Easter Island * 5th day
It is today that we leave this wonderful and enchanting island.
This unique destination has exicted our imagination of travelers, not only by its geographical isolation, but also by the richness of its culture, its traditions and the mysteries that surround the famous statues.
Magic operated at the sight of each Moai, at the corner of each path, behind each extinct volcano.
What a superb place, with its landscapes of meadows, craters, and coastline battered by the waves and winds! A place steeped in enigmas.
Our flight being scheduled for 2:30 PM, we decide to return to see the 'Tahai' complex located at the exit of the village.
We dive once again into the history of this island, and of course; it is the Moaï who captivate our last emotional glances.
After a less comfortable flight than on the way there, we find our companion on the road who was kindly waiting for us.
Easter Island * 4th day
Enerike is there again at 9 am, on the schedule today
* orango: It is a hamlet of 54 houses, inhabited in the spring by the tribal chiefs,
Paintings of the Bird Man have been found inside some houses.
The competition of 'Tangata Manu' is celebrated here. A member of each clan participates in this event which consists of going down the cliff, then swimming to the island of 'Moto Nui', to look for an egg of 'Manutara' (sooty tern) that nests on this small island.
All around the hamlet, the rocks are decorated with nearly 1700 petroglyphs.
* Rano Kau
This volcano is 324m high, these first manifestations date back to 2.5 million years ago. The last eruption that took place 180 thousand years ago creates a caldera of 1.6 km in diameter.
The rainwater contained in the caldera forms a lagoon 1.5 km in diameter and 10 m deep. Today we observe inside a multitude of small cattail islands
* Ahu Vinapu: complex composed of:
- Ahu Tahira where 6 moais are lying on their stomachs, of which 3 were endowed with Pukao.
- A buried moaï with only the head sticking out, one of the oldest statues.
- A mysterious wall: the stones, very large in size, weigh tons and they are united to each other thanks to the precision of the cut. This vestige, baptized as an Inca wall, presents a structure very similar to the constructions of Machu Picchu.
- A female moaï, column made of the same red stone that is used for the Pukao.
* Puna Pau:
It is the place from which were extracted the pukaos, these large red cylinders that topped the moaï. The quarry was active during the centuries from the XIV to the XVII. It seems that all the pukaos come from this place which was moreover considered a secret and sacred.
* Ahu Akivi:
The 7 statues of the site were transported over nearly 15 km from the quarry of Rano Raraku. They would represent the 7 explorers sent by King Hotu to Matu'a before he embarked on his founding journey from the Marquesas Islands.
* Ana Te Pahu:
The cave consisting of several underground interconnected chambers runs for more than 7 km in the sides of the volcano 'Maunga Terevaka'. Ana Te Pahu means the cave of the drum. During the wars between tribes and then during the slave hunt in the mid-19th century, this place served as a refuge.
It’s a bad experience for us. Our guide forgot to tell us that we needed a lamp to progress inside this cave ... We saw nothing, the ground was slippery and Christophe hit his head more than once!!!
Fortunately, the other sites are fabulous!!!
Lunch break and return to the cabanas.
Easter Island * 3rd day
Enerike comes to pick us up at 9 a.m., he is our driver and guide for the day.
Throughout the day, he tells us the beautiful story of his island ... A mix of legends and stories embellished with anecdotes ... A beautiful experience to live.
While traveling the island we visit:
* Ahu Akahanga: Former village constituted
- of boat houses, the 'hare paenga'
- of typical ovens, the " umu pae ".
- of the famous Ana Akahanga cave which served as a shelter for fishermen
- of a platform, the Ahu Akahanga and the 13 moais still fallen from their pedestal.
According to oral legend, the first king of the island, Ariki Hotu Matu'a is buried there.
* Ahu Tongariki: One of the island’s iconic images - 15 moais that dominate the ocean.
The history of this place mixes both mythological stories, wars between clans as well as the remains of an ancient village.
It is the most important megalithic monument in Polynesia, the platform is 100 m wide and 200 m long.
In 1960, a tsunami devastated the site and carried some moais over a hundred meters. The site was restored in the 90s.
* Rano Raraku: This impressive volcano corresponds to the quarry used for making moai.
On the sides of the volcano lie 397 moai including a group of about 70 sentinels who seem to be watching over the island. We also see the largest of the moai ever sculpted which reaches nearly 21 m in length.
We learn the two techniques used for making statues. Either the statue was directly carved from the rock, or the sculptors isolated a block of stone in a cave by digging galleries around it. A kind of mooring held the statue back against the wall and when the first cut was completed, this umbilical cord was blown out and the statue was removed to ensure its finishing.
* Ahu Te Pito Kura: Ancient ceremonial center for the natives consisting of:
- The statue of "Moai Paro" which measures 9 m and weighs 80 tons is the largest in Rapa Nui.
- A hat called "Pukao" nearly 10 tons and 2 m high.
- A circular stone about 80 cm in diameter, the " Te Pito Te Huena ", the navel of the Earth
* Anakena: 150 m from the beach of Anakena is located the Ahu Nau Nau.
