Our adventure on Rapa Nui, the original name for Easter Island, continues. Waking up before dawn has never been our strong suit, but some places make it worth the effort. This morning, we drove through the dark to witness our first Rapa Nui sunrise at Ahu Tongariki. It was a colorful and mystical start to our day. Later, our journey would take us to the island’s paradise beaches of Anakena and Ovahe. But as always, our adventure came with surprises, some delightful and some exhausting.
An early morning with the moais
Early mornings have been always tough for us since we started travelling. Our alarm clocks rang after only a few hours of sleep. We quickly had some porridge with coffee. Then we picked up our new Couchsurfing friend Miléna. We drove to the famous Ahu Tongariki at complete dark for our first Rapa Nui sunset. There, the 15 monolithic human figures, called moais, stood in silent silhouette against the colorful firework of the rising sun. It’s an impressive spectacle that you should not miss on Rapa Nui, no matter how many days you stay.
The different moais on Rapa Nui were built by the natives of this island between the 13th and 15th century. Apparently, lots of stories are just interpretation because there is no written evidence. That’s why we impatiently look forward to taking a fully-guided tour of the island next week. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about the island’s history and people, at least from a local’s perspective.
Network issues on Rapa Nui: Only Entel and Movistar are available
After our sunrise at Ahu Tongariki, we relaxed back at home for a while. Then, we fully filled up our afternoon. First, we left for lunch outside and exchanged SIM cards with Miléna. The network provider Claro doesn’t work at all on Rapa Nui. Entel is the best choice, but also Movistar is available here. Luckily, Miléna had only 3 days left in Santiago where Claro works well. So we simply exchanged our SIM cards.
Second, we dropped Miléna off at the airport. Surprisingly, her hostel had requested 15,000 CLP for the transfer, which takes less than 5 minutes by car. Usually, airport transfers are included in the island’s accommodations since everything is really close. That’s where we noticed a greed for money again. Of course, we’re all backpackers with limited budget. But as a host, is it really necessary to pull money out of your guests’ pockets like this?
Stefano and I also grabbed the opportunity to buy some groceries at the big supermarket next to the airport. Then, we picked up our Couchsurfing friend Nicolas, who had also put us in touch with Miléna. Together, we headed to the northern sand beaches.
Anakena, Rapa Nui’s biggest sand beach
Anakena is one of the two sand beaches on Rapa Nui. It’s located on the Northern side of Rapa Nui, a 20-minute ride from town. Unfortunately, it’s simply not accessible without private transportation. The beach has crystal-clear water and palm trees on white coral sand. With moais at the back, it looks like the typical paradise beach. That’s what we had expected in Zanzibar where we were rather disappointed last year (read about my Zanzibar experience here). Nicolas brought some fins, a mask and snorkel. Of course, we had to check out the bay’s corals along the rocks. I happily spotted a puffer fish, a needle fish and other small underwater inhabitants between the rocks.
Ovahe, Rapa Nui’s wildest sand beach
Ovahe is a hidden wild bay near Anakena that you reach by gravel road and scrambling over hill and rock. The sand beach is located in an ancient volcanic crater. It’s environment is beautiful, with lots of rough cliffs and green meadows. We were reminded of Ireland on this side of the island. Nicolas recommended coming back in the morning when the sea is calmer. He said it’s a snorkel site, an artificial moai has been placed underwater as an attraction.
“Don’t overdo it”
“Don’t overdo it” has ever since been one of my family’s favorite expressions to me. Since my teenage years, I’ve always had diverse time-consuming hobbies and interests. I can spend days jumping from one event to another. I meet people I haven’t seen in a long time or never met before. Eventually, I always need a break to recover. This usually involves a weekend where I don’t make any plans with anyone. I take this time to care for myself. Afterwards, my busy endeavors can start the next chapter.
Our 24-hour car rental has been a wonderful day of island discoveries. However, we needed to coordinate with many different people. Maybe we added a little too many extra duties to our itinerary, like doing groceries before heading to the beach. That’s why, in the end, it was also an exhausting day for both of us. As a result, the next days will be fully dedicated to recovering and relaxation.
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