Yeah!
Arrived (4 years after our first attempt) on Rapa Nui - and it rained! Then the
sun came out, then it rained! Oh well....we are here. The airport is called
Mataverni which roughly translates to small centipede in Rapa Nui - first time
I have landed at a centipede airport.
Spent
the next 2 days being taken to see every Moai head on the island, there are a
lot, with an excellent guide who explained the (mainly) sad history of this
place. it is very weird to be standing looking at at those massive stone heads
which you have seen in every photo you have ever seen of this place and they
are truly amazing, and huge. The Rapa Nui moved these statues from one end of
the island to another (everyone argues over how this was done....) some
weighing in at 60 tons and 9 metres high!!
The
weather is now hot and humid and I am writing this after a day yesterday of
hiking for 13k to visit places where no one else seems to go, probably because
all the Maoi have been toppled but they are still impressive.
Other
stuff - watched a game of football from a balcony whilst eating supper the
other night. As the island only has one town (Hanga Roa) the teams are
all from the same place which makes it difficult. The ball spends a lot of time
being retrieved from the sea, from under passing cars (driver gets out &
throws it back...) pitch often invaded by local dogs, but all taken very
seriously and played on the new AstroTurf under floodlights. So much more
interesting listening to the locals than Match of the day commentary......
Waiting
now to leave and fly back to Santiago before catching another flight tomorrow
up to Calama and the Attacama Desert.
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| New(ish) Moai |
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| Old Moai |
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| Spot the resemblance!! |
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