The statues of this Ahu are the most preserved on the island: indeed, after having been knocked down they remained for a long time semi-buried in the sand. Of the 7 moais, 4 have a preserved state of conservation with their pukao.
We have lunch near the white sand beach under a coconut grove.
We return to the cabin, the head filled with names 'Moai' dismaying a king or queen, a character, a place, a common name and many others.
Satisfied with Enerike’s service, we ask him to come back tomorrow for the other sites.
Calm end of the day.
Easter Island * 2nd day
This morning, we plan to go towards the volcano 'Rano Aroi'.
According to the information obtained from the tourist office, the route is divided into two stages. The first part of the village towards the parking lot of the volcano; it takes 40 minutes of walking, then the second part of the parking lot; it takes 1 hour 30 minutes of walking to reach the summit. Another solution is to take a taxi that takes us to the parking lot or to the summit.
We meet a taxi that takes us to the parking level. At the entrance of the site, the employee informs us that we need a guide, but that the climb to the top of the volcano is without a guide and that the taxi cannot pass the parking lot!!!
We meet again without a guide and without a taxi ... We go back down on foot ... a 2-hour walk!!!
On the way, we meet a good soul who takes us to the city ... 30 minutes less, we take the opportunity to visit:
* Ahu Tahai
An imposing solitary moai, without a headdress.
* Ahu Ko Te Ri
A moai with eyes and a cap.
* Ahu Vai Uri
A support of five moaïs with different physiognomies.
After lunch, return to the cabanas to work on the site and the photos before taking a walk along the Pacific Ocean.
The 'Moai' Statues
These 887 monumental statues are the symbol of Easter Island. These basalt and tuff monoliths measure 4 to 8 m and weigh between 10 and 80 tons. These moaïs were erected all along the coastline, they look at the interior of the island, except for those on the ahu Akivi which are turned towards the ocean.
Initially a symbol of communication between the chiefs and priests with the gods, over time the moais became more and more a way to compete against the neighboring clan.
The first, the simplest ones, date from the beginning of the settlement of the island, around the year 1,000. Some moais wear a 'Pukao', a kind of red tufa hat representing perhaps the hair. They are installed on ceremonial platforms, the 'ahus', which also housed burial chambers.
It is on the sides of the 'Rano Raraku' that the Rapa Nui carved these gigantic stone statues. The artisans used simple but effective tools to reveal the shapes of these effigies. It seems that most were carved lying on the back. Once the sculpture was finished, the moai were detached from the rock, lowered downwards, then erected vertically, their backs being then erect.
To move them, the inhabitants probably used ropes and "walked" the giant statues in a zigzag along carefully designed roads. This technique is called 'Frigidaire Method'.
Easter Island
Its official name comes from the day it was first discovered by a European, the Dutch Jakob Roggeveen, on Easter Day 1722.
Its original name, Rapa Nui, means "the distant", and comes from the Tahitian.
The history of the island’s settlement is not known with certainty. The anthropological museum of Hanga Roa evokes a colonization around the year 400, others the year 900.
According to legend, the Polynesian king Hotu a Matu'a and his wife Ava Reipua would have arrived aboard two catamarans, probably from the Marquesas Islands.
They founded a dynasty organized into tribes or clans, the 'mata'.
The oligarchy of the island then makes its people believe that it communicates with the gods, thus ensuring the prosperity of the island. The construction of large ceremonial centers and their enormous moai statues allows to materialize this communication, and to impress the population.
Easter Island * 1st day
Our plane taking off at 9:15, the airline asks us to arrive at 6:15 for a specific registration for Easter Island.
Fortunately, we are parked on the long-term parking lot ... We only wake up at 5:00 a.m.!!
In fact, we carry out the different phases of registration ourselves: Label, Weighing and Recording. It’s a moment of confusion for several passengers, especially for the groups that stick together and panic as soon as they are a bit separated.
Then, we go through a special line where inspectors are waiting for us to check: passport, booking of accommodation that must be approved, return ticket and individual form that we filled out last night.
In the end, one hour was enough for us all ... we have two hours left before takeoff.
After a carefree 5-hour flight, we land on the island called 'Rapa Nui'. A 'Polynesian' orchestra welcomes us, and after collecting our luggage, it’s Andréa who greets us with necklaces of flowers. We are really in Polynesia!!!
After our installation, we descend into the village center to have lunch by the Pacific Ocean watching the advanced surfers on huge waves.
As in our ritual, we join the tourist office to obtain information on the preparation of our stay. The main news is the obligation to have a guide on all the sites of the island, except for two.
Two options are possible:
* take a guide and rent a vehicle.
* take a guide with his vehicle.
We contact several guides to get quotes ... The programs are more or less identical, however the fees double.
Our choice is 'Enerike' recommended by Andréa.
Before returning to the cabin, a small detour by the supermarket.
We spend part of the evening organizing our stay.
ROAD BOOK 217
MAVROS ODYSSEE
