More Day 3 : Easter Island/ Rapa Nui

Moai where everywhere... 

The sky was cloudy and raining right before this picture, then it cleared up to near perfect natural lighting.  

Probably the most famous moai, or at least, it's the most photographed moai ( e.g. National Geographic, cover of Lonely Planet, etc.). The moai is pouting.   

Day 3 : Easter Island/ Rapa Nui

Rano Raraku Quarry: A Moai being carved.

Rano Raraku Quarry: Carved from the mountain, then stood upright, the Moai began their "walk". Then one day it all just stopped... which is just as bewildering as "why did it all begin"?

Ahu Nau Nau: Moai with "topknots" or Pukao. Like most things on Easter Island/Rapa Nui no one really knew why some had Pukao and some didn't, but MANY had a "theory".

Ahu Tongariki: 15 Moai

Tongariki: Same 15 Moai, but from a distance.

Day 2 : Easter Island / Rapa Nui

My "hotel" owner and tour guide.  He said he sent a taxi to the airport to pick me up, but the taxi never made it.  Whatever, he spoke english and was able to school me on Easter Island/ Rapa Nui. 

My original "hotel" I booked, and where I stayed my 2nd and 3rd night on the Island. 

The bathroom was much improved. The bathroom at the first hotel was just a plywood diagonal divider that segmented the bathroom from the remainder of the room. 

The food was excellent, except expensive. 

Day 1 : Easter Island/Rapa Nui

My plane was delayed. I didn't arrive until 3:30 am. My airport pickup didn't showed up. I asked a local at the airport if he knew of a room I could stay. This is where he took me. At 4am I didn't care. It was a cinder block room with no windows. I slept until noon the next day. The room was serious dark.

 

This was waiting outside my door when I woke up in the morning though, so that was nice.

 

Main Street of Hanga Roa. A Pacific tropical paradise.

 Main Street. Farmer's Market. 

For the rest of the day, I hiked around Ana Kai Tangata and Orongo (not pictured).

Rano Kau is a 324m (1,063 ft) tall extinct volcano near Orongo (not pictured).

Off to Easter Island/ Rapa Nui

Evidently, while in Mendoza, the airline tried calling to inform me my plane was delayed, but I didn't answer my phone. I didn't know who was calling, and I assumed whoever it was would email me if it was important. Anyway, when I arrived in Santiago, I was informed my plane was delayed and I'd be arriving on Easter Island/Rapa Nui at 3:30AM instead of 11PM. I already made arrangements for hotel owner, where I would be staying, to pick me up at 11PM, now I would have to change it and wait in the airport longer. I became somewhat irritated. (I've learned this a good thing, the more irate, the more they will assist, especially in airports.)

 Because of my irritation the airline offered me a hotel room for the 6 hours wait free of charge. It was a very nice hotel, downtown Santiago. But all rooms were occupied so the gave me the handicap room, but still outside the bedroom window was pool. My stay also included lunch and dinner, plus I was able to shower. This eased my irritation.

Aconcagua!!!

After 12 days of hiking and climbing up Mt. Aconcagua, we made it back to the hotel. I have lot of pictures, but the internet is so slow here, I can't up load the pictures. Overall the trip was grueling, yet fun. I never made it to the summit of the mountain (6960 meters), but stop just short of it (6660 meters). Oh well. That's life. On Tuesday, I'll be leaving Argentina and heading to Napa Rui (Easter Island) for 4 days. Perhaps even scuba diving.

Return to Mendoza

It was nice returning to Mendoza. Returning to 80 degree F weather, outdoor cafes, hotel, a bed, roomservice, etc. after 3 weeks on Mt. Aconcagua sleeping in tents, enduring the wind, eating camp food, etc.

Return to Base Camp (Plaza De Mulas)

Pendar

Clemens

Myself, Maurits, and Dae Ho

One our group participant, Raj, twisted his ankle descending from the mountain and had to be helivaced to Mendoza.

View a Plaza De Mulas (Base Camp) as we returned.

La Cueva” (“The Cave”) (6,660m./21,850ft.)

Pendar and myself just 300 meters short of the summit. I couldn't climb the remaining 300 meters. The altitude conquered me.

Dae Ho and Maurits back at Camp 3, after conquering the summit. It wasn't easy. Bow to those that summit.

Camp 3: Camp Colera (6,962m./22,840ft.)

Our guides collected snow and melted it. It was our only source of water at higher altitudes.

Camp 3 located at 6,962 meters was higher than the summit of Kilimanjaro. We spent the night here prior to attempting the summit.

There was a somewhat permeant structure there, for communication and emergencies. 

Nindo De Condores (Rest Day)

Pendar took this video. It provides a great visual/sound effect of the wind crashing into the tent. The wind was really strong this day. It was our rest day, so we basically hung out in the tent all day "acclimatizing".  The next day we hiked to Camp 3.

Camp 2: Nindo De Condores (5,380m./17,650ft.)

Setting up the tents.

Pendar and I hanging out.

Pendar in front of our tent.

Sunset while camped above the clouds. 

Camp 1: Plaza Canada (4,910m./16,108ft.)

Ominous day.

Clemens

Me trying to look chill.

Hello? hello? Anybody home?

Getting my oxidation levels read. Once every evening.

Plaza Canada

Pendar's video.  A panorama of Camp 2 (or Plaza Canada). A very dry, desolate, not very pretty mountain, as you can see.

Cerro Bonete Day Hike (5,100m./16,730ft.)

Looking back down at Base Camp (Plaza De Mulas).

Dae Ho.

Maurits

Looking yonder.

At the Summit (4,370 meters). It was only a day hike to acclimatize. After reaching the summit, we descended to Base Camp (Plaza De Mulas) where we spend the night.