May 4th, 2015
I wake up with the sun around 9 o’clock and make ready to head out for another terrific day on Easter Island. Today though I have a plan in mind, hoping to visit the extinct volcano of Rano Kau and the ancient ceremonial village of Orongo. One of the three most famous attractions on Easter Island.
I end up not leaving the campground until about 10 and head into the centre of town then down to the coast. The trail itself to Orongo is only a 60-90 minute walk but to get to the trailhead from town will take another 20 or 30 minutes if you go the easy way, cutting up the main street and then just below the airport. I don’t, choosing instead to wind along the coast hoping there might be something worth seeing. Looking back, it was an excellent decision.
As i wind my way out of town I’m followed by yet another friendly stray dog as I watch the surfers catching waves out in the towns main bay, before long they are left behind and i’m left with just the big waves crashing on to the volcanic rocks that lends a very dramatic flair to Easter Island’s coast line along with a few of the ancient Moai’s for which the island is so famous.
After a while I come to a lookout point from the road right near the other camping establishment in town and my jaw drops. Ahead is just the ocean and some truly impressive cliffs in the background. The foreground though is perhaps most impressive, with crystalline white blue waters crashing over a veritable obstacle course of jagged volcanic rocks breaking the surface of the ocean with no discern-able pattern.
I stop and take quite a few photos and pat myself on the back for coming this way, even If I am already getting tired. Then it’s time to follow the road as it winds a short distance away from the coast past a more commercial looking harbour and yet another lone Moai. The statue is beautiful sitting solitarily atop its Ahu looking in from the Ocean but I don’t linger long, just wanting to get closer to those cliffs.
I cut across a small dirt road between the Moai and the ocean and continue along the paths which keep me closest to the ocean, soon I have the airport’s lacklustre looking no trespassing fence on my left and the ocean on my right and a few minutes later I’m at yet another stunning lookout of the cliffs and all the ocean action below me. Only one problem this is the end of the actual road, and I am in no way satisfied.
There is a path which continues but it seems to wind towards houses and what looks like it could be private property. That said there’s no signs forbidding entrance and as I consider the general attitude of the Rapa Nui people, i decide it’s worth a try.
I walk across the small dirt trail in front of house and don’t encounter anyone as the path winds back closer to the violent coast line. The next challenge looks bigger though, atop the next hill is essentially a resort hotel, and while there is a narrow path leading up to it and further out along the coast towards the cliffs, there’s a wooden barrier there which could be meant to deter humans, or perhaps just livestock.
That excuse in my back pocket I slide around the wooden gate, clutching to it for stability as I try not to fall backwards down a small cliff. No problem.
As I walk briskly through the well manicured grounds of the resort I pass by a gardner, worried I’m about to be told to get out. Instead I jsut get a friendly wave and am left to go about my business. The resort looks quite luxurious though defintily far from my price range. Two pools highlight the property, one a standard outdoor pool with a great view, but one truly special one carved into the rocks below, waves crashing all around it, and on rougher days and higher tides even breaking into the circular enclosure carved into the jagged black rocks. Petty damn cool.
I keep going, not wanting to bother the three guests down there using that almost natural pool but as I reach the next outcropping of rocks stretching out into the violent pacific I cant really help myself, quickly heading down a small path which ends halfway down the rocks.
Luckily having grown up in Terence Bay I’m a pretty decent rock climber so I quickly work my way further and further out along the narrow strip of rock. To my left is a huge inlet and a cave which has been closed to tourists but is famous for it’s ancient wall paintings, to my right more crashing waves, and ahead just more rocks edging closer and closer to the crashing waves.
Hauling myself up the final rise I look down on a vast collection of tide pools, dramatic white spray from waves crashing over these pools shelter in the form of walls of the volcanic stone. Unable to help myself I carefully ease myself down the small cliff face and go exploring.
It’s low tide and before long I find myself out on a narrow ledge like platform maybe 5 feet above the ocean without waves, watching them roll in and explode against the rock just a few feet from me, sometimes even getting a little wet from the spray. I’m tempted to push the limit a lot more than I do, but my laptop in my bag and camera around my neck tell me it wouldn’t be the best idea.
