Rapa Nui September 3, 2023

Ok, I’m a little late in posting, but I’m here now. On Sunday, we were very, very lucky to get to visit Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. This is the home of the stone heads or Moai, as they are properly called. The word is pronounced Mo (long o) I (long I) MO I. It has been called Easter Island because a Dutchman commissioned by the West India Company, discovered the island on Easter Sunday in 1722. It is now part of 🇨🇱 Chile as it was annexed in 1888. Basically it is a small island, 14 miles long by 7 miles wide, and the first inhabitants, Polynesians, arrived in the 4th century. Due to over population, the natural resources were depleted and inter-tribal wars became common.

We were very lucky to be able to tender to the island. We talked to several people who had been here many times and had never been able to land. There is no pier or natural harbor and thus the cruise ship has to use tender boats to take people onto the island. If the swells are too large, the boats can’t operate. The captain said we were just at the limits and 🤞. Our dinner friend, Dorothy, who is 83, had been here 7 times and was never able to get off. She was in tears and because she needs a walker, was not sure she could get off. But she did and we were all so happy for her!

I don’t know what gets me giddy with joy but I can tell you seeing the Moai made me so happy. The base of the head is called the Ahu. When a person of importance died, the tribe took the body to the ocean and let the sea critters feed on the remains. Once the flesh and organs were gone, they then took the bones and buried them under the Ahu. Then the head was created. It was believed that Mana (protective, good spirits) were then imbued into the stone head and thus the family/ village/ tribe was given more protection. There are approximately 90 standing heads on the island. Many more are toppled and lying in the quarry.

We also visited the Orongo village which was the site of the Birdman contests. Each year one man from each of the approximately 7 tribes, was chosen to scale a 1000 foot cliff, swim in shark infested water and spend days waiting for the first bird of spring to lay an egg and then bring the egg back to the mainland….unbroken. The winner’s tribe then ruled the island for the next year. This began around 1700 and lasted 150 years. After that time, the island was beset with missionaries who converted the people to Catholicism.

Today the island has approximately 8,000 inhabitants. Only Rapa Nui descendants can own land. They depend on tourism for their livelihood and they have 65,000 visitors a year. Covid hit them really hard and they were closed for 28 months. No one contacted Covid during that time. Once they opened to tourists, 1500 inhabitants came down with Covid but since 80% were vaccinated, no one was seriously ill.

They have an airport, the width of the entire island, which was getting flights from Tahiti which is 2000 miles away. NASA paid for the airstrip as it was an emergency landing strip for the space shuttle. The flights just started flying again. Here’s hoping they have a swift recovery. Now for some pictures

The 7 Navigators. The only Moai looking towards the ocean. We are 2,000 miles west of South America and 2,000 miles east of Tahiti.

It rained really hard for 5 minutes and then was sunny. Many of the Moai were damaged during inter-tribal wars.

The harbor. We tendered into here. Saw large, I mean huge, turtle in the water.

Navigating to get into the harbor.

We so enjoyed seeing the Moai. I love this guy!

Our guide and our driver. Notice his tattoos. The Rapa Nui ( and most people of Polynesian descent) on the islands have tattoos.

A view of the 3 islands where the birdman contest was held.

The housing at Orongo village, home of the contest.

It was a great day.

My friend, Dorothy, she is 83. She was in tears afraid she would not be able to board the tender. But the 8th time is the charm and she saw the Moai.