Day 58 – Hanga Roa
Headed in the 15 minute walk to check out the main and only town, Hanga Roa. Explored the extent of the town, beachside, some more ruins and the airport. Turned off onto a hiking path, ended up in a forest waiting out a rain shower and met up with a couple. They were in a sailing school and had started off in Guayaquil Equador in a 45 foot boat and had navigated from there to Galapagos, Easter island, and would be going onto Robinson Crusoe then Santiago. It had taken them something like 35 days to get from Galapagos to here! Ugh – sounds like absolute hell to me, stuck on a boat with a bunch of people and nothing to see for that long but I guess if you want to learn how to sail it is the way to do it. Unfortunetly they said while the other people were cool, the captain was a prick. One guy could not longer take it and had booked a flight instead to Santiago but there was a 2 week standby list just to get a flight! Not easy to get off Easter Island.
Anyway, I inquired where exactly the path led and found myself on the way to the volcano. what luck…At the top of the crater, you could see clear through the other side which had a collapsed wall, to the ocean. Inside the crater was a sort of lake. On the seaside of the volcano was the Orangi ceremonial centre. This was where the practices of the birdman cult were carried out. There are two islands off this cliff and each year, when the traditional bird migrates, each tribe would choose a man to represent them in the birdman competition. This consisted of scambling down the rockface, swimming out to the island through the sharks, finding the first egg of the year, and transporting it back unbroken to the main site. Whoever won would become representitive for year. There were all sorts of ceremonial dwellings and rock carvings in this area.
Scampered back down. Headed into town and had a fresh fish feast before going home for the evening.
Tags: Travel
dunlewey
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