Easter Island: Once in a Lifetime

Inside the Gran Hotel Bolivar

We checked into the Gran Hotel Bolivar in Lima Centro. It's like a cross between the Palmer House Hilton and the lodge in The Shining.  It was so old I was giddy with picture-taking.  Although old, it was silent, and exactly what I needed for a full night's sleep.  Yesterday we explored the catacombs of San Francisco church.  It was gorgeous, but it made me uncomfortable to see all the silver and gold go to waste in altars and crosses for the illusion of wealth and power.  But the catacombs were neat. We caught the tour in Spanish - no idea when the English tour was - so I was able to translate some, but Carrie was great in catching the gist of things and reading some English translations.  She's done an awesome job of picking up some Spanish here, if even understanding.

Iglesia San Francisco

Our next flight was to Easter Island with an overnight layover in Santiago. I managed to catch a few Z's here, but hell, it's a cold airport.  And it's winter. Luckily Easter Island is more tropical so we stepped off the plane to sunshine and warm weather. It's a small airport, with no gates, just the tarmac and a small terminal with a grass parking area.  After checking in to our hotel and some lunch, we a rented a little Jeep. There is on town on the island, and it has a frontier feel, very sleepy. It also has a Polynesian feel, with some locals  sporting island features, native clothes, and we overheard some rapa nui language.

Driving. Best idea ever.  And I love to drive, so this would be fun.  On Saturday, our full day of sightseeing, we were able to stay ahead of the tour groups and be independent.  We got up and out early and started at the nearest volcano to own.  Volano! It was dormant, but at the top was the ancient ceremonial village of Orongo, and the rocky outcrop offshore where men would lie in wait each year to claim the first bird's egg. This was the birdman ceremony.

Next we skirted the southern coast, stopping at select Moai, and definitely pictures of the ocean crashing against the rocky black shoreline. We only had the jeep until 4pm so we had to be selective in what we saw, but we knew what the "must see" places were, so we had a plan. At Ranu Raraku we stopped to see Moai in varying state of quarry, and it's the image you see most often of the heads nestled into a grassy hillside.

As we rounded a turn, we saw the 15 Moai lined up at the site known as Ahu Tongariki. When we drove up and stepped out, we realized we were the only ones there! They were toppled in the 17th century, then in 1960, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Chile pushed them further inland. When a Japanese businessman saw the administrator of the island say they'd restore the monuments if they had a crane, the businessman organized a team to lead the restoration.  Now they stand majestic, 15 in a row with the ocean to their backs.

 Further up the road was Anakena beach.  Tall palm trees, green grass, bring blue ocean, black volcanic rocks, and fine white sand.  Postcard picture perfect with a row of Moai and some wild horses.  This had to be the most remote beach on the most remote island on Earth.  I wish we had another day to lie on the beach and relax.

Lastly we began our final drive into town. The windows were down, sun shining, and we were slowly dodging cattle and wild horses that were lingering on the roads. In some cases, those roads were just dirt paths.  Cruising along in 4th gear, approach a gulley, downshift quickly, and attempt to navigate around craters and trenches. I was really a lot of fun despite the jolting. It felt more like an adventure, even when we were the only ones in sight on those roads... Er, cow paths. We saw beautiful vistas of the expansive sea, and hillsides covered in purple and yellow flowers, and eucalyptus trees with that minty aroma.  It was perfect.

Sadly we had to return our trusty jeep. Afterward we explored an area of the village we hadn't visited yet, and we heard was the hub of local activity.  Near the harbor was a soccer game with the obligatory hecklers on the sidelines.  At the harbor, children were climbing on fishing boats and the mooring ropes. We bought some street food from two ladies that were grilling up some meat and veggies on a skewer our of a makeshift 55 gallon drum turned into a grill.  And old man nearby commented that it was delicious, especially with a beer.  We held off on the beer, but when the meat was done, we sat on a curb facing the harbor and the lady handed us a large skewer, a plate, tore off some chunks of bread, and gave us a bowl of sauce/salsa for dipping. We tore into it with our fingers, watching the kids play, an team prepare their outrigger canoes, and the soccer game across the street.  It was marvelous in its simplicity, as one of the ladies shoo'd away dogs waiting for our scraps. We completed our snack by stopping for some ice cream (Carrie) and fresh squeezed guava juice (me).

We walked to a nearby playground where we sat on a bench by the water and watched the sun set and the surfers offshore.  A perfect end to a perfect day. Our flights back to Lima would be the next day.  As I complete this entry, we're between Santiago and Lima, leaving Easter Island behind. I can't wait to sleep in, send out some laundry, find some more ceviche for lunch, and perhaps more street food for dinner. Two more days in Lima to relax, recover, shop, explore, and eat before heading home.