Rapa Nui: day 5

Unfortunately, I had to catch a flight out of Rapa Nui and back to mainland Chile. I didn't do much in the morning before my flight, so I'll now share some tidbits about my time on the island.

 

The post office will stamp your passport with an Isla de Pascua stamp for free (mine is on the page next to my Antarctica penguin stamp!).

 

The island's only town, Hanga Roa, is so small that when two Swiss tourists at the airport realized they hadn't gotten their passports stamped and that the post office closed in fifteen minutes, there was enough time for one of them to sprint to the post office, get the stamps, and sprint back to the airport before the post office had even closed and in time to catch his flight out!

 

Either the fire department has a close relationship with Japan, or they really love the LA Lakers.

 

While Rapa Nui is worlds apart from mainland Chile, they are identical in one important aspect: countless stray dogs. Walking to sunset one night, we were followed for a good twenty plus minutes by a group of ten dogs!

 

The final step in completing a moai was to carve the eyes or the eye slots, as the white sclera are actually removable.

 

And here are a few parting moai shots...

 

Back to the mainland (be sure to get a window seat on your flight!).