The Zuiderdam arrived to Easter Island two hours ahead of time because we could, according to the Captain. Best to be there and get the ball rolling as long as the local officials showed up early as well. It was still dark when we dropped anchor in the waters off of the island, and it was overcast and raining lightly. No doubt it will be a wet and muddy walk today, but that's nothing new.
Easter Island belongs to the country of Chile, where 17 million people live that speak Spanish. We did not get the numbers of natives that reside on this island because the TV port talk was not working correctly. What makes Easter Island a magnet for visitors? It has to be the mystery surrounding the presence of the massive carved stones called "moais". They can be described as a volcanic-carved figures that sit on a platform of rocks. Perhaps they were created to represent clan ancestors or not. Some have the eyes of obsidian, while most of them do not. And why are the majority of them facing inland and not the ocean? And how in the world did the natives haul them here without modern equipment? So it's the mystery the perpetuates the need to know…..or not.
There were some tours here today….most of which we have done. Many of the tours were 3 hours, with one at 5 hours. They ranged in price from $300 to over $500. But the one that surprised us was an overnight at a lodge with some of the same tours included for a bit under $3000 per person. Wow….. And guess what? It was sold out.
The Pinnacle Grill was already filling up well before 7:30am and we did see some new people that we have not seen before. Our buddy Don informed us that the special breakfast service for our group in the upper dining room had been cancelled due to lack of participation. So the prodigal son returned, he joked.
We passed by the Chilean officials in the hallway. They had the ship cleared by 9:30am, and the tendering could begin. The final word was that everyone needed to get tender tickets….no exceptions. We were not ready to go over too early, so we waited until the ticket line was empty to get our tickets. We were handed orange # 1. Those folks who waited in the line from 6am, had been given blue 1 through 42. By the time all of those numbers were called, it was well after 11am. We waited in our room until the number was called.
Boarding the tender was not easy, as the waves were causing the boat to rise and fall without notice. There were several well-trained staff helping all of us to board safely. Making our way to the front of the boat, several passenger hands came out to assist me because the boat was hitting the side of the ship causing us to go sideways. We have seen worse conditions on past cruises where some guests were injured and the tender boats were damaged. Damage like blown-out windows where we had to crawl through one of the shattered windows and onto a floating pontoon to access Anakena Beach, the only safe place we could disembark that day. By the time we left, even the pontoon was mostly destroyed. And many times, the tender service was suspended in the afternoon, and no one else was allowed to come over to the island. Almost witnessed a mutiny that day.
The ride to the small boat harbor on the island did not take very long. The good thing was that this small marina was very protected and getting to shore was much easier. Even at that, there were at least six or more crew members helping each guest to get off in one piece. From there, we began our very long walk through Hanga Roa, the main village, then onto the road that followed the coastline. We assume many people took the ship's tours here, despite the fact that they were really pricey. Walking here has always been nice, and we could access the moais at Ahu Tahai, a ceremonial site where most of the small tour buses stopped. The map we were given stated that the distance from the marina was .5 of a mile. We think they got the decimal point wrong, and it was more like 4 miles to the site.
Many new restaurants and night time bars have popped up since the last time we were here. There appeared to be a concert venue in the process of being built on the water's edge. That could be another reason for the numerous eateries. Our last visit was in 2020 where all travel was eventually suspended. It looks like to us that they have rebounded well since then.
There was a large cemetery located on top of a hillside that was fenced off along the road. It appeared that the upper end where we walked was fairly new with dates in the 2000's. It is a common practice for the families to decorate the gravesites with flowers either fresh or made from plastic or even silk. So along with the most beautiful over-sized bushes of camelias, this was the most colorful spot on the island.
We have to mention the horses. There are reportedly more horses than people that live here, and they are free-roaming. On our way to the moais, we came across a few horses grazing off of the roadside. Several more were near a house with a corral that was opened. It had begun to rain, and these horses headed for the trees to get out of the showers. They were pretty tame and welcome being scratched on their heads by both of us. They reminded us of the horses on Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas, since they are on the smaller side like these.
