I borrowed a bike my first day on Easter Island in an attempt to ride around. At 163.6 km2 the island is relatively small but still once you start cycling around the country-side you quickly realise it's bigger than you think.
During my first day there I was still a little unsure as to what I should be seeing. As I was loitering around the first archaeological site that I came across a little dog jumped up beside me and stared at me with deep, friendly eyes. She followed me around the site and every time I paused to take a picture she would lie down by my feet.
I thought that was cute. I pet the dog goodbye, got on my bike and rode off. But the little doggie followed. I would go down hills and gain more than a kilometer on the animal, but I would turn around and seeing her enthusiastically running after me - and with a limp, nonetheless. By the time I was putting down my bike at the next archaeological site the little doggy would be curling up beside my feet.
She followed me like this for about 15 km, but unfortunately I lost her somewhere on the ride back to town when we crossed paths with some other locals and their dog.
The next day I started hitch-hiked instead. My second ride dropped me near that first archaeological site from the previous day. There was a bit of activity at this site, and a demonstration of how their ancestors moved the moai. As I was getting my camera out of my bag I felt some pressure against my leg. It was my little doggie.
