Chile 2016

Monday14November

Continuation of the day. After Orongo on its Rano Kau volcano, we continue with the different Moais scattered across the island. Here we are at Vinapu, where two moais lie face down since they were overthrown in the 17th century during wars between the different tribes sharing the island...

On the ground lie the pukaos of the two statues, representing the Rapanui headdresses with the bun surmounting the skull. The pukaos were made of red tuff, coming from the small Puna Pau volcano a few kilometers from Hanga Roa.

Two other faces emerge from the ground, are the rest of the statues hidden underneath??

We move on to the next site, one of the most famous with all the heads emerging from the green hill.

We are here in the "quarry" where the Moais were carved. The statues were then distributed among the different territories of each tribe. The statues remaining here would be, according to some interpretations, the guardians and protectors of the site when the manufacture of Moais was abandoned at the end of the 19th century. The sacred place had to remain under control, which is why the statues turn their backs on the volcano and face the ocean (unlike other sites) to better see visitors arriving.

Excavations have shown that the statues are indeed whole. It is not only the head that was carved and placed directly on the ground, but the entire Moai that was voluntarily buried two-thirds in the earth.

This one is not buried, but as if fallen or simply pushed. Symbolic or artistic will of these builders???

Behind the moais, the slope of the Rano Raraku volcano where the moais were carved directly into the rock.

The site also offers a superb view of the island's most famous alignment, the moais of Ahu Tongariki. We will be at their feet later!

The path gently leads to the heights where the moais are carved. On the way, a "sage" seems to be in full adoration before the volcano's peaks. This kneeling moai (if it can really be called that) is called "Tukuturi" and was carved elsewhere, in the red scoria of the neighboring Puna Pau volcano. If it is different from its counterparts, it is because it was made at an earlier or later period than the traditional moais.

Here we are in front of the unfinished carvings of the moais still embedded in their original rock.

A gigantic reclining moai desperately awaits for someone to finalize its still rough trunk.

One can go around the volcano to its left and access the crater where a lake has formed.

On the edges of the crater, other moais (inaccessible ones) protect the inner part of the volcano.

We leave Rano Raraku for a picnic break, keeping a distant eye on the East slope of the volcano, here in the background of the panoramic view.

The afternoon begins with the most enchanting place on the island, where you can feel all the sacredness that permeates this small piece of land isolated in the immensity of the ocean.

On Ahu Tongariki, 15 giants stand proudly with their backs to the ocean, as if the entire tribe had come to present themselves, summoned by the God of the island.

The sky is partly cloudy, but some blue resists the clouds.

The giants align over 100 meters in length.

These Moai have not always stood on their two feet. Indeed, during tribal wars, all the statues were toppled. Some were even carried towards the center of the island by a huge tsunami in 1960! A Japanese team has since carried out all the restoration work and permanently re-erected the statues in 1996. The island was also inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1995.

You can approach the Moai up to the platform (ahu) which is made up of large pebbles and small stones.

You can easily walk around the ahu and thus see up close all the carving work on the backs of the moai.

Only one of the 15 giants has kept its red scoria headdress.

The restoration is not necessarily faithful to the original position of the statues. Especially since there were not 15 of them on the site, but many more. This statue lying on its back was not placed with its companions on the Ahu but left alone here. In the background, the nearby Rano Raraku volcano where the statues were carved.

And here, from left to right, are the portraits of the 15 moai, so no one gets jealous!

You don't notice it right away, but the statues are not carved as crudely as that. Observe the hands joined under the belly of our giants.

Some lost pukaos leaving their owners completely bald...   To the right, a single moai on its two feet stands apart. Perhaps designated by its own for an endless guard duty...

Come on, let's get back on our way, but we'll be back!

Another site, other moai. These have clearly been pushed off their ahu. Their feet still rest there, but their heads pitifully sink into the ground...  

Another site but the same situation. The three moai sulk face down...

To change from the overturned statues, we head towards the cliffs that receive the blue of the Pacific at their feet...

A passage allows access to a cave with two galleries opening directly onto the ocean halfway up the cliff. Headlamp or smartphone LED is mandatory!

Tuesday15November

Our last day on the island begins on the gentle slopes of the Puna Pau volcano where stone carvers came to make the moai's pukaos.

Why here? Because it was only here that the red scoria was found, giving color to the giants' hat-headdresses. This rock is lava spread in the center of the volcano's cone (where the temperature is much higher). This high temperature allowed for stronger oxidation of the iron contained in the cooled magma, giving the rock its red color.

Under the pukao, a cavity was carved to secure the headdress on the Moai's head.

Back to our Moai where, as at Ahu Tongariki, we find aligned statues, but in smaller numbers as there are seven of them.

We continue with a cave where a tree has taken up residence since 1938, the date of the last human habitation of the cave... It is in fact a lava tunnel, reminding us once again that the island was born from volcanism. The lava cooled on the surface and continued to flow underground, leaving a long cavity to form.

Inside, don't hesitate to venture into the gallery with a lamp. The ceilings are covered in places with golden minerals making the cave sparkle...

The exit is through a small cavity that you pass with the help of a pile of stones. So you'll need to show a bit of acrobatics if you don't want to turn back!...  

A few minutes' walk away, you then reach the cliff with its blue waves breaking against its walls.

The only real beach on the island, and for good reason, it's artificial, including the palm trees imported from the continents.

A short swimming break in water that's not that warm...

Here too, we find seven moai (more or less intact) enjoying the sand right next to the palm trees. But looking towards the center of the island as usual, it's impossible for them to enjoy the sunrises over the Pacific...  

On the beach, always keep your hat on! Provided you have a head...

The pukaos are never identical either. Some are slightly conical or don't have (or no longer have?) a topknot.

The same hands as Ahu Tongariki carved at the bottom of the belly.

These moai have large ears. The different tribes of the island can thus be distinguished by certain physical characteristics of the statues.

Oh, but I miscounted, there are 8 moai!...  

On this site, the largest moai on the island (9.8 meters) wanting to retrieve its flying pukao, tripped on its ahu and unfortunately fell, breaking in two at the same time...  

Next to it, a circle of stones surrounds 4 large "egg-pebbles" and a more imposing one, supposed to represent birth...  

Change of theme with the Papa Vaka petroglyphs. Even with the descriptions of the drawings, it's hard to recognize much...

We return to the magical Ahu Tongariki, but a little too late as the site closes... No matter, we will take photos of the enclosure walls that surround the entire site!

The isolated guardian of the Tongariki tribe...

Their imposing size is only felt when you are at their feet (yes, dear visitor, you will have to make the trip!)... The largest of these moai reaches 9 meters!

So, a good day full of Moai ends with a final sunset in front of the campsite. Tomorrow morning, we'll take to the skies again to reach the continent for the last part of the trip in the Atacama Desert, in the far north of the country...