The largest ceremonial site that we could access walking was Ahu Tahai with three or more restored moai and one that had the eyes restored. This is one of the most visited spots for photos, as well as a nice collection of souvenirs on tables under tents at one far end. The last time we were here, we purchased a t-shirt with the moais. The same vendor was here today and recognized his gray t-shirt looking as new as the day we bought it. Most of the costume jewelry was the same you might find in Polynesia or even Hawaii. And there was a small assortment of seashell trinkets.
On our way out of the fenced site, we saw one of the tour groups on Easter Island's Culture excursion. Standing under a large tent, they were all treated to a tribal dance, learn about traditional games, and the best part - having their bodies painted with natural paint (mostly their faces.) Fun to see, but we were glad it was them and not us.
After getting all of the photos we needed at the moai sight, we continued further up a very muddy and steep road to more remote sites. There is a small area with a park for the young kids with nice benches and even a place to get out of the rain. There were no kids there yet, so it was the perfect spot for one of us to take a break, while the other one continued exploring. The view was spectacular and the silence was even better as there were no tour groups here. Several horses were grazing nearby and were fun watching their antics with each other.
Out of the blue, a local fellow rode by on his horse heading back the way we had come. Then he returned with the rest of the herd galloping by just like a scene from Bonanza, one of the many westerns we used to watch. The young fellow stopped long enough to ask if I spoke Spanish. No, sorry, just a little. Then he pointed to the ship and I said "si". With that he said "hola" and took off not to be seen again. Sure wish I had studied Spanish and not French way back in the high school days. It is a much more universal language in today's world.
Eventually the better hiker among us returned and we headed back to the Restaurant Pea Rapanui for much needed Corona beers. Plain empanadas were served, followed by a shared plate of chicken, mushrooms, and cheese-covered French fries. How this was an entrée for one person is a mystery to us as the plate was heaping full. We took our time enjoying the food while we watched from their open-air patio built over the waves. Locals were down below in a protected cove and many surf boarders were playing in the gentle surf. Noting the dozens of canoes and kayaks onshore, boating and rowing have to be the number one sport here for the young and old.
It was time to continue our hike back to the marina, taking some time stopping at the major view points on the way. The sun was peeking out more by this time of day, and it was getting hot. No doubt, we will have a slight sunburn by tonight.
The ride back was quick, but unloading at the ship took forever. The swells made debarking slow but dangerous, and thanks to the crew once again, we made it back safely. It was close to 6pm by the time we returned. And for the first time this trip, we did not go to dinner. We were not hungry after our late and ample lunch. There was time for hundreds of photos to process, and relaxing time to soothe the over-worked knees for one of us. The Coke Zeros never tasted so good.
There is always a first time for things and tonight was one of them. With all of the visits we have made here, we never spent the night and had the pleasure of a second day. It still was light by 8pm, and when going outside on the veranda, we spotted a huge area of turbulence about 200 yards across from the ship. The longer we watched, we decided there was a school of tuna fishing for their dinner. They broke the surface just enough to be certain they were not dolphins. By 9pm, two outrigger canoes full of teenagers rowed around the Zuiderdam. That sure keeps these kids in good shape. Then when darkness finally came, the lights of the town and villages lit up softly. Unlike Manta and Lima, these night time lights were spread out just like the single family homes are scattered about. No high rise concrete towers here.
The Captain came on with news of the day, taking credit for getting us here successfully. Tomorrow's schedule had been tweaked so the last tender back from shore would be at 3pm, instead of 3:30pm, due to the difficulty of the transfer to and from the island. Well that would work for us, giving plenty of time ashore if we chose to return. No doubt in our minds, the tours would be first to go over. After a good night's rest, we hope to be re-charged and ready to return even if it is only a few hours. We shall see……….
Bill & Mary Ann
