0 Easter Island Rapa Nui

Protecting the Land

Easter Island or Rapa Nui, is one of the most amazing places on earth. Situated in the South Pacific Ocean about 3600 km west of the coast of Chile. Custody of the little island, dotted by extinct volcanoes, watch giant heads carved in stone. From the hilly landscape stare almost a thousand heads, whose origin is shrouded in mystery.
Between 1500. BC and 1200 in the South Pacific islands were populated by peoples of Polynesia, which originated from Southeast Asia. They traveled in canoes with sails and villas skilled navigators. Easter Island was the easternmost point on their travels and could have been reached as early as 400 years. The first Europeans discovered the island were the Dutch. This happened on Sunday of Easter in 1772.
Most probably the strangest statues of Easter Island, called Moai were by islanders in the period around 1000 and 1600. Some Moai, which are distinguished by noble persons with a hooked nose and elongated soft parts of the ears are in rows on a ceremonial stone platforms called APD. Others wear on their heads pikau, cylindrical stone "hats", originally painted dark red. Third hand hands have long fingers folded over the belly, and many are characterized by deep eye sockets, which archeologists suggest that they were filled with coral.
The severity of the statues could reach 84 tons, and some towering to a height 11 meters. Leaders are likely ancestors. Believed to possess great spiritual power. Partition and the elevation of Moai must require skilled labor for many years. Is now open 900 Moai, some are lying down, others face again. Around 600 still lie unfinished mainly where used to be made.
The slopes of Rano Raraku are dotted with Moai, in an unknown past. Flourishing culture of Easter Island began to decline rapidly after 1600. Some historians believe that the islanders have cut too many trees and destroyed the environment that fed them. Others believe that due to violent clashes between clans for scarce resources. In XIX century the island was hit by another disaster. Slave traders kidnapped 35 percent of its population to work drudgery or ministered unto in Peru.

Pascua

I'm not the most eloquent storytellers here, but here is my story of Easter Island, in the case of publishing and was interesting for someone: After 3 days in Santiago wait for your flight to Easter Island - the island of stress, not islands.
The entire organization of the trip I was because seeking tickets from Europe found a couple of crazy prices. The problem is that flights are limited only by LAN (Chilean airline) and in the summer influx is great.

So I connect with a local agency that promised the site at least half price, but to buy tickets wanted number of Chilean identity card (which actually applies to all their companies for cheap domestic flights ... Anyway, I asked Is there a problem to buy my ticket anything that . Well, no, but the price was not the same. Some angry of me a little but was still lower than I found here and agreed. expressed their dissatisfaction with their care ... Chile seemed to him, but I can tell.

I did not believe that after the heat in the Atacama may fall as a cold place in the coming days! For information only and freezing temperatures kept back on the plane, but I had already prepared a jacket.
Thank God there was an end this torture and landed in the early afternoon of a small airport, we went straight to the track and swept me - no such pleasure assistant greeted me, American-Canadian owner of a beautiful cabana, where I stayed and decorate their cloths with the statutory necklace flowers from the island. Much more Polynesian than Chilean, but Chilean territory. Are also the most distant from other settlements, settlement - about 4,000 km from Chile and 6,000 from Tahiti.

moai of Anakena beach

Everything is expensive. Comes with two weekly flights or ship. There is only one village, everyone knows and local differ VERY flood of Chileans. And I do not like May to mix with them ... but it did against the American and Canadian open and my hosts had Rapa nui men.
Rapa Nui is the real name of the island, so called, and the local population. Kim (American) gave me detailed information about the island and left me. I had half a day in which I bought some food and beer for dinner on the patio near the ocean beach, book a rental car in the morning and walked around to shoot his first Moai and the first sunset.

Moai statues are gigantic, which de facto island became famous. If you do not lie and are one of the new wonders of the world. There are several theories are built and how to drag off the island. There are attempts to make Moai even think . The purpose of the statues was religious in pedestals beneath them are buried chiefs, gods and look inward to the land to protect and patronize the tribe.
There is only one of several Moai composition in a number not on the beach and overlook the ocean - the assumption is that the first settlers of the island and they look at your old home. Probably came from the Polynesian Islands.

MOAI, RANU RARAKU

The history of Easter Island is a long, interesting subject is much research too ... I can hardly, hardly need to paraphrase. Interesting is the fact that it is so remote, no endemic animals and vegetation is rich and varied. Most wars are moved around the hens, because it was an essential part of living and were not in abundance. Here is some history from an external site
From here it is also notices (actually I do not know how some of the public) birdman ritual or Tangata manu.

So first Moai, my house was quite close to shore and some of them took pictures of the sunset, ocean and got to drink a beer (Astral Patagonia highly recommend) and went to bed that next day I get up early to chase the sunrise on the other side of the island.
Get up early I never loved, and at 5h. is simply inhuman. RPPW for sunrise Easter island Rapa Nui and it did. At daybreak I got up, threw on a jeep - other cars there, so that the asphalt road and there are many - and began to move to the alleged right direction. Some would say it's hard to go wrong there, there are only 2 way.
Thank God, I felt fast and I got back on track. At the location to meet the sunrise (Tongariki) already had 2-3 other jeep , many are tourists. There were horses and of course, as throughout the island. As stray dogs, and so freely placed horses. It is terrible, but you do not castrate macho, is and her run free. Recently even the government has taken to think of programs to reduce this problem. Population of 3,000 people May they really 4000 horse and then on the island. It therefore took me to drive an hour. I do not know which bush horse who will jump me.

