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Easter Island (Spanish: Isla de Pascua, Polynesian: Rapa Nui) is one of the most isolated islands on Earth. Early settlers called the island "Te Pito O Te Henua" (Navel of The World). Officially a territory of Chile, it lies far off in the Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway to Tahiti. Known as one of the world's sacred sites, it is most famous for its enigmatic giant stone statues or Moai whose oversized heads, carved centuries ago, reflect the history of the dramatic rise and fall of the most isolated Polynesian culture.
The English name of the island commemorates its European discovery by a Dutch exploration vessel on Easter Sunday in 1722.
Ever since Thor Heyerdahl and a small party of adventurers sailed their raft from South America to the Tuamotu islands, far to the north of Easter Island, a controversy has raged over the origin of the Islanders. Today DNA testing has proved... Read more
Easter Island (Spanish: Isla de Pascua, Polynesian: Rapa Nui) is one of the most isolated islands on Earth. Early settlers called the island "Te Pito O Te Henua" (Navel of The World). Officially a territory of Chile, it lies far off in the Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway to Tahiti. Known as one of the world's sacred sites, it is most famous for its enigmatic giant stone statues or Moai whose oversized heads, carved centuries ago, reflect the history of the dramatic rise and fall of the most isolated Polynesian culture.
The English name of the island commemorates its European discovery by a Dutch exploration vessel on Easter Sunday in 1722.
Ever since Thor Heyerdahl and a small party of adventurers sailed their raft from South America to the Tuamotu islands, far to the north of Easter Island, a controversy has raged over the origin of the Islanders. Today DNA testing has proved conclusively that the Polynesians arrived from the west rather than the east, and that the people of Easter Island are descendants of intrepid voyagers who set out from another island thousands of years ago. Legend says that the people left for Easter Island because their own island was slowly being swallowed by the sea.
In brief, the prehistory of Easter Island is one of supreme accomplishment, flourishing and civilization, followed by environmental devastation and decline. Although it is not agreed when people first arrived on Easter Island (with estimates ranging from several hundred to more than one thousand years ago), a consensus seems to be that the first peoples arrived from Polynesia. Rather than being inhabited by mistake or chance, evidence has suggested that Easter Island was colonized deliberately by large boats with many settlers—a remarkable feat given the distance of Easter Island from any other land in the Pacific Ocean.
The first islanders found a land of undoubted paradise—archaeological evidence shows that the island was covered in trees of various sorts, including the largest palm tree species in the world, whose bark and wood furnished the natives with cloth, rope, and canoes. Birds were abundant as well and provided food for them. A mild climate favored an easy life, and abundant waters yielded fish and oysters.
The islanders prospered due to these advantages, and a reflection of this is the religion which sprouted in their leisure, which had at its centerpiece the giant moai statues, that are the island's most distinctive feature today. These moai, which the island is littered with, are supposed to have been depictions of ancestors, whose presence likely was considered a blessing or watchful safekeeping eye over each small village. The ruins of Rano Raraku crater, the stone quarry where most of the Moai were carved and outside which many still sit today, is a testament to how central these figures were to the Islanders, and how their life revolved around these creations. It has been suggested that their isolation from all other peoples fueled this outlet of trade and creativity—lacking any other significant way to direct their skills and resources. The bird-man culture (seen in petroglyphs), is an obvious testament to the islanders' fascination with the ability to leave their island for distant lands.
However, as the population grew, so did pressures on the island's environment. Deforestation of the island's trees gradually increased, and as this main resource was depleted, the Islanders would find it hard to continue making rope, canoes, and all the necessities to hunt and fish, and ultimately, support the culture that produced the giant stone figureheads. Apparently, disagreements began to break out (with some violence) as confidence in the old religion was lost, and is reflected partly in the ruins of moai which were deliberately toppled by human hands. By the end of the glory of the Easter Island culture, the population had crashed in numbers, and the residents—with little food or other ways to obtain sustenance—resorted sometimes to cannibalism and a bare subsistence. Subsequent slave raids by powers such as Peru and Bolivia devastated the population even more, as did epidemics of western diseases until barely a hundred native Rapa Nui were left by the late nineteenth century.
Today, Rapa Nui National Park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its residents rely much on the tourism and economic links to Chile and daily flights to Santiago. As with many native peoples, the Rapa Nui seek a link to their past and how to integrate their culture with the political, economic, and social realities of today.
