Ugh. The alarm went off at 5:30am and I was surprised to see G was already in the shower. Today was a big day for us, and Chris was picking us up at 6:30am. Of course it was still dark; the whole point of this exercise was to travel across the island in total darkness and arrive at Ahu Tongariki, on the island's northeastern coast, for sunrise.
Chris showed up like clockwork and we piled in his vehicle. He warned us, for the first time, to buckle our seatbelts. Traffic on Rapa Nui is so light, and the highest posted speed is 40kph, that it simply wasn't an issue until this morning. And it was the horses and cows on the roads, not other cars, that made our drive in the dark slightly more dangerous. We were largely quiet, and probably still half asleep, but were very happy to see all the stars in the sky. After last night's gloom, we were hoping for a change in weather and a photogenic sunrise today.
We arrived at the gravel parking area by around 7:15am, and, though sunrise was going to be at 7:54am, we could see the glow of the earliest morning sky behind Ahu Tongariki. Chris had a powerful flashlight, but G and I used the flashlights on our iPhones to pick our way through the grassy and rocky area leading to the ahu. We were bundled up in everything we'd brought from home especially for the occasion and also bought on the Pacific Princess (fleeces layered with newly purchased fleeces, warm slacks, hiking shoes and, in my case, wool headband and gloves). We joined a quiet group of about 40 or so other like-minded (aka slightly nutty) people, many with tripods topped with expensive cameras and Hubble-like telescopic lenses. And there we were, holding up our iPhones. Oh, the embarrassment!
We didn't have to wait very long for the first photo-worthy scene to unfold before us. Pinch me...I'm actually here!!
I could post 20 other photos with increasing degrees of lightness, but the WiFi does not allow for that amount of sharing. Most photographers with cameras on tripods had set up time lapses of one photo every minute, but I'm certain I had that beat by a mile. Finally, what we had been waiting for...the first glimpse of the sun over the ahu!
Only one moai, the second from the right, has had its top knot (pukao) restored.
I then moved around a bit (being careful to avoid the large- and I mean LARGE- piles of horse manure), getting a few photos from different spots. And, finally, the sun was high enough for the 15 moais at Ahu Tongariki to start casting their long shadows.
Chris finally broke the silence, telling us about the history and significance of Ahu Tongariki. This is the longest ceremonial platform in all of Polynesia, 660 feet long from one end to the other. While the moai here were toppled during inter-tribal warring like all the other moai on the island, Tongariki endured devastating ruination in 1960 when the largest recorded earthquake in history hit the Chilean coast and sent a tsunami wave as high as 33 feet feet as far as 6000 miles away. Tongariki, with its prominent eastern location, endured the brunt of the wave.
Between 1992 and 1996, a team from the University of Chile, aided by funding and equipment from Japan, restored Ahu Tongariki. The moai on the platform represent the male offspring of the youngest son of King Hotu Motu'a, who first discovered and settled on Rapa Nui. This tribe's location, right next to the quarry at Rano Raraku, guaranteed its wealth due to its control over the quarry, and its proximity made it the easiest ahu to which to move and erect moai.
We made our way back to the Hotel Tau Ra'a, craving a hot beverage and warm breakfast. We were, of course, well looked after with both. G took a short nap (you know I don't do that) while I walked down the Main Street of Hanga Roa looking for the best car rental deal for today. I didn't have to look too hard; Oceania car rental had a tiny (and I mean tiny) Suzuki Jimny (that's not a typo) for rent for the equivalent of $52 U.S. a day. No insurance, of course; this island has never heard of it. We are covered twice over by our credit card and our umbrella policy, so we didn't worry too much (but, good grief, can you imagine the paperwork?).
When I walked in, I asked the man inside if he spoke English. He said "Of course" with a smile, as if he was bemused that I might imagine he didn't. A minute later, when he asked me if I could drive a stick, I returned the same ;-) and he had to laugh. And I drove my little Jimny back to the hotel, but that was as far as I drove it. The thing shifted like a John Deere tractor. I woke G up to tell him his chariot awaited...but he had to drive. And, armed with two marginal maps, we started our tour around the island. (And, even if he hadn't chosen to run up the trails on the side of the Rano Raraku quarry later in the day, simply shifting that Jimny provided his daily workout, especially on the highly rutted roads and with the several U-turns he made).
I am running out of energy tonight, so this will be very quick. We drove counter-clockwise around the island, driving north along the eastern coast, and we were as awed by the ocean views and crashing waves as we were the many, many unrestored ahus and toppled moais along the way.
We eventually returned to the quarry at Rano Raraku, as there was one trail leading to the rim of the crater there we had yet to hike, and one more moai, The Kneeling Moai, we had not seen as we were running out of time three days ago. Both were worth the return visit.
We intended to go down to Tahai for its sunset views, and have dinner along the waterfront again, but, as predicted, rain moved in and the day, never warm, became downright chilly. Instead we stopped for a gas fill up (attendants! When's the last time your gas was pumped for you?), and while he was paying, G spotted a liter of what looked to be super premium ice cream. We returned to the hotel and decided to just stay in for dinner and dessert. The microwave was not available to us tonight so (really, this is my life) I stuffed a newly washed, soaking wet sock in the bathroom sink drain and ran hot water over our Dinty Moore beef stews to heat them up. With ice cream (with whole almonds and huge chocolate chunks inside) for dessert, and beer for after dinner drinks, consumed while cozy and dry on our little porch, we are tucked into bed early with plans for another early morning.