Easter Island. Anyone Been?

[gnatty8]

Thinking of going in March. Anyone been there?

 

[Cary Grant]

I seem to recall Vox posting pictures from there. Few years ago?

 

[globetrotter]

I was there. I had a blast. march should be good, I was there at the coldest time of year, and it wasn't too cold, the only weather issue I had was I really was looking forward to seeing stars and didn't see any.

I would highly recomend it. food isn't very good, but you can bring chilean wine.

do you have specific questions?

 

[gnatty8]

I kind of thought I'd remembered you posting pictures a while back. When you say food is not very good, do you mean choice or quality itself? I plan on being there 7 to 8 days, so am I gonna hit a wall with menu choices pretty quickly? That's my next question actually is duration and things to do. Besides the obvious, are there other things to do to keep one occupied? I think just wandering the island for a few days would be my idea of a very relaxing time, but if one gets tired of staring at moai, are there other things to do? Did you fly out of Santiago? How long was the flight?

Thanks globe, appreciate your comments..

 

[globetrotter]

ok, first off, I've heard that they built a hotel since Iw as there, which may have given a few other eating options, but when I was there (3-4 years ago?) there were a few places that were ok but pretty primative. a reasonable sushi place, but really I mean reasonable in terms of a US strip mall, not japan. a few other places with american style food or chilian food. while a lot of people make their living fishing or growing beef, really good seafood or steaks weren't available. I didn't suffer, but I was hoping for a high end seafood place or some really nice reasteraunt with localvore food, and there was nothing. I brought a couple of bottles of good wine, and basically enjoyed that at night.

I went for 48 hours. honestly, I could have stayed a little longer, but I am not sure that 8 days would have worked for me. there are a couple of small nice beaches, but they aren't huge, and there aren't 20 beaches, just a few. the sides of the island are cliffs, for the most part, so you can't get into the water, with huge waves. some people do fish, and there is supposed to be really good fishing. I guess you could sit and enjoy the sound of the water, or hike around the shore, that kind of thing.


there are a few "places" to see - the beach, 2 craters, the quarry for the statues and the quarry for the hats. a half dozen places where they have stood up statues. aside from that there are 1000 statues or so leiing around, all over. there are few trees. no real wildlife aside from some cool hawks, horses and cows. there is a small museum. there are some craft stores.

I rented an ATV, I hhad them pick me up at the airport, with the ATV. I left my stuff at the guest house, and started riding. the flights from Santiago get in at 3 pm, I landed on friday, and took off right away. you could see the crater closest to town on friday, before it closes. that is where the birdman cult rituals were.

then, the next day I was off at 6-7, riding, I saw pretty much everything else in that day - not all the little details, but I saw the big things, plus hundreds of statues. then, sunday I just rode around near the city until my flight out.

honestly, just walking around, hanging out, would probably be cool. no matter how crowded it is with tourists, you can probably find a pretty cool st with a view that will be totally solitary.

I flew from santiago, it was 5 hours I think.

let me know if you have any other questions


oh, another thing - I got a map for easter Island from amazon, and a guidebook on the island, I didn't touch them tilll the plane, but read them on the plane and planned out my whole stay. I alwo took a compass - the roads are very primative, and you will need a map and a compass to get around.

 

[gnatty8]

Whoa, thanks man, I really appreciate the detailed response. After reading your post, I almost wonder if I wouldn't be better off spending 3 or 4 days in Santiago itself, and the other 3 or 4 on the Island? Your ATV idea sounds cool and I wouldn't have thought of that. How does that work, are you permitted to ride those things on the roads?

Thanks again, you've given me some good ideas here. I am really thinking I am gonna do this. It's one of those places few people will ever see, which makes it all the more tantalizing as a destination. I wouldn't hold it against you if you were to post some of your pics in this thread, lol

 

[globetrotter]

yea, doing 3-4 days in Santiago and then 3-4 days in Easter Island would probably be a good idea, although if you are looking for quiet and solitude EI probably isn't a bad idea. if you do hit Santiago, I can probably give you some resteraunt recomendations, and there is a good cigar store in town.

you can take the ATV everywhere, the roads are primitive, about half asphalt and half dirt, so you need an atv or a jeep, and I figured the ATV was more fun. I really enjoyed it.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Metro was there recently. Broke his kindle and lamented not having access to bookstores on the island.

 

[gnatty8]

Fantastic pictures GT, they really do justice to the sense of solitude that I will bet permeates the place. Thanks again for the detailed responses, I may have pictures of my own to post to this thread in months to come..

 

[globetrotter]



Fantastic pictures GT, they really do justice to the sense of solitude that I will bet permeates the place. Thanks again for the detailed responses, I may have pictures of my own to post to this thread in months to come..

great, enjoy. let me know if you need any more information

 

[globetrotter]

this months national geographic has an article about easter island. I read Jared Diamonds book collapse, you should read it, there is also a new book, discussed in the NG article, that pretty much has an opposite conclusion from collapse, if I were you I'd read both before going

 

[gnatty8]

Thanks man, but to be honest, it was reading that National Geographic piece that gave me the idea to go. I will try to track down those books though, they seem like they'd provide good context. While researching Easter Island, I also came across references to Pitcairn Island. Talk about a slightly bizarre origin!

Thanks again, appreciate you bringing the NG piece to my attention anyway!