Hanga Roa

Day 203 – Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile

Things are a lot clearer. First, I found someone to confirm the time. My calculations were right, we are 2 hours before Santiago.

Then, I found an (open) ATM, and I got some money to pay my hostel and a few groceries. Finally, I got a sim card with data so I can use internet anywhere in the country. Well, as long as I get reception.

I walked to the harbour where two moai on their platform look inland. (Moai look upon a village, so they are often back to the sea.)

I also looked in in a tour agency that was on the way. 58,000 pesos for a day tour, around 80 euros. Way too expensive to my mind, I need to check the competition!

I came back to cook a delightful meal of pasta and past-sauce-in-a-can. (Shops have a limited offering, pasta and sauces,  unidentifiable cans and packets, tuna cans, all sort of soft drinks, and a few fruits and vegetables. One has to look also at stalls in the street.)

To cook I need to turn the gas on and to light it with a match -wait, there is a box of matches, I checked, but… it contains only two burned sticks. Epic fail. Oh well, sandwiches it is, then.

And then back to naping, because between Tahiti and Easter Island I have some jetlag, short and interrupted nights, and quite a bit if disorientation. So, sleep it is.

Day 204 – Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile

To clarify if needed: Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name of Easter Island, and Hanga Roa is the name of the main -and only- town.

Since I’m in a bungalow with dubious protection against wildlife invasion, I tend to not turn the light on at night. The sun sets late, after 9pm, so I just have to make sure that I cook, wash my clothes, shower before. I still have the occasionnal noise or insect visitor, but one does what one can.

Ah yes, I’m still looking for the laundromat. My host told me where to find it but it must be particularly discreet. So since I have detergent, a drying rack, and running water, habd washing it is. The weather is certainly warm enough to dry the clothes quickly!

Today I left in search of matches, a search that took me to several places (mostly because in the first supermarket, the matches where hidden in a wrapping that didn’t look like matches, and the cashier told me they didn’t have any. I recognized tte wrapping in the second place where I asked for some.)

I didn’t leave my little house alone. I acquired a Faithful Companion of the canine denomination. Apparently the dog belonging -I suppose- to my host likes to go out with the guests, as it followed me downtown, stayed put in the free Wi-Fi square (I suspect that the nearby empanadas shop and its customers have a certain appeal), and came back with me when I went through it again. (The tuna and cheese empenadas was delicious. Of course I thought I had ordered an oinion and cheese one, but who cares?)

So I did my errand, polled the competition and found a company that will take me on a sunrise tour, a half-day tour, and a full day tour, for barely more combined than the previous company. Yeah \o/

I went back out to watch the sunset by some othersl Moai a bit on the Northern side of the town. My Faithful Companion caught up with me quickly. After a few wrong turns, we arrived just after the sunset, but with plenty of light left and the beginning of the sunset’s coloured sky. (See picture above).

Since I’m writing on my phone, I can’t imbed pictures in the text (I can’t resize them without a mouse), so you will have to head to the gallery to see them.

And I’m getting up quite early tomorrow for my sunrise tour, so that’s it for today!