Rapa Nui

Rapa Nui or Easter Island as it is more commonly referred to is one of the more remote inhabited places in the world. It is located 2300 miles (3700km) from the coast of Chile. In fact, Rapa Nui is so far to the west of Chile, that it is geographically considered to be part of the Oceania continent and not South America!

Rapa Nui was first inhabited by Polynesian explores between the 8th and 13th centuries. They developed a unique civilization, in which the local clans constructed ceremonial stone platforms and statues called moai, which is what Rapa Nui is famous for.

For so many people, ourselves included, Rapa Nui is a place shrouded in mystery and a unique history. We hoped to learn as much about this fascinating place as possible during our 4 days.

Day 1: Arrival

We had a 12:30 am flight from Montevideo, Uruguay to Santiago, Chile. We landed at 3 am and departed at 6 am for Rapa Nui. Needless to say, we were exhausted when we arrived. We were greeted by a driver from our hostels who gave us flower necklaces.

We headed off for coffee and lunch. We were told things would be expensive and this was confirmed when two mediocre ham and cheese sandwiches and two cappuccinos came to $25. To avoid this for the next three days we found a grocery store and stocked up on what we’d need (in the end we averaged $21 a day for all meals, snacks, and even some beer).

That night there was a music festival we checked out. It was a simple small stage with various local musicians and groups. We found a nearby restaurant and ordered (way too expensive Pina Coladas and listened to the music. We wandered back in time to see a cultural dance. This was cool because the ones they usually put on for tourists sometimes seem fake or over the top. Locals in the crowds were singing along to the songs.

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Day 2: Museum and Hike

We started our day at the museum to get some background about the island and those who used to inhabit it. We were impressed to find their ancestors came from the island of Tonga via canoes. We also learned the moai statues were created in honor of their ancestors and are not gods. The island was divided into various clans and each created the statues. They were all constructed in the quarry and somehow transferred to their places. All of them were placed near the coast facing inland. Creating them became a sort of obsession as it proved to the other clans how organized and powerful they each were. When the clans were at war they toppled over each other’s statues to hurt moral. The sites we saw were excavated and restored by various archeologists from around the world.

After leaving the museum we walked to the coast and got our first view of the moai statues.

Today’s goal was to beat the humidity and rain and hike to a crater, Rano Kau, and a village ruins, Orongo. We beat the rain but not the humidity. After a sweaty hike up we were greeted with a spectacular view of the lagoon in the crater.

A 20-minute walk from the viewpoint are the Orongo ruins. This is where men would gather each year for the birdman competition. The goal was to jump off the cliff and swim to a small island, Motu Nui, where they would try to be the one to find the first sooty tern egg. Many were killed by sharks, by drowning, or by falling from cliff faces. After climbing back up the cliff with the egg, they were the new Tangata manu. Or they presented it to someone else whom they competed for.

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Day 3: Sunrise and motorbike cruise

We woke early and set out with a rented motorbike to catch the sunrise. About a 20 minute ride away is what some would call the most impressive set of moai statues. The sun rises just behind them and a ton of tourists gather to see it.

Next, we visited the quarry. This is where the statues were carved. Since the development of them stopped abruptly (most say because of war) you can view moai statues in all stages. They start by outlining and carving them as if the statue were lying on its back. They lift it up and finish carving the back. How they lifted and transported them is a mystery however there are lots of theories.

After the quarry, we went to find the cave of virgins. Yup, that’s right there was a special cave to house the virgins so their skin would remain pale (are you kidding me!) The guidebook suggested a guide, but being independent (on a tight budget) travelers we don’t take one unless it’s required. Well, we never found the cave but we did gain a lot of steps, some beautiful views, and a little sunburn.

After the sweaty hike, we stopped at a beach to swim. Most of the coast is rocky or cliffs so there aren’t many sandy beaches to swim. This one was small but uncrowded and exactly what we needed. The water was surprisingly colder than we thought and felt amazing!

On the way back to our hostel we stopped at the moais we saw that morning for sunrise to get a good look at them in daylight. This time we could see the features and we each picked out our favorite.

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Day 4 Cycling and Caves

Today we rented bicycles and peddled our way along the west coast of the island. The paved road we started on soon gave way to dirt and then rock. We were off the beaten path and away from the handful of tourists, we had seen our first few days.

The first stop was Ana Kakenga, a lava tube that was used as a hiding place during tribal wars. After shimmying our way into the entrance the tube got larger and we reached a small chamber. This chamber then split into 2 paths each ending with a sheer drop onto the rocks below and with gorgeous ocean views.

From there we continued on our way to Ana Te Pora, a cave that was used for ceremonies. This cave had a high archway (well at least high enough for Tobias to stand up in) and rocks laid out in a ceremonial slab. It is not clear what exactly it was used for but according to the oral history passed down it was a place of importance.

As we continued to bike along the coast we passed numerous ruins of what we think were former villages or ceremonial sites dotted along the coast. It was hard not to be in awe as we made our way through this living museum with gorgeous volcanic rock cliffs in the distance.

The last lava tube we explored was Ana Te Pahu. These former cave dwellings were once used as water storage and gardens and have now become overgrown with sweet potatoes, taro, and bananas trees. These tubes seemed to be endless. We picked a tube wandered down it for about 15 minutes until we can to a small hole at the end of it. We climbed out and found ourselves quite a distance from where we started. It was easy to see how and why these caves were so important to the clans.

Our final stop for the day was at Ahu Akivi. What made this site so unique was that it was the first site where they build the moais on the island and has 7 restored moai that depict the first few Polynesian explores to arrive on the island. These moai are the only ones that face toward the sea.

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Here are a few fun and random things we noticed during our time in Rapa Nui

Ask any local what time the sun rises or sets and you get a shrug followed by a few different options varying from 30-60 minutes.

Our hostel didn’t have WiFi and this seems to be a norm on the island. There’s a park located in the central part of town that has WiFi. here you’ll see tourists and locals checking their phones. We did this the first couple of days and on the last two, we enjoyed the disconnect.

Rapa Nui was filled with the most friendly street dogs. They looked well-fed and taken care of. A lot of them had collars so we think they had owners who would just let the wonder all day.

Rapa Nui was a truly fascinating place and we feel truly lucky to have had the opportunity to explore it!