EASTER ISLAND
January 28, 2007
If first impressions are long-lasting, then my first impression of Easter Island will always be the colors of this exotic port.
As we stepped off the ship onto the tender boats waiting to take us ashore I was mesmerized with the color of the water beneath us….a rich beautiful blue almost impossible to describe. Lighter than a “navy” blue, yet darker than the color of Windex, the water was memorable. Swaying back and forth as we rode the strong currents to the pier at Hanga Roa, the one village on Rapu Nui (the native name for Easter Island) the high dark black-brown-sepia cliffs loomed in front. Blankets of green green grasses covered the high plateaus. What a surprise! From all that I had read and heard I thought that Easter Island (so named because it was “discovered” on Easter Sunday 1722) would be rough and barren. Crystal clear blue skies interrupted with rapidly moving patches of darkening rain clouds only added to the mystic of this special and isolated island that lies some 2237 miles off the coast of Chile…the country whose flag is flown. As we boarded a small van to begin our tour, (would you believe!!!!...... Diannneeee von Something-or-Another was on the van! She remembered me from our search for the apple fritters!!! ...even calling me by name. As it turned out, she is a delightful woman who has seen the world over and over again. I look forward to having tea with her in the future!) a light mist quickly turned into a hard downpour forcing the already high humidity to rise. But just as suddenly as the rain had begun, it ended leaving behind the most vivid and magical rainbow with colors so intense that I will never forget it. Yes, I will always think of vivid color when I think of Easter Island.
Of course what makes Easter Island so special is the mystery of the Moai…the large statues carved from the volcanic stone, known as “tuff”, that comprises the island. With more than 800 known statues, some in almost unrecognizable state and countless others still to be unearthed, it is impossible to not be impressed with the history and wonderment of these special works of art. Our first stop was at Ahu Vaihu. The word “ahu” means platform or temple. Each of these Moai stands atop an ahu…either individually or collectively. Most of the Moai face back into the land to protect the former village that once erected them. Some have piercing “eyes” of coral and obsidian, some where red “hats” carved from a different stone than the body, while others lay toppled, half-buried after years of erosion and countless tsunamis.
Driving further down the coast we visited Rano Raraku, the abandoned natural quarry where the Moais were carved directly from the rock. Here some 400 statues still lie in the rock or are standing in different stages of completion. Many were apparently abandoned after breaking apart as they were being moved to their eventual location. Our most expert guide, a native Chilean who received his PhD in Anthropology and Archeology from the University of Hawaii where he now resides, explained the current theory of how these massive stone carvings, some as tall as 30-40 feet and weighing tons, were moved. It is his theory, based on an exhaustive study of oral history and work of countless other experts the Moai “walked” to their final resting spot. Tethered with ropes and using a small disk under them, each statue would be shifted from side to side, and pivoted forward…thus appearing to walk.
Next, Sergio, our guide who has spent the last 30 years in research on and off the island, showed us Ahu Tongariki, the largest stone platform with fifteen re-erected Moais. After a 1960 tsunami dispersed these Moai over the island, Sergio and others were brought in to restore them. In doing so the team was able to generate much advanced knowledge. The resulting restoration is breathtaking and truly underscores the power of the Moai…such majestic structures “guarding” this special land.
Likewise, he showed us yet another restoration projects at at Anakena beach. With only 6 of 7 Moai on this Ahu, Sergio explained how wind and sea are constantly eroding their work. What a fascinating place….what a fascinating man.
After a delicious barbecue lunch with the sweetest fruit I have ever tasted, we traveled high on the island to Ranu Kau, one of the three inactive volcanoes that created the island thousands of years ago. The huge crater is now a deep lake of fresh water whose banks host countless fruits, avocadoes, and other tropical plants. Looking down over the small village of Hanga Roa and seeing the ms Amsterdam awaiting off the shore, I couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky I am to have experienced first-hand such a special and magical place…and I know that from now on when I see a rainbow I will be reminded of the piercing eyes of the Moai of Easter Island.
