Easter Island can pack a punch when it comes to weather!!

Day 2 in Easter Island and the weather is so bad they have cancelled the flights in and out of the island! I cannot believe it, for weeks the weather has been amazing and when we arrive it turns to custard. We are actually pretty content with it TBH as it means we can relax, chill, catch up on writing, editing and washing our clothes – Life of a backpacker!

I am hoping this afternoon the weather improves slightly so we can walk to the caves, there are lava tunnels here that we are both pretty keen on visiting but will see how we go. Currently, as I type this we have torrential rain, there is no WIFI and no signs of it improving anytime soon. Leo always says never look at the weather forecast, which after Tahiti I totally believe but I also trust when they cancel flights that tis weather warning could be correct.
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We are only 10 days in and I won’t lie, we are both exhausted. A mixture between flights, time differences, not sleeping well at night and the heat has really taken it’s toll on us both. The nonsense that is happening with the corruption and the government has made me feel uneasy and slightly un-safe. I just don’t feel settled and I was so excited about Easter Island but the current events on the island have made my anxiety spike to a new level. Not speaking the language is also awkward, I can understand basic Spanish but currently unable to speak it, even though it has similarities to Portuguese constantly trying to understand and translate is tricky business. This is when I am more than grateful to have Leo as he really has been incredible being able to navigate us around the place speaking both French and Spanish with ease. 

​Today, I reckon will be a day of trying to eat well on the cheap – I’m thinking Empanadas, fresh fruit and veg and maybe some eggs as our little hot bods that we spent the last year sculpting have started to disappear. We are losing weight for sure as we are hardly eating well but with the loss of weight comes with it the loss of ALL MUSCLE. Devastated!
Update - The rain stopped, and started again BUT stopped long enough for us to leave the house. We ventured out across the West of the island looking to explore some Moai’s and get some fresh air. The weather is warm here about 25 degrees so it’s pleasant even in the rain and we managed to grab a quick empanada at the start of the track – score! If you are looking to eat cheaply here then empanadas are your go to for when you are feeling hungry. A decent sized meat filled pocket will set you back about $5NZD.

We started off at Policarpo Toro before heading through to Kainga before reaching Kahu Mahua where we took the last of our snaps for the day and stopped at an amazing bar/restaurant for a Pisco Sour and a few ‘we are on holiday snaps’ .

On the way back we decided to bite the bullet and hire a car for the next 2 days so we can really explore the island in depth. For 2 days (48 hours) cost 70,000 pesos or about $160NZD which we thought was actually pretty reasonable. In regards to the ticket bureaucracy, we decided to go straight to the  government offices and get a stamped letter showing that the entrance is now free entry while the strike is taking place. There are so many people telling us different things it’s best to go straight to the source. Wish us luck with the weather tomorrow!