Easter Island: Day 3

Sunday morning, we had to figure out how to get around. The feet weren´t cutting it, and the sightseeing agenda for that day didn´t really allow it. A car would have been great, but we didn´t have that luxury. Peter suggested we go out Saturday night, and I find myself a man to drive me and "my brother" around the island. I didn´t really appreciate the suggestion that I pimp myself out to enhance his sightseeing pleasure. Besides, I didn´t think it would work out so well, what with my dirty clothes (I really need to find a lavanderia), unwashed hair, and something crusty developing under my nose. I suggested he find a lady friend, but he pointed out that women in South America don´t have cars. This is true.

So, we rented bikes. First thing on Sunday morning, everything was closed, so we followed the music, until we got to church. The service was in the Rapa Nui language and included some cool, very un-church like music. After awhile, we headed back to the bike shop, which had since opened.

The ride out was fairly easy. There wasn´t much uphill and the wind was at our backs. We stopped at several sites on the way to Rano Raraku, mostly with fallen maoi, victims of warfare. The wind was intense, and it rained off and on, but was nice by the time we got to Rano Raraku.

Rano Raraku is the quarry where the maoi were built. There are hundreds of unfinished maoi, most of which are just the heads, just waiting to be finished or moved. Some are still in the ground, never having been chipped out. It begs the questions: why did they suddenly stop making them? Why did they destroy them? What were they doing with them in the first place? Fascinating stuff. At Rano Raraku, you can walk right up to the giant maoi heads- but don´t touch!- so we took lots and lots of pictures before heading down to Ahu Tongariki, a site of 15 maoi all lined up.

The ride home was a lot more difficult than I expected. We cut across the middle of the island, which I swear went straight uphill for several miles. Not only that, but we were riding into intense wind. Impossible to get any kind of momentum going. My legs weren´t working anymore, so I had to push the bike.

Obviously the highlight of Easter Island is the maoi and all the mysteries surrounding them, but the island itself isn´t too bad. Volcanic craters, impressive coastline, and wild horses roaming around everywhere. Very cool place.