Iorana!
2 years ago, when a friend mention Easter Island, i was curious and wonder where is it when the friend describe how attractive and mysterious this island can be. It is a Polynesian island of the southeastern Pacific Ocean, located on the southerner point of the Polynesian triangle.
The island is particularly famous for its 887 existing statues called moai, created by the Rapa Nui people. It was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO, and a great part of the island falls under the protection of the Rapa Nui National Park. I set my heart on it ever since just by looking at the pictures.
Te Pito o Te Henua (Original name of the island), you have been amazing. History teaches us many things. Most importantly the things that made us who, what we are and the world we see.
2 years later, here i am and was still much attracted by the mysterious landscape of this most remote of all inhabited island. Not only because it is further away from another but also because of the beautiful statues of the Moai there.
I have google so much that heading to Easter island isn't cheap, from the air tickets to accommodation and the meals over there. But with some plannings and a group of friends, i'm sure we will be able to save a little more.
I was the one doing all the planning hence i make sure i've bought, not the cheapest but affordable air tickets and to our surprise, we got the business class on our flight to Easter Island from Santiago.
Had our first lunch when we touch down and the meal was unexpectedly expensive. But luckily, we had it all planned out and bought all our ingredients from Santiago, wrapped them up and it goes on the plane with us. So we will be cooking for dinner and breakfast! This really saves us a lot for 3 days!
1st day, we book ourselves into the cultural dance (without dinner). The show was so good!!! The Rapa Nui have great musical abilities and the dances are accompanied by ancestral instruments. They have a small band of about 8 playing ukuleles, guitar and drums (and singing) and they were great to listen to by themselves. Most of the Easter island music and dances are Polynesian origin.
Through the use of a thread or cord, in various shapes, women tell stories of legends and traditions which represents the way of life of the Rapa Nui in their beliefs and history. The dances also depict scenes of everyday life, both of love and war. Btw, its super feasting for the eyes too!!!
We managed to find the "cheapest" rental car at Haunani company which cost 35.000 Chile peso per day. Be aware that most of the rental car in Easter island has no insurance, so be it if you have an international license or not, you still can rent a car just be more cautious when driving tho some pathways are literally out of the road.
With nearly 1000 statues scattered throughout the island, some almost 30 feet tall & others weighing as much as 80 tons are still an enigma. However with the island's purity, pace of life and easy going inhabitants, it leaves a strong impression by the end of the trip.
Also given the limited access to internet, little civilization and as close to zero light pollution as we can find anywhere on Earth. It is easy to recognise the constellations and milky way in this southern hemisphere with the minimal light.
Ana Kakenga is, after Ana Kai Tangata, the most visited and attractive cave of Easter Island. It is about 4 kilometers north of Ahu Tahai following along the coastal path, and is usually the last cavern to be visited in the tourist circuit Te Ana or “the caves” that begins in Ahu Akivi. At this point, a large room is seen where the route is divided into two divergent corridors that end in two openings cut out in the rock of the cliff. These two large natural windows located 30 meters high and created by the exit of the lava flow towards the sea, are those that give the nickname to the cave.
Being a small volcanic island located in the middle of the Pacific ocean, we can finish the circuit (some places still haven been) within two days tho i wish to stay even longer. Because I actually fell in love with the mysteries of this island, the sunset, the cultural dance, the caves, volcanic origin, kissing the moai and definitely wouldn't mind heading back there again soon.
