Agu Tongariki, Te Pito Kura, and Anakena Beach

We had a lovely breakfast sitting on the patio of the hotel restaurant overlooking the ocean. Then it was off for our adventure of the day.

There are different viewpoints in exactly how many moai statues have been found on Easter Island, but it is estimated that it took 6 men about a year to carve them with hand-held tools.

At Ahu Vaigu, there is an ancient settlement where you can see a large ceremonial platform – ahu . The large ahu supported 8 statues that now lie on the ground facedown. The place is a good example of huri moai, or demolition of the moai, which took place in the 18th century as a result of the internal struggles between clans. That is also speculative.

Interestingly, the platform or “ahu” that the statues stood on were the main structure that signified importance. You can’t tell now, but they used to be adorned with white coral and red stone decorations. The location of the Moai statues also designates the area where the different families/tribes lived.

Carving giant statues from volcanic rock is pretty believable. But moving these super heavy rocks is not as easy to figure out. Scientists have tried finding evidence, and have even attempted moving them using different techniques, but no luck. It also is difficult to find out how old these statues are. The material they are built out of cannot be carbon dated, so archeologists have to use the surrounding soil to try to find the age of the statues.

The backs of the statues are flat which might make it easier to slide across dirt, and we were told that some of the statues were sent down the mountainside into pre-dug holes, so the statues could slip into the holes and wind up in the upright position. It does seem unbelievable.

i believe most of the statues on the island have been restored, but there are many sites that have not been restored.

We hiked up the steep step incline to see the statues, and at times the steps were difficult to manage because they were very uneven. It reminded me of Machu Picchu. I didn’t have hiking poles, but I nonetheless, I did very well navigating the steps. Allan was there to lend a hand when necessary, but for the most part…I did it on my own. If only my cardiologist could see me now!!

I must say, the island is beautiful. Surrounded by the sea and the lush vegetation, it makes the island a true oasis.

There is so much to impart about the moai and the history of the statues – too much to put on this blog, so if you’re interested, I suggest you research on your own.

We had a very nice chicken dish for lunch and we sat outside at a table and enjoyed not only the chicken, but a delicious fruit cocktail for dessert as well as guava juice.

We toured some more sites of the statues in the afternoon. The statues are surrounded by small rocks and you are not allowed to go beyond the rocks. One of the tourists from another tour group crossed the rocks to go right up to the statues to take a photo. People were yelling and security came and took the man away, along with the tour guide. Our guide was visibly upset as well, because for the man to do something like that was apparently a sign of immense disrespect.

We finished the day with a swim at Anakena beach. The water was warm and I don’t think many people can say, they took a swim on Easter Island, so it was a very special experience indeed.

We went to a local restaurant for dinner and dined on lentil salad and shrimp in coconut milk sauce with rice. Outstanding! We had a dessert made from pumpkin, something I wouldn’t expect on Easter Island.

During dinner, our guide Jonatan got into a discussion with me on pizza. He claims that there is nothing like the pizza from Argentina. I said, “then you’ve never had New York pizza”. He said he had, and the pizza in Buenos Aires is much better! I argued…that can’t be possible and then he said that Chicago pizza is also waaay better than NY. Now he’s blasphemous, and I told him I didn’t think we could be friends anymore. LOL! . But Jon said he’d take me to a pizza place in Buenos Aires and I can decide for myself. We shall see!!

After dinner back at the hotel, we sat with our new friends and shared wine, chocolate, and stories. It was a fun evening.