Today, we hired a couple of bikes and when we took off, I was a bit worried I might regret it. It wasn't until I had figured out the gears and we saw the beautiful landscape en route to Ahu Akivi that I started to enjoy it.

We wanted some silly photos, so we pretended to be grumpy, big bellied moai ourselves (not altogether that difficult a part for me to play) and acted a bit silly with only seven re-erected moai for company.

Apparently these guys look directly at the setting sun at the equinoxes (that would be the longest and shortest night I imagine), which is why they look out to sea unlike all the other moai, who face inland.

We wanted to go up the volcano, but that was a private road, as a Polynesian galopping towards us came to tell us. He said the road to the volcano was not accessible by bike, so we turned back and decided to cycle all the way to Anakena beach. The road wound its way up (and very occasionally down) so I got to practise my gear shifting...

Suddenly we had a great view of the ocean and after that a fifteen minute downhill ride, which was exhilarating except for the fact we realised that we had to go back up again...

At the beach, I washed off the dirt and we had a break under a palm tree, but the ants didn't take too kindly to us sitting on their home and went for the more sensitive bodyparts to bite us, so we moved to a picnic table.

When we were ready, we started tackling the hill back up, by no means as much fun as coming down. However, in the end we managed, even me although I did have to walk certain bits. We went in stages, resting lots and drinking lots, as it was very hot and sweaty - as usual. Once we were up the hill, it was all fairly easy going and we got back reasonaby quickly. In total, we cycled about 46 km.

After a shower, I had to call Chez Fifi in Papeete, Tahiti to make a reservation for our first night there. I completely mixed up my French and my Spanish, uttering gibberish like 'Oui, nous arrivons por la tarde, tres tard, a las once' but the man at the other end got the gist of it. After that, we ran into Sonia who had the runner up of the triathlon competition for company.

After all the action, we had an icecream and sat by the beach, watching the waves roll in. In the evening we had dinner at Te Moana again, me having the cerdo chau mein and a margarita, Keiron getting greasy hands from a whole bowl of ribs. It was the perfect remedy for the sore bodyparts I was enduring...