January 28, 2007
If first impressions are long-lasting, then my first impression of Easter Island will always be the colors of this exotic port.
As we stepped off the ship onto the tender boats waiting to take us ashore I was mesmerized with the color of the water beneath us….a rich beautiful blue almost impossible to describe. Lighter than a “navy” blue, yet darker than the color of Windex, the water was memorable. Swaying back and forth as we rode the strong currents to the pier at Hanga Roa, the one village on Rapu Nui (the native name for Easter Island) the high dark black-brown-sepia cliffs loomed in front. Blankets of green green grasses covered the high plateaus. What a surprise! From all that I had read and heard I thought that Easter Island (so named because it was “discovered” on Easter Sunday 1722) would be rough and barren. Crystal clear blue skies interrupted with rapidly moving patches of darkening rain clouds only added to the mystic of this special and isolated island that lies some 2237 miles off the coast of Chile…the country whose flag is flown. As we boarded a small van to begin our tour, (would you believe!!!!...... Diannneeee von Something-or-Another was on the van! She remembered me from our search for the apple fritters!!! ...even calling me by name. As it turned out, she is a delightful woman who has seen the world over and over again. I look forward to having tea with her in the future!) a light mist quickly turned into a hard downpour forcing the already high humidity to rise. But just as suddenly as the rain had begun, it ended leaving behind the most vivid and magical rainbow with colors so intense that I will never forget it. Yes, I will always think of vivid color when I think of Easter Island.
Of course what makes Easter Island so special is the mystery of the Moai…the large statues carved from the volcanic stone, known as “tuff”, that comprises the island. With more than 800 known statues, some in almost unrecognizable state and countless others still to be unearthed, it is impossible to not be impressed with the history and wonderment of these special works of art. Our first stop was at Ahu Vaihu. The word “ahu” means platform or temple. Each of these Moai stands atop an ahu…either individually or collectively. Most of the Moai face back into the land to protect the former village that once erected them. Some have piercing “eyes” of coral and obsidian, some where red “hats” carved from a different stone than the body, while others lay toppled, half-buried after years of erosion and countless tsunamis.
Driving further down the coast we visited Rano Raraku, the abandoned natural quarry where the Moais were carved directly from the rock. Here some 400 statues still lie in the rock or are standing in different stages of completion. Many were apparently abandoned after breaking apart as they were being moved to their eventual location. Our most expert guide, a native Chilean who received his PhD in Anthropology and Archeology from the University of Hawaii where he now resides, explained the current theory of how these massive stone carvings, some as tall as 30-40 feet and weighing tons, were moved. It is his theory, based on an exhaustive study of oral history and work of countless other experts the Moai “walked” to their final resting spot. Tethered with ropes and using a small disk under them, each statue would be shifted from side to side, and pivoted forward…thus appearing to walk.
Next, Sergio, our guide who has spent the last 30 years in research on and off the island, showed us Ahu Tongariki, the largest stone platform with fifteen re-erected Moais. After a 1960 tsunami dispersed these Moai over the island, Sergio and others were brought in to restore them. In doing so the team was able to generate much advanced knowledge. The resulting restoration is breathtaking and truly underscores the power of the Moai…such majestic structures “guarding” this special land.
Likewise, he showed us yet another restoration projects at at Anakena beach. With only 6 of 7 Moai on this Ahu, Sergio explained how wind and sea are constantly eroding their work. What a fascinating place….what a fascinating man.
After a delicious barbecue lunch with the sweetest fruit I have ever tasted, we traveled high on the island to Ranu Kau, one of the three inactive volcanoes that created the island thousands of years ago. The huge crater is now a deep lake of fresh water whose banks host countless fruits, avocadoes, and other tropical plants. Looking down over the small village of Hanga Roa and seeing the ms Amsterdam awaiting off the shore, I couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky I am to have experienced first-hand such a special and magical place…and I know that from now on when I see a rainbow I will be reminded of the piercing eyes of the Moai of Easter Island.
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