That said this place is amazing and a myriad of pictures and videos should help illustrate that.
After a while on the ledge I clamber up to its highest point and look down on the churning ocean before heading back to the now very shallow tide pools, sadly finding a few tropical fish have gotten themselves trapped there, some dead some still alive. I’d live to help them, but the slippery bastards prove to hard to catch with my hands.
Eventually I make my way over to my original goal, a huge boulder at the edge of the rocks, with a terrific view of the cave and the huge waves that make it past this outcropping and crash into the actual shoreline.
I sit there writing for quite a decent chunk of time, so long in fact that I’ve more or less accepted I’m not getting to Rano Kau or Orongo today, too amazed by my surroundings here on the coast. A few tourists appear on the only somewhat distant cliffs in front of me, some pointing at me, seemingly surprised by my positioning out there. Honestly, taking into account the ease of climbing volcanic rock, it wasn’t all that hard to get to.
Eventually I decide it’s time to move, the tide is rolling in and my path back to the real coast line is becoming less and less safe. As I edge myself down out of my throne the waves get rougher and I’m almost swept away passing the lower passage back to the main rocks, only a quick and risky scramble up to a higher point keeps my technology safe. The ocean may be a playground, but it sure has it’s dangers.
I head further along the coast towards the looming earth coloured cliffs in the distance making a brief detour to duck under the caution tape and take the stairs down to this cave which has been closed due to the very real risk of falling rocks. I don’t go far in, as I’m without a proper flashlight, but I do manage to find some of the beautiful paintings on the wall and also get a different angle on the towering waves crashing into the shore.
Exposed as I am down there I make the journey a quick one clambering up the steps again and continuing on my way, finding yet another huge inlet for the ocean with two caves visible but inaccessible below.
Still the waves rolling in are an impressive spectacle, though when I glance at my watch and see it’s only just after 3 pm my heart returns to my original plan for the day, Rano Kau and Orongo. I figure I must be near the trail head and working out how much time I have until darkness, I decide it’s worth the effort despite my body telling me it’s exhausted from all the climbing and walking. But with travel the best days come when you push yourself, be it physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally.
I head across the grass plains behind the coast and through one of the coolest playgrounds I’ve ever seen, everything crafted out of wood and placed where there is seemingly nothing but stunning views everywhere you look.
My first thought is I’ll hitchhike up but very few cars pass before I reach the trail head and seeing the sign that confirms it’s only supposed to be a 60 to 90 minute hike I gather my motivation and leave the road and any hope of a free ride behind.
Already exhausted as I am the walk is somewhat gruelling, though exceedingly beautiful too. It’s almost all uphill, which kills not just my lungs and heart, but my damaged right leg too. Still I feel somehow sure It will be worth the effort.
As I walk and wipe the sweat from my face I realize how glad I am that I brought a lot of water with me. there’s very few places on the island outside of town to buy drinks so If your heading out of town bring lots with you.
The walk alternates between a lush and windswept forest and verdant grass plains bursting with colour gifted from a very beautiful and abundant yellow flower bush which seems to be everywhere up here in the highlands of the Islands.
Just over an hour after setting off from the bottom of the trail I return to the road after one last hard uphill section. I cross the pavement quickly and gasp in amazement at the site before me.
The Rano Kau crater is hard to deny as a wonder of the Island. It’s massive and almost a perfect circle, the volcanic wall closest to the ocean worn down much lower than the others by the forceful coastal winds which only adds to the view, the sapphire Ocean added to the background of the photo. Below is a beautiful and rare wetland system, full of pools of rain and ground water and lush green plant life not found in other places on the island.
The wind up here is absurd, and I’m later told this is a calm day, but I almost lose my hat before I can snap any photos, and only a strong showing of my impeccable grace and agility let’s met catch up to it and reclaim the Santiago souvenir purchase.
