Around the world in 108 days: February 8, 2015 Easter Island

February 1, 2015 we left Lima, Peru in route to Easter Island. It took 4 days at sea without seeing a single boat, ship, freighter, or island. We finally arrived on Feb. 5, very eager to set foot on land!

Easter Island is a triangular-shaped speck of volcanic rock in the center of the South Pacific, covering a mere 45 sq. miles in area. It lies over 2000 miles from the nearest population center (Tahiti to the west and Chile to the east), making it one of the most isolated places on Earth. Although called Rapa Nui by the Polynesians, it was later renamed Easter Island by the Dutch explorer, Admiral Jacob Roggeveen, who discovered the island on Easter day, 1722. This remote island is an archaeological treasure, which for generations has puzzled scientists and historians alike. Why did the island’s ancient inhabitants sculpt hundreds of colossal stone moais (statues) from volcanic stone, transport them from quarry to coast, and raise them on stone platforms? How did the Polynesians first come to this tiny volcanic outpost? While studies have been done over and over, there are no clear answers to these questions. But knowing that it took our ship 4 days to travel from Lima, Peru to reach Easter Island and we have another 5 days to reach Tahiti I think the original inhabitants of Rapa Nui must have been hearty souls to venture across the Pacific to find their new home!

Many of the moais were toppled and broken by feuding tribes over the years. Some remained in tack and others have been restored for visitors to see. One archaeological team came to the conclusion that the moais were sculpted by hand in the Rana Raraku Quarry, a volcanic crater, then “walked” down to the mountain to the coasts. They tried out their theory on a reproduction moais and teams of people holding ropes tied around the 30ft sculpture, after days of trial and error it was discovered that if two teams pulled from opposite sides as a third team pulled from the rear of the sculpture, they could rock it back and forth causing it to “walk” forward pivoting side to side. They managed to “walk” it 30 ft! Can you imagine the man power needed to move hundreds of these statues miles?

The ruling tribe was determined each year at the ceremonial center for the birdman cult. Each year competitors would gather at the southwest corner of the island where 3 small islands life just off shore. They built shelters there where they would stay waiting for the manutara bird to return and lay an egg on one of the small islands. When the birds were spotted they would swim to the small islands and wait for eggs to be laid. The first competitor to retrieve an egg, and swim back to the main island, hike up to the ceremonial center and present an intake egg would be the winner and his tribe would be in charge for the year.

Our day there was cloudy, and humid with a welcomed rain shower that cooled us off a bit, so our pictures are not the best. At least you’ll get an idea of this incredible site. However, I must sadly report to our grandson, Sam, we did not see the Easter Bunny anywhere….or did we????

Rano Kau Crater one of 3 inactive volcanoes located on the island

Monolithic sculptures are found all over the island

Another Monolithic sculpture

The set of 3 islands used in the Birdman competition to return the manutara egg

Remains of Birdman competitors housing while they waited for the Manutara birds to return

A picture of the manutara bird. The birds no longer come to Easter Island.
All efforts to bring them back have not been successful and why they left
is a mystery.

A city street on Easter Island with our ship in the background. Their harbor
will not accommodate a ship the size of ours, so we anchored and tendered in.