Easter Island - Anakena

Watched the sunrise, snap pictures of course and went backwards. Wait for me again a little tour of the island dance show in the evening. I thought
will walk to the top of the nearby extinct volcano ,in the crater of which were unique flora. Initially, the local said, I'm not normal to go bash at noon, but I love you hot - it did not stop me. Then they told me to thick milk with high SPF protection from UV rays. And to get plenty of water and be careful not happen to me because the only thing local hospital was not a place I want to fell. For information American Kim was born at home alone last 2 children, not only within the hospital? Even the second wanted to arrest her for the child to manifest irresponsibility. Obviously not really Hospital dream, but I am not of those who often rely on to hospitals. Touch wood I darzheliva and healthy.

Their last instructions were that there was trail for an hour - hour and something enough, no shade to stop, if necessary, a cave with ancient drawings on the road to diversity ... flowers and roses is the situation. I went I saw, then continued here and trail there trail Trail. After sighting seriously and demand, somehow found myself on the road for cars, which resembles and trail, but is about 3 times longer. Well I had water with me! It was a walk in the midday heat, walking, walking ... and so at noon I came 3h crater .... sight I saw was worth every drop of sweat and muscle strain.She said I was crazy and that will then show me the path - after a rain hood.

Anakena

Also considered above the village (Orongo village) of local tribes, where the rock was staged birdman cult race is more along the crater - it was just unearthly beautiful. Basically saying that the only places you can translate it on the walls of the crater to the bottom. They had their secret paths among vegetation, otherwise your be dangerous. Steep was true, but a local guide are not wearing me.

So as I sat and contemplate its crater suddenly appeared one local. I did not understand what he was doing, that my Spanish is "very" strong, but it seems that descends and climbs up and down, for fun or a workout ... in , but as it entails. He offered me to take me to the bottom if you want. With displeasure quit - no more long and had to go back to the village. The path was easy and not really about and hour I was down. So if someone goes there to know that the beginning of the trail is marked with means path and the plate is visible only in the opposite direction. Look much.
The evening was dedicated to traditional dance show - Matatoa dance show.
It was very good - a half-naked muscular young local and long before I buy tickets began to talk to some of them and of course was very interesting. You have Bulgarian - exotic even tell you I went on stage to dance with them eventually, but you alone I have no pictures from moment with Siblings.

Ahu Akivi - Rapa Nui

Moai

Easter Island Rapa Nui have minted the first right into the rock, and then be "cut off" from it and devolve down to the coast. There was still opened and unfinished Moai. Cult to them and strike them is interrupted around 1700, all were pushed to the ground in the tribal wars around 1800. By pushing the Moai assume that it ceases to have effect and to preserve the land and the tribe. There is also a theory that the tsunami has pushed them.Easter Island Rapa Nui In modern times many of them face, which is costing a lot of effort and technique. Was sponsored by Japan, and believe their technique is expensive and although it was not easy. We can only guess what it is costing the local to erect Moai only with live power lines and trees.

Easter Island Rapa Nui Straightening and de facto promotion of the statues almost saves the island, who had been terribly poor neposeshavan due to distant and not particularly great alternatives to develop some other business than tourism.

I said
I went to the beach and

-In Easter Island Rapa Nui The beach, serving as a beach for swimming and one is wonderful. It is said Anak. I personally beaten in a submerged rock, but it is not wanting to be in crowds, and to be alone on the sand and sea. I chose my empty place, and why it had to be empty.

Anyway, I have a bad memory even of that. I stopped and the so-called
"Navel of the world."

This is a decent near perfect round and smooth magnetic stone of Easter Island Rapa Nui. Its origin is not an island, was brought from somewhere, but has proven terrestrial origin. He has a particular relevance to local, perhaps because one theory is that it is brought by their ancestors. Currently just a tourist attraction.

On returning to the house ate the local ice cream again - make it day to day and it's very tasty. I say again because I ate it every day and always surprised me with new flavors of local flowers, or various fruits. That was my personal culinary discovery of Easter Island. Easter Island Rapa Nui is quite on the beach if you walk from the cathedral or the post down. Mention
Mail - a special time

I do not remember exactly, but around 2:00 morning. But in it for 1 USD obtain the Easter Island Rapa Nui stamp in the passport.Easter Island Rapa Nui for tourists to have passport and Moai. Otherwise, no sense of stamps, just - kind of souvenir from there.

Evening, drank some local liqueur with Sharon (Canadian-owner) my bags and went to bed. It was my last day ... at noon the next fly to Patagonia in Easter Island Rapa Nui.

Detour to Easter Island Rapa Nui cost me almost as much as anything else at all over Chile, but not sorry. I personally feel great and there .... a bit like the atmosphere of the island from LOST (I'm not his fan of the series, but otherwise I have normal ... but do not know why I feel so strange there). Departure Hugo, Kim's friend, I said that is Rapa nui, I gave him an amulet made of - the island shell with a feather of a bird in it. Belief is that it will be pulled back again, but come to the island, you must throw it back into the ocean. Keep her happy and it would get even someday back to the ocean there, but before waiting for me so much of the rest of the world!