I stand there at the viewpoint for a good long wall snapping photos and offering a few couples photos together too. As a solo traveller I know how hard it can be to get good photos of you so I’m always happy to offer, and an older Chilean couple is happy to return the favour, much to your delight I’m sure. I mean a photos not a photo until my face is ruining it.
Checking the time on my I-pod I realize I’ve got to keep moving if I want time to visit Orongo. The quicker way would be by the paved road, but as I look at narrow trails cutting through the thick bushes and grasses which line the crater of the volcano I can’t resist, tracing the circle out towards the ocean where the crater walls are all but knocked out.
These paths are worth it and another good choice on the day, offering whole new views of this ancient natural wonder and filling me with that sense of Awe I’m always seeking out on the road. It takes a lot more of time to get to the Orongo entrance this way, but it is undoubtedly the best way to get there.
I head back to the road and am then told I’m only allowed into to Orongo with a local guide which far as I can tell is free of charge up there, but no ones there to do it so the kindly lady tells me to go catch up with one inside. I can’t find a group to join up which is more to my liking anyway, as I can wander through this ceremonial village at my own pace undisturbed by a group, and I can always read in more detail about Orongo later.
Speaking about reading later here’s a cool little piece about this ceremonial village full of petroglyphs and ancient dwellings from the island largely restored. Many years ago the place hosted the bird man ceremony. In this ceremony the men of the tribe would climb down the cliffs (how is absolutely beyond me as looking down them it seems like a sure death sentence) before swimming across to the small Islets just off the coast in order to be the first one to claim one of the easter Island seagull eggs and bring it back to the top. The winner would then become the ruler of the island tribe for a year, until the next bird man competition. What I wouldn’t give for time travel to be able to stand there and observe this insane contest. So cool. Read more Here or here.
The views up here are even crazier than the gusting winds, sapphire blue ocean and rocky islets on one side, and the incredible Rano Kau crater on the other. I find myself unable to repress the smile as I take a seat at a particularly great view point and chat with a local woman hanging out there, practicing my Spanish, and randomly enough, my french, which she’s learned for tourism purposes.
The conversation is fascinating and she tells me many things. firstly that she has been to most of the Polynesian Islands and maintains this is the most amazing volcano there is. I don’t have a hard time agreeing with that. She goes on to lament that she is not an artist or a writer because the beauty of this place makes her wish she could capture it somehow, and I can;t help but agree with her. This place is special and I have no doubt it will inspire a setting in a novel one day. almost the entire island is out of a storybook despite it’s dark history full or murder and mistreatment.
Eventually, glancing at my Ipod I know I have to go if I have any hopes of making it back to town before full dark at around 8 pm. If I had a flashlight I wouldn’t be so concerned about it, but my headlamp needs new batteries and I don’t have them.
Still Orongo will stay a long time in my mind as a very special place and as I reach the exit of the ceremonial village I decide I don’t care and leave the road behind again, to walk the maze of narrow paths along the edge of the crater for still more amazing views. Sights of this magnitude just don’t get old, and I’d gladly go back to Orongo and Rano Kau in an instant.
As I reach the first viewpoint of the crater I take a few moments to pause and reflect staring down into the whole which was once full of the lava which birthed this incredible Island, before hurrying back down the path the way of come through the luscious fields and beautiful forest as the sun crawls down towards the horizon in front of me.
The walk down takes a lot less time and I end up all the way back in the centre of town with maybe a half hour of sunlight left. Or, in my mind, just enough time for a quick snorkel before dinner.
I hop into the small sheltered bay right near the soccer field and empanada shops and am delighted to quickly find another amazing Pacific green sea turtle swimming around in the protected waters, though again I have forgotten to charge my go pro. Still, it’s a perfect cap on one of the most incredible days of my trip so far. And I don’t mean my trip to easter Island, I mean the last 21 months of travel. Read about some of my other favourite days here… here… here here here and here.
The day ends with a delicious and huge tuna cheese and tomato empanada and a starlit walk back to the Tipanie campground to stare up at the impossibly clear skies for a while before heading to my tent and passing out for the night. What a day!
