We have arrived at Easter Island.

For now, we will head towards the southern part of the island, to the Orongo ceremonial village, within walking distance.
As a first step, we will go to a cave located along the way.
When I look at the sea, the waves are enormous, and I lose the desire to go diving. The waves are more intense than those in the Maldives. I feel like I might be swept away and disappear. It's terrifying.
The temperature is also around 20 degrees Celsius, so if I were swept away and developed hypothermia, I would die immediately.



There are mysterious wall paintings in the cave.

I will go trekking to Orongo.

This is a caldera lake, located right next to the Orongo ceremonial village. It has a beautiful view.
The path leading here is covered with volcanic ash and solidified lava, which are common around volcanoes, giving it the appearance of an island formed by volcanic activity.
According to Wikipedia, it is described as a volcanic island, so it seems that is indeed the case.
The surface of the beautiful lake. The wind is very strong.

Arrived at the Orongo ceremonial village.

This village currently does not have any Moai statues, and one famous Moai statue is apparently in the British Museum in England.
I think I saw it when I visited the British Museum.

This island seems to have been the site of rituals for collecting bird eggs.
Several stone carvings here have been closed to the public for the past 5 years for protection, which is a shame.

After returning from the Orongo ritual village, I came face to face with the moai statues located within the village.
Finally, the first one.
The background music from the bonus stage, which is accessed from the back of the moai in the game 'Gradius', plays in my head.



Moai-kun, who used to be a much cooler character, has now become a gag character. I think it's been about a dozen years or so. Although it's an archaeological interpretation, I don't really like it.

It seems that the number of Japanese tourists has decreased. While the reduction in flights to Haiti is the main reason for the decrease in honeymooners, I think that this character change is also one of the reasons why it no longer appeals to Japanese people.

Something is different.



It's cloudy, but I'm watching the sunset.
It's only the first day, so I guess this is about right.

By the way, the prices are not as high as I thought.

It might not be worth it to stay overnight in Santiago, buy things, and then take the plane.
For the Santiago to Easter Island route, it seems like you can check 46kg (23kg x 2) of luggage, so even if you buy things in Santiago, you might not need to leave your luggage at a hotel in Santiago. You just need a box.

I will rent a scooter and try to go around the island.

Rent a bicycle and go to the nearby area.

Today, I went to see the Moai statues near here by bicycle and entered a few caves.
The weather was good, and it was pleasant to ride the bicycle, but I think it would be tough to go a longer distance. It was just the right distance.Today, I have almost finished sightseeing at the major places. There are still some places that are difficult to access, but I probably won't go there. I will visit the museums tomorrow or the day after.

I received a Moai stamp at the village post office. Yay.

I visited a performance of Easter Island dances. The movements are amazing.