Easter Island is relatively small, so it is possible to get around fairly easily, even though public transportation is not available. That, of course, is except for taxis, which are plentiful and very cheap. In fact, the flat rate pricing makes taxis a great island bargain. Taxis come in minutes and are fast and accurate. Meters are not used. The flat rate applies to a pickup and a delivery so if you say you want to go to Restaurant X and when you get there it is closed it is still assumed you will pay the 2000 pesos and again after the driver takes you to your new destination. Taxis can take you to further out destinations, but this is not recommended as a one way trip to a popular moai site outside of town could easily run you a lot of money. Moreover, cell phone coverage is only in Hanga Roa, so you would, in fact, be stranded unless you make expensive arrangements for the taxi to wait for you, or to return at a specified time. Taxis are a mix of vehicles ranging from new vehicles to old beaters, all at the same price.
The cheapest option is a Hop on - Hop off "Ara Moai" bus. It’s an open bus with the shape of a Moai laying in its back, with the “hop on, hop off” system, from where you will be able to enjoy beautiful sights of the island while riding comfortably on it. Also, you have the chance to go on and off as much as you like during the day. On the bus, you will find a Multilanguage self-guided record (Spanish, English, French, and German). Throughout this task, you will hear a brief review of each point of the route. The tour is all around the island, covering the most important places in Hanga Roa (The Catholic church, cemetery, Hanga Roa’s harbor, Taha Tai Hotel, Ara Moai Office and the Airport). From there it follows the road through the East coast passing by Vaihu, Akahanga, Te Ara o te Moai, Rano Raraku quarry, Ahu Tongariki, all across Poike, passing by Pu o Hiro, Papa Vaka, Te Pito Kura, Ovahe and Anakena Beach. Taking the interior road back to Hanga Roa. It finishes the tour back at the Catholic Church. They offer three tours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The most popular option is to visit archaeological sites with a tour company.
There are also plenty of rental cars, generally 4x4s with manual transmission, available by rental agencies in Hanga Roa, as well as other vehicles. However, it should be noted that vehicles of the island are not insured since mainland insurance companies do not offer any insurances for the island even for residents. Thus, you cannot rent a vehicle without a guarantee (your credit card).
Bicycles are also available, but you should be well-prepared since summer months can be exhausting due to the combination of heat and humidity. Some protection against wind and rain is highly recommended between June and August. The road to Anakena is paved but most of the dirt roads are challenging (quite uneven and potholed). However, an experienced biker will be perfectly fine everywhere on the island. The roads to all major sites are paved at least to their parking areas. Most places will require a passport to hire a bike as a guarantee.
A valid driver's license specifically for motor scooters and motorbikes is required. Otherwise, driver's licenses for cars will allow the use of cars or 4x4 quad bikes.
There are no street lights outside of Hanga Roa. Driving in Hanga Roa is part art as well as science since the roads are quite narrow, the drivers very speedy and the streets poorly signed, if at all. The downtown is quite compact, however. Once in town, it is walkable, but relying on walking everywhere might not work out for you since the town is spread out generally, and hilly in parts with poor sidewalks. There are no traffic lights in Hanga Roa.
There are plenty of stray dogs but since they're not aggressive, a strict voice with a gesture should shoo them away. They want a handout but mostly do not growl or bark and are approachable and receive human contact well. They don't fear humans but usually will go away when you ask loudly. The stray animal problem is something of a shame about the island. Dogs are sometimes found lying dead in parks, etc.
There are around 25 restaurants catering to tourists on the island. A few can be found close to the dock in Hanga Roa, with a few others scattered in the surrounding areas. Menus tend to be limited, as most of the food on the island needs to be imported. The range of fish, though, is considerable - as is true for most of Chile. There are also a few "supermarkets" where visitors can pick up snacks, limited sundries, booze, etc.
Like the souvenir vendors on the island, many restaurants do not accept credit cards or will have a high minimum charge. Also tipping is appreciated but should be done in moderation, usually spare change or less than 10% works.
As a result of the increased amount of tourists, some of the restaurants may be a kind of "tourist trap," so don't hesitate to ask your guide or your host for advice where to go.
Those on a backpacker's budget or seeking simple food can try the following two options:
Chilean specialty, pisco, made from fermented grapes is the unofficial drink of the island, as well.
However, pisco sour, which is pisco mixed with lemon juice and egg whites might be a better option unless you're used to whisky or rum. Drinking pisco straight has less of a kick than Vodka, although Chileans would not advise it.
On the island, you might also try papaya sour, mango sour or guave sour depending on the season. All of these are natural juice mixed with