The place is owned by a Canadian woman who has done much research in town for her guests, for instance she had inspected the kitchen of each restaurant that gets a recommendation and checked out how horses are being treated by operators who offer horse riding. Her assistant Kia met us at the airport and did a town tour the next day with us. Us being me and an Aussie couple who were on my flight. They had just done an Antarctica cruise + Patagonia tour and were heading home. They were ahead of our ship by a week and by the sounds of it our ship hit the peak time for penguin chick viewing.
Assistant Kia is half Rapa Nui and half Australian. I told her that she must be the cheeriest, most laid back person in the world with that mix. Something about her reminds me of Mik's sister Catherine.
Yesterday was just a siesta and grocery day with a short hike out to the retored Moai on the edge of town for sunset. Oh yes, I also had a fab-o dinner at one of the recommended restaurants - mixed seafood in a light garlic sauce over salad greens. What a difference it is to have truly fresh seafood.
Today I called a cab and had a nice lady take me to Ahu Akivi, a somewhat inland site, and walked back to town - only about 6.5 km but it took me all day as there were very cool things along the way. Very, very cool things.
The Ahu by the way is the stone base that the Moai statues sit on. The Ahu also include the sloped grassy bit with a geometric pattern of stones laid out. It is verboten to walk on the Ahus. You may remember that Finnish dude who chipped a piece of ear off one of the Moais for a souvenir a few years ago. Well he had three weeks house arrest and a $17,000 fine. They are really cracking down on visitors now. If you so much a set your knapsack down on the wrong thing your could be fined. The popular sites are under close surveilence.
Next along the trail was Anu Te Pahu, Anu meaning cave in Rapanui. There are many lava tube caves running underground through the island and the islanders put them to good use. This cave system is entered via stairs through a large natural opening to the sky. Large enough for a good stand of banana palms - no surprise that it's also known as the banana cave.
To the left is a stone arch, a walled garden, taro perhap, and a tunnel system and to the right is a tunnel system which leads to a big cooking pit area with a natural opening above. Stone bed platforms are throughout near the start of the tunnels. It was a very Indiana Jones day without the snakes and creepy things. The whole system here was about a kilometer long. The left tube was too muddy and slippery from the morning downpour to take on - I had visions of my skelton down there - so I headed right which was drier. I followed it for a good while thanks to my trusty flashlite - it was high enough to stand up and walk with room the spare. . Ocassionally there were natural opening and greenery spilling in. Amazing to think of the molten lava poring through the same space. No bats that I could see or crawlies just the odd bird near an opening. Oh, and I hadn't seen a soul since I said Adios to my taxi driver. It was like I had the island to myself.
Onward was Anu Te Pora. Just a small little cave with one chamber and a stone bed platform. Some speculate that grass was piled on top for comfort. I gave the narrow lava tube on the right a miss but there was a tiny "back door" hole that I saw on my way over to the main entry that I crawled up and out of. I popped up and scared the bejesus out of a frenchman walking by. It was rather amusing except that I dropped my flashlight and spent about half an hour looking for it - and find it I did, thank goodness, as there was another cave on the route. But first, some ruins: Ahu Te Peu. There was fine stone work here approaching incan technique but not as skilled. The Ahu here has not been restored and the toppled Moai are still toppled on the ground. I don't think that I stepped on anything that I wasn't supposed to.
Anu Kakenga or cave with two windows was impressive. I couldn't find the entry at first. I walked right past the hole in the ground with heaps of stone about. I took in some gorgeous coastal views and waited for a group with a guide to show up. I was about to pack it in when a saw a gaggle descend into the middle of the ground closer to the car park than to the cliff. It was a claustrophobic little entry but I took the advice of my guide book and went in backwards and turned around after the chamber opened up. It was pitch black for 30 or so meters and then you could see some light. The tube branched off in two directions each leading to the face of the cliff.
(No, I didn't go right the the very end.) What a sensation and what views! The gaggle I saw go in was a family from Santiago. I took their family picture in the tube and confused them by saying "Say queso." which is cheese in spanish...I think. After they left, I stayed and listened to the ocean for about an hour.
As I was leaving I met a guide coming in with 2 russians. I couldn't believe that he was taking them in without a light. I held mine up for them until they were able to see the-end-of-the-tunnel natural light but I have not idea how they made it back..maybe by cell phone light?
The rest of the hike back to my cosy quarters had a few more Ahu with Moai but no more caves. The vendors were out at the Ahu at the edge of town and the lady told me that they are there every night till sunset. The sunset is a nice event. Some people bring a glass of wine, some bring tripods, some bring BBQs. The kids bring soccer balls. Not sure what the Ahu police do if a ball gets kicked onto the wrong surface. I passed on the sunset tonight though. By the time I grabbed a few more things at the shop for dinner and got back to my room I was too tired, dirty and burnt to consider going out again. Instead I made a tuna salad for dinner and got ready for tomorrow's dive. What a day!
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