these adventures the house seems very quiet but I'll be able to start planning the next adventures. I am still undecided as of where I will decide to go next. I hesitate in between going around Europe for 5-6 months or around Australia and New-Zealand on a 8-9 months period. But we never know I have been known to change my mind. Before taking any decisions, I already have a trip to Roatan Island in Honduras planned with some friends in the week of the 18 to 25th of April.
*** Here ends my adventures in South America. I will have visited 6 countries and seen places I would have not imagined seeing before I left. So I come back to Canada with my head filled with awesome memories. While on the road, I made friends from all around the world and I would love to be able to go see them in their own countries when I,ll be able to. Thanks to all these companions that shared the road with me. Whether it was only for a few days or for a few months, you were all great and I very much appreciated your company. Goodbye and all I can say, meet you again on the next adventures, very soon I hope.
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