After our lunch empanadas, the Missus decided we should take a break. It was getting quite windy with occasional drizzles. Which didn't seem to bother the chickens one bit.
Our accommodations were quite large and spacious.
In case you were wondering; there is one local television station (where I watched an interesting episode of the Simpsons – dubbed of course) and two from Chile.
I enjoyed the patio and I'm sure the grill would be fun if you're here during better weather and perhaps a longer period of time.
The cooler weather helped while trying to nap and we awoke refreshed and ready to do a bit more exploring. Looking over the map, the Missus decided we should head inland and up the slopes of Maunga Terevaka, the tallest of the three extinct volcanos that make up Easter Island. Along the southern slopes is the very unique Ahu Akivi.
Unique because not only are these Moai inland, but they face the ocean instead of away from it. Also, the Moai are fairly uniform in size and folks believe that they were all built at the same time. The seven Moai are said to represent the "Seven Explorers" whom Hotu Matu'a sent toward the morning sun to find a place for his people to live.
The seven Moai are also perfectly aligned with the point in which the sun sets during the equinox. 
On the way back from Ahu Akivi we stopped at Puna Pau.
Remember those "Pukao", the top knots on the Moai? They were made from Red Scoria and the only place where this is available on the island is in the crater that is Puna Pau.
It is thought that Pukao was a late addition in the construction of the Moai as there are about 100 pukao to approximately 1,000 Moai.
Much like Rano Raraku, where Moai are sprinkled along the hillside, here you'll find pukao lying along the trail.
As if a crew were going to arrive to transport these to some deserving Moai anytime now.
There's also a pretty nice view from here. You could see the rain coming in on Hang Roa.
We were getting pretty hungry. So we left Puna Pau and headed back to Hang Roa.
We headed toward the ocean and the cliffs at the edge of Hang Roa.
Stopping to enjoy the view……
The restaurant I had as number one on my list was also along the ocean side; Neptune Island which was closed during our stay, so was Vero's pick, Haka Honu (by the way, just like Hawaiian, Honu means turtle in the Rapa Nui language….Vero was tickled that I new what it meant). So we headed up to the northern edge of Hanga Roa, close to where we went looking for Moai when we first arrived. A place named Te Moana…which was open!
Apparently, this is a very popular spot because of the wonderful view.
There was no one in the place when we arrived, rather early for dinner. We sat at a small table near the back door of the dining area, which would turn out to be good location for us. Our Server was a very warm and friendly guy and he quickly brought out some rolls to start things off.
The Missus had Her Pisco Sour, not too sweet and I, a Mahina Pale Ale.
After having empanadas, hot dogs, and papas, over our last three meals, we really wanted to start eating well. This was an island…….where was the seafood?
Well here of course.
Starting with the Duo de Pescado not cheap at 17,000CLP ($25/US).
While I wasn't a big fan of the carpaccio; that cheese and fish with capers thing just didn't seem a great match. And then add mustard? Oh, and the soy sauce here is not to my liking either. But that Ceviche was divine. This version had sesame oil on it along with lime applied with restraint. The tuna was super tender, sparkling fresh, and delicious. Puts all the faux poke I've been eating recently to shame. This is in another league.
And after eating almost nothing green for a couple of days; we enjoyed the veggies.
The Missus had never had Poisson Cru, so I ordered the Ceviche Te Moana 15,000 CLP (about $22/US), which was made with lime and coconut milk much like the classic Tahitian dish.
The Missus was smitten; She just loved the clean interaction of flavors that both the coconut milk and the lime gave to this dish. The fish being sparkling fresh really helped too. The portion size was also quite generous. The shrimp was nicely fried and quite tasty. And of course…Island life, how many starches do you see? That jasmine rice was terrible, but the bananas and local potatoes were pretty good.
By now the place was starting to fill up and the service kind of slowed down….but heck, you need to slow down when you're on Isla de Pascua, take a chill pill and relax. What's the rush? After all, you can't make the sun set any sooner, can you?
As the sun started to set, I joined the Missus outside to enjoy the windy sunset.
Wonderful fish, great view, what else do you need?
Te Moana
Policarpo Toro
Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Valparaiso, Chile
The rain was starting to come down and the wind was picking up as we drove back to the cabanas. I was kind of enjoying things, having a Mahina on the front porch, when I got a visit from one of "the locals"……
Stay Tuned!