May 7th, 2015

I wake up a little later than usual and decide to have a more relaxing day, my body still aching and my mind still somewhat overwhelmed by the 35 km hike I did the day before to get to Rano Raraku and Tongariki.  Today I need to do something less, so I decide to head into town for some brunch and then head back out to the cliffs I first found on my 3rd day here on the way to Rano Kau, yet another amazing extinct volcano here.

I head down to the coast and enjoy yet another tasty empanada which I’m yet to get tired of before heading back out along the coastal road past a few Moai as well as these signs, which ever since I understood what they meant have interested me.  To think that by the end of this trip I’ll have gotten to most of these places is still amazing to me.

I continue out past the end of this road and another lone Moai standing in front of the small harbour and inlet which is full of activity, locals heading out to fish and others seemingly coordinating goods being brought in from bigger ships.  I head past them and out pat the airport too back towards the cliffs with the thought of doing some writing out there.

As I walk  marvel at the Ocean putting on it’s most impressive show yet, huge waves crashing into the jagged coastline of Easter Island.

I reach the end of the road and edge back onto the narrow trail which leads me past a few houses, climbing around a barrier and entering the grounds of  the Iorana Hotel  and crossing the beautiful if expensive property before heading back down onto a long column of outcropping dark black stone alongside massive caves and cliffs.  Today though the tide is higher and the waves are really raging.

My original plan had been to head out to my throne from day three and write there, but as I clamber over the rough edges of the stone and look down at what had been tide pools I realize that plan won’t really be safe, for my laptop or for me.  Instead I climb up onto a ledge and just watch the waves roll in, crashing violently all around me, the salty spray even reaching me every now and then.

Eventually I’m joined on the ledge by a Chilean couple so I go off searing for more isolated places but not before the girl decides the tide pools below would be the perfect place for a swim.  She’s kind of right but even after I dedicate to her that the big waves come sweeping in she still goes in so I’m not surprised when ten minutes later a huge wave crashes in and I hear a yelp.  I hurry up over a rise to see if they need help, but she’s okay, just badly shaken and quickly climbing out of the pools for higher ground.  Respect the Ocean people, doing otherwise will kill you.

Keeping this in mind I edge closer to the action and get some more amazing photos before returning to the now empty ledge and settling in to try to get some writing done with only limited success.  Maybe an hour later I put my laptop away and continue further along the cliffs, amazed to see waves crashing into the main shoreline and exploding upwards at least 30 meters, some sprays actually reaching higher than the cliff faces themselves.  It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

I hurry along the cliffs and find myself another great perch to hang out out watching some locals going about their fishing budget in some truly awe inspiring places.  They go about their business calmly, hauling in fish after fish as the ocean roars below them, inching closer to their perches each time.  Eventually the ones further out are forced to retreat as the waves claim their fishing ground, but they end up all sharing the higher perch well enough reeling in an impressive amount of fish as I sit and write on the cliff face opposite them, often distracted by the impressive waves below me.

Eventually I hit a block and decide it’s time to head back to town, my tired legs and blistered feet winning the war against my heart to climb back up to the top of Rano Kau as quickly as I can.

I have a nice empanada dinner and spot a cereal which is everywhere in south america but sadly discontinued in Canada.  I can;t help but wonder if they’ve been brought in too catch the easter bunny, because as the old commercials prove, rabbits cant resist Trix cereal.