Chris hikes a volcano

Soup. Soup is definitely the thing I will miss most when I leave South America.  I've had soup with lunch and dinner while in Easter Island. Today's soup was "Green" soup. What it made it green? Something very tasty I guess.

I did the Birdman Hike today. It's the most challenging on the island.  6 miles with the first 4 being up the side of a volcano.  It was extra challenging today because it was on and off pouring rain. 

The reward for the climb is to see the crater of the volcano which formed Easter Island.

It's called "Birdman" because that is the name of the yearly competition they had on the island up until about the 1850's to pick the island king.  A competitor from each tribe would swim out to these nearby small islands to be the first one to find an egg of a certain kind of bird. 

Those are the islands behind me

After lunch, we drove out to see the largest collection of restored Moai on the island.  As usual, my pictures don't really convey how impressive this is.  They are huge - like 60+ feet high and 40 tons. These were restored in the 1990s. 

It is supposed to rain again all day tomorrow and, after 3 days of challenging hikes, I am going to see some of the other Moai by car tomorrow. The guide suggested the lava tube and cave tour but we decided against it after I told them I will barely get in a crowded elevator. 

Now back to my soup. It's purple. I don't know why.