A Walk Along The Shore Is All I Do On My Last Day

Real or replicant? Don't know. Can't tell.

It's my final full day on Easter Island. The flight back to the mainland leaves tomorrow afternoon. I've seen all the main sights I wanted to see. I not going to make it to the volcano, but that's OK. That was more on my "I'll go if I'm completely bored and have nothing else to do" list than it was on my "must-see" list.

So I went for a walk along the shore.

If I had taken the horse, I might have had the energy to make it to the volcano. But the horse was tied up. I'm not a rustler. And I have only been on the back of a horse once and my legs were more sore and tired from the experience than if I walked.

I could take a boat.

But as we will see, the surf is kind of rough today.

I do make it to Ahu Mata Ote Vaikava. Real or replicant?

My first thought was replicant. He's not near any other moai. The detail looks too good, like he's had a lot of work to smoothen out his face by Beverly Hills' top plastic surgeon (or, in this case, top stone surgeon). The arms are distinct. And, tell-tale giveaway, he's staring at the sea and not looking back to his people on the island.

And he's not surrounded by a stone border with signs saying "no pasar" or "don't step on the head." Since we are effectively being invited to step on this moai's head, I vote: replicant.

Here's one of those signs that give the distance to very distant cities.

Valparaiso, I understand. It's not only the port -- Santiago is inland -- but Isla de Pascua is in the Chilean state of Valparaiso. Even Honolulu makes some sense. But San Francisco? Istanbul? Portland? Oregon, I presume. Not Maine. But one would make as much sense as the other.

This part of the coast took on a distinctively southwest flavor.

Are these some sort of yucca?

They look more Mojave Desert than South Pacific.

But these coastal scenes are decidedly South Pacific:

The volcano that I could've should've hiked is visible on the left. But I'm not hiking a volcano today, so let's look at more rocks and more waves.

Waves crashing onto black volcanic rocks. You don't get that in the Mojave. This stone head one definitely fits the bill for replicant and not a real-deal moai:

He got eyes. Only one real moai has his eyes and it's not him. So, verdict: replicant. You could buy him at the local souvenir store, if he would fit into the overhead compartment for the flight back to the mainland.

Time for an early supper. I decide to shake things up and try something different: teh Aloha Food Trucks. It is a group of three independently-owned food trucks, each with a different and distinct menu, permanently parked next to a bar, where they all share tables. Very civilized. Very trendy,

I order from "Le Frits," the empanada truck.

I order a "jamon y queso" empanada -- ham and cheese -- and a "pollo, BBQ y queso" frit -- chicken and cheese with BBQ sauce. Each comes with a side of a massive dollop of mayonnaise. This may be the eastern edge of Polynesia, but it's still Chile so everything comes with a giant dollop of mayo. This mayo was nicely spiced into something that tasted more like a tarter sauce, but not quite. And to wash it down? A Cerveza Austral Yagan, their dark ale.

My dinner date was a real dog. 

And by that I mean she was an actual dog. She was a good companion. She only wanted a few scratches between her ears. She didn't beg for any food once the food arrived.

My trip to Easter Island is just about over. Definitely glad this was on my list and definitely glad I came. I booked four nights here, which meant three days. Was that enough? Or was it too much? I now know that two days is enough to see everything there is to see. I did not know that until I got here and saw what I wanted to see. So if you know the weather will be fine, three nights / two days is enough. But it was nice to have the safety cushion of the third day just in case. It's not easy to get here.