Our Great Adventure: Easter Island Northern Circuit Day 193 30/03/2015

We decided to hire bikes today and headed off to explore part of the northern circuit. We had breakfast at the cabanas and then walked along the main street to buy lunch (more empanadas but no fish) and sorted out getting our bikes. Once we were sorted we set off peddling north towards Ahu Akivi. We'd been cycling for about 30 minutes before we came to our first barricade and despite our best efforts couldn't get past. We headed back downhill towards the town and took every right turn, down dust tracks and sealed roads, in an attempt to continue our planned journey (not that there were many). At one point we ended up on private land and a very nice gentleman gave us very detailed directions although it got lost in translation after about the third right turn! We finally came out at the coast at Ahu Akapu where there's a solitary moai (just up the coast from where we had walked on our first day). After enjoying lunch we continued north along a dirt track to another barricade. After a chat with the local protester we were let through (no idea why we were allowed to here and not at the earlier road block). We missed the caves at Ana Kakenga and continued on what had become a very dusty and rough track to Ahu Tepeu where there were several fallen moai and a large village. From here the track headed inland to Ana Te Pahu, a former cave dwelling overgrown with banana trees and other vegetation but providing some respite from the heat of the sun. We continued cycling and the track eventually turned into a sealed road as we reached Ahu Akivi where 7 restored moai face towards the sea (all other moai face inland). Legend has it that they were explorers hence why they are looking out to sea. After a short break we continued on to Puna Pau, avoiding the numerous horses that roam in the road. Puna Pau is a volcanic quarry where the reddish pukao (topknots) were made. From here it was downhill, passed another barricade, and back to Hanga Roa, cycling round the headland on route. We dropped off the bikes and enjoyed a coke and ice cream at a bar in the harbour. Cycling is definitely a great way to explore the island although we very dirty, sweaty and Diane's nose had got sun burnt. In the evening we walked up to the main street, watching the sunset over the Pacific on the way. It was very quiet with a number of bars and restaurants closed for the night. We found one place open and enjoyed a bottle of good, cheap Chilean wine and two slightly strange pizzas before heading back to the cabanas.