On the third day we decided that we had had enough walking and decided to rent a car. In all honesty, we had seen most of the sights that are within walking distance of Hanga Roa. The island’s other treasures are most easily seen by car. After a quick car shopping trip along Hanga Roa’s main drag we scored ourselves a hansome 1976 Suzuki Samurai for a mere 20,000 pesos (approx. $40 US). We actually picked up the car at 6PM on the second day, just in time to head out to some moai for sunset. Ahu Akivi, our walking destination on day 1, was reached in a mere 20 minutes by car.
At 7am the next morning we woke up and loaded in the Samurai to catch the sun rising behind Ahu Tongariki, Rapa Nui’s largest restored ahu with 15 moais. The drive from Hanga Roa was quite easy and we were able to find our way in the dark without any problem.
After sunrise we drove over to the nearby Rano Raraku which is the quarry where most of the moai were carved. We rolled up at 9AM and found a locked gate. After waiting for 15-20 minutes, one of the park rangers sauntered up in his truck. The park opened at exactly 9AM, island time.
Being the first ones to arrive we had the added responsibility of dealing with all the cows that gravitate towards the lush grass at the visitor center. One or two cows is not something that usually bothers me but dealing with an entire herd (complete with calves and their mommies) is a bit unnerving. Amy was doubly-cautious as she selected her neon orange t-shirt for the day. Cows love neon orange, I’m sure.
Once we navigated the bovine circus, we could enjoy the spectacle that is Rano Raraku. A lush green mountainside absolutely littered with moai of all sizes. Some upright, some face flat on the ground, others half-buried and many still attached to the rock face from which they were carved. Add some soft amber lighting thanks to the rising sun and it was absolutely incredible.
Towards midday we headed over to Anakena beach at the east end of the island. It is the only large sandy beach on Rapa Nui and is absolutely stunning. It is flanked on one side by an ahu with a few moai and at the other side with some coconut palms. We grabbed a picnic table and dug into some tasty pasta salad with island-grown avocado and tomato. Delicious!
An hour of lounging on the beach and swimming followed our late lunch and then we started to head towards Hanga Roa. We dropped by Ahu Tongariki (where we watched the sunrise that morning) and snapped a few pictures in the afternoon light. The remaining couple of hours of our rental car time were spent driving up the coast and enjoying the vistas. All in all, a great 24 hours on Rapa Nui!
2 Responses to “Easter Island: Ahu Tongariki & Rano Raraku”
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More lovely pics…wow. I loved the fact you walked all that distance the day before…had I had an extra day when there, I woulda done the same thing. Guess a return is in order….LOL. Great report…can’t wait to hear more!
Ryan and Amy, Absolutely incredible pictures. I can understand why you loved Easter and I’m sure it won’t be your last visit. Safe travels and keep posting the dialog and pictures…it keeps your mom smiling.