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Day
1: Santiago / Easter Island - Private transportation
will be provided from your accommodation to the Santiago airport
in time to connect with your flight to Easter Island. Upon arrival
you will be met at Mataveri Airport and taken to your selected
accommodation on the Island. In the afternoon we will have a half
day excursion visiting the archeological complex of Ahu Akupu
which has just one moai statue, and the caves of Ana Kakenga.
Day
2: Easter Island - Today we will enjoy a full day excursion
visiting the southeastern and northeast part of the island including:
temples of Vaihu, Akahanga, Tongariki, Te Pito Kura, the quarry
of Rano Raraku and Anakena beach. Both Ahu Vaihu, with its eight
fallen moai and Ahu Akahanga, where 12 moais lay facedown, are
unrestored temples worth exploring. Ahu Akahanga is said to be
the burial site of the islands first ruler, Hotu Matu’a.
The
Ahu Tongariki is noted to be the largest monolithic monument in
all of Eastern Polynesia. This amazing platform holds 15 of some
of the largest statues on the island. With the surrounding sea
cliffs and beautiful ocean background Tongariki is truly one of
the most incredible sites on the island.
The
Ahu Te Pito Kura is the site of the largest Moai to ever stand
upright on top of a platform. Today this statue is in a toppled
state as were all of the statues on top of platforms at one time
in the past. This statue whose name is Paro has been measured
at 9.6 meters and its weight is estimated at 82 tons. This is
also the site of the famous “navel”; here we will
learn about its mana.
The
quarry of Rano Raraku could very well be one of the most amazing
sites in the world. The volcano of Rano Raraku is also known as
the statue factory. It was from the volcanic stone of Rano Raraku
that 95% of all of the statues on the island were carved. There
has been counted some 397 Moai at Rano Raraku. Some were completely
finished and left waiting on the slopes of the volcano for their
transportation while others are in various stages of completion
still connected to the mother rock of the volcano. You will have
the opportunity to hike to the top of
the volcano and see the beautiful crater with its fresh water
lake.
Our
last top of the day is at Anakena beach. Anakena is the larger
of only 2 white sand beaches that are found on the island. It
is also the legendary landing spot of the first king, Hotu Matu’a,
and noted to be the center of the royal clan territory called
the Miru.
At
Anakena you will not only have the opportunity to swim but also
to visit more restored Ahu. The Ahu Ature Huke with its single
Moai is noted to be the very first Moai on the island to be re-erected
on top of its Ahu. This was done not by archeologists but by the
islanders themselves in order to prove that they had retained
the knowledge of how to move the Moai.
Day
3: Easter Island - In the afternoon we will embark on
a half day excursion visiting the Ahu Vinapu which is known best
not so much for the amazing statue that once stood on its platform
but instead for the platform itself. It is the perfect stone work
of the Ahu Vinapu that has been compared to the stone walls of
Peru.
We
will also visit the Puna Pau quarry, a small secondary volcano
which served as the main source of the volcanic stone Red Scoria.
This stone was used for making the Pukao or top knot. These topknots
were found placed on top of heads of some of the largest statue
on the island. At Puna Pau you will see some 20 abandoned topknots,
which today are covered with canoe petroglyphs.
Our
final visit of the day is Ana Te Pahu cave, one of literally hundreds
of lava tube caves on the island. The cave entrance here is quite
large and steps have been made to enable visitors to walk down
into the cave. Here you will see the ancient islander’s
tradition of using part of this cave as protection for their gardens
as well as a great source of fresh water.
Day
4: Easter Island / Santiago - Transportation will be
provided to Mataveri Airport in time to connect with your flight
to Santiago. Upon arrival you will be met at the Santiago Airport
and taken to your accommodation in
Santiago. |
