Have you ever circled an island at 1500 feet not once but twice in a 757? Well, we did. Because there’s not a lot of air traffic around Easter Island, one of our travel experts asked our pilot if he could get clearance to circle the island twice, once for the right side of the plane and once for the left side of the plane. We could see inside the crater of a dormant volcano, we could see statutes on the beach, you name it we could see it. What an experience!
For those of you that have or have had teenagers (especially boys), you’ll relate to our welcome to Easter Island. Before we were allowed off the plane a very nice person boarded and walked down our aisles spraying disinfectant. I guess like teenagers, they weren’t sure where we’d been and what we might be have gotten into, but a little Lysol seemed like a good way to make us a little more socially acceptable.
Rapanui, better known as Easter Island, is one of the most remote places on earth located in the Southern Hemisphere between Chile and the Polynesian islands. We probably would have no interest in it except for the very large stone sculptures known as moai left in various locations around the island from an ancient culture. I’m sure you’ve seen photos, large heads attached to legless bodies with very long arms, much like the people they seem to interview after a tornado hits a trailer park in the Midwest. They come in all sizes, but like most things, we are much more fascinated by the really big ones. And big they are.
First, a note about our accommodations. Think about a 1950’s era motor lodge and you’ll have a pretty good idea what awaited us. It was clean, had a comfortable bed, but far from luxurious. What they lacked in luxury they more than made up for in scenery. The sunset was stunning, with gentle waves lapping at the rocky coastline. a gentle breeze at our back. Picture postcard perfect.
The morning we headed out to view various moai locations around the island, it was a little overcast with a threat of rain on the horizon. Our first stop was a location with statutes in various states of repair at a rocky beach location. As the visit progressed, the skies darkened and precipitation began to fall. We hurried to the bus, on to the most historically significant location on the island. By this time it was really raining and those gently breezes weren’t quite so gentle. We waited a few minutes for it to blow over (which apparently it always does) but to no avail. We zipped on our rain coats and headed out. If you have every watched that movie classic, Caddy Shack, think about the scene where the priest is having the game of his life in hurricane like conditions and you’ll have a good idea of our touring conditions. We soldiered on because this might be our only shot at visiting the quarry where the moai were carved in place. To say we were soaked is an understatement. My phone got so wet that it no longer functions and it was inside my purse!
A quick change of plans (no beachside lunch) found us back at the motel changing into dry clothes and waiting out the rain. After lunch, it did clear to a point a few stalwart travelers were ready to try again. We visited a site where our guide, Claudio, and his archeological team restored an alter to its original splendor thanks to the gift of a Japanese crane donated to assist in their work. It took five years, surviving a labor shortage due to a really bad Kevin Costner movie that briefly made all the natives “actors”, to complete the movie and reassembling the seven moai back to their rightful location. Barring a major earthquake or tsunami, they should be there for years to come.
Our evening’s entertainment was a local dance troupe that won a dance competition among the Polynesian islands. I’ve never been fascinated by Chippendale dancers, but let me say these guys were really something to watch! Talk about abs of steel. I’m sure if David was writing this post he could add a description of the female dancers, but frankly I was too fixated on the shimmering tanned natives gyrating a few feet in front on me, pounding their (shaved) chests and flexing their muscles all to native inspired music to even notice anyone else on stage. Enough said.
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