What's in the name?
This tiny 163 sq km island is a triangular piece of land seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The Chilean coast to the west is 3500 km away. The closest island to the east is 2000 km away. It is populated mainly by people of Polynesian descent who call their home Rapa Nui. In the days of historic perilous voyages the Dutch were the first Europeans to set foot here. It happened during Passover, exactly on Easter Sunday. Hence the name Easter
How does the remote and sparsely inhabited island survive?
The original inhabitants farmed and fished. Most of the 8000 inhabitants live in the only town. Their main business now is tourism. Two flights per week from Santiago, Chile, helps bring the tourists.
What brings the tourist?
The statues, of course! The Moai (statues) each standing on a ceremonial platform, the Ahu. Anywhere from one to twelve stand on a single Ahu. Were they important personalities deified after their death? This Unesco world heritage site is respectful of local belief and tradition. Do not even think of climbing onto the platforms and touching the statues. In 2008 a Finnish tourist did precisely that, breaking the ear off a moai in the process. He was not only punished with a fine of USD 17,000 but also banned for three years!
These huge statues are made from solidified volcanic ash, found on the island’s Rano Raraku volcanic crater; the islanders sculpted them with stone chisels. So how did they move these massive statues around the island? It would be interesting to find out given that the figures are massive. Imagine a rock 4m x 1.6m x1.6m. It would weigh about 12.5 tons.
On the watch: through the lens
It is no wonder then that they would be visible from as far as 12 nautical miles, the international waters boundary. That works out well for us especially since our cruise liner had to skip the port purportedly due dangerous sea conditions. But we would be sailing by as close as possible.
Will we be able to spot the statues from this distance? Guests in higher end cabins were provided with binoculars. Some guests had their own.
Sadly on this particular voyage we did not bring ours. But there's always a way. I whip out my camera and zoom it. Wah lah! I can see the coast even though it is a bit hazy. Everybody is agog and anxious, with eyes glued to the coast hoping not to miss the stone figures. After what seems like ages I catch sight of tall pillars. So I simply click away. After about half an hour the disgruntled turn away. Next I spy the village. More clicks.
Did we miss THEM? Not really.
In the conversations that followed after the event we find out that the casual cruiser had expected to identify the sculpted figures not really knowing much about their size and configuration. In actual fact all the rectangular sculpted heads and torsos are turned inland for the moai are there to protect the denizens. So,of course they look like pillars planted in a row!
And then we are moving away. Time to check the shots. Lo and behold! I caught the Rapa Nui. Was I lucky or smart? I knew that the statues all look inward from the shore.
What we did not miss : rolled heads and rough paths
Of the thousands of statues those further inland are scattered far and wide. Stone heads have toppled and rolled away. These are only reachable through long walks, steep paths and uneven roads. Even If the island is reputed for its guides we wouldn't have done the hikes.
What we missed: pristine air and waters
Peace and quiet. The island being as remote as it is, and its economy being based on tourism, it is largely free from pollution. Had we gone a little closer we would have been in the clearest ocean waters in the world. The waters are said to be transparent to a depth of 50 to 60 meters.
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