On Saturday, March 4th before taking the plane to Hanga Roa I consulted the weather which announced rain on the Easter Island. Indeed while unloading a fine and hot rain fell on Hanga Roa. The temperature was of 26°C with 84% of moisture. The jet lag is -5:00 UTC and -2:00 compared to continental Chile. The Hangaroa hotel is superb at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. On my arrival I rented a car, Suzuki Jimmy, for three days. For all information I return to Wikipedia, here.
On Sunday, March 5th I went on a tour of Moai statues on the coast-west of the island. The landscape is rather desert consequence of the volcanic origin of the ground. The coast is jagged and beaten by the ocean. In the afternoon I visited the Orongo village on the peak of the volcano Rano Kau between the ocean and the lake of the crater: “The whole position is marvellous, surpassing the wildest scenes depicted in romance…” (The Mystery of Easter Island, by K. Routledge, 1919)
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On Monday, March 6th I visited the three most important archeological sites of the Easter Island. The slopes of the Rano a Raraku Volcano has exhibit a number very impressing statues in good state. Tonariki at the edge of the Pacific Ocean presents 15 statues in row on a platform. Anakena at the edge of a sumptuous sand beach is also a ceremonial site with 7 statues including 2 in very bad condition.
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On Tuesday, March 7th I returned to Akivi then to Anakena to try to make photographs knowing that the orientation of the statues is not ideal for a good lighting. The result is better than the day before, but not optimum. I spent the last night at the Hangaroa hotel. Tomorrow I returned to Santiago with one night on the airport carpark before driving towards the border with Argentina.
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After a peaceful night on the airport carpark of Santiago I moved towards the border of Chile with Argentina. Portillo is at +3800 meters high. Having been during several weeks at the short-nap cloth of the sea I decided to bivouac at 1655 m high in Rio Blanco after the peaje on a quay level at the edge of road RN#60.
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I left Chile on Thursday 10th Mars at Cristo Redentor at 3848 m high between Cerro Aconcagua, 6960 m & Cerro Juncal 6072 m. Look at Crossing the border, here
