We had the morning in town, with a coffee and cake at Mikafe. This showed how expensive Easter Island was, as a coffee and cake worked out at $11 a head, twice the price of Spain. Still it overlooked the little port at Hanga Roa, and one could watch the world go round
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| Mikafe is a nondescript little shack overlooking the port, with a terrace and a charming view of the boats in the little harbour | |||
After lunch it was a walk to Ahu Vinapu - it is at the eastern edge of the runway. Recommended for its "Inca" stonework, Ahu Vinapu is an archaeological site . The ceremonial centre of Vinapu includes one of the larger ahu on Rapa Nui. The ahu exhibits extraordinary stonemasonry, consisting of large, carefully fitted slabs of basalt of a construction very similar to that used by the Incas in Peru. The stone wall faces towards sunrise at Winter Solstice.
It is quite a hike to get there. We walked along the eastern length of the runway, and when we got to the end, found a fuel depot with a guard. On inquiring of him the whereabouts of the ahu, he guided us round the perimeter fence of the fuel store, and we found it. It is still in its original state, and the statues have not been re-erected yet, but the "Inca like" stonework can be clearly seen. Indeed it is very similar to the construction we saw in Peru by the Incas, using an asymmetric form of block work to join large stones together without the use of mortar.
The ahu is not much visited by tours as it is a bit off the ring tour of the island, and, being unrestored, is not as spectacular as other ahus which have been
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| Ahu Vinapu is hidden away at the far end of the airport runway. It is not restored, but the ahu stonework can be clearly seen | |||
We had dinner that night at Haka Honu which is on the seafront beside the Santander Bank. Like all other restaurants on Easter Island, it is not "sophisticated, to the extent that the surroundings are basic, but once you sit down and let the magic of the south seas take you over, it is a great place to dine and to sit. And they go to the trouble of using fresh flowers on the tables. It overlooks the sea, so was a really nice place to watch the sun set. They serve beer in ice frosted glasses from the freezer, which impressed me!
We enjoyed both sundowners and dinner at this restaurant. For me it offered the best value for money that we came across on the island, and the service was really friendly. Perhaps this was why it was the only restaurant in town that was packed. In a town where every other restaurant struggled to get 2 or 3 tables, we had to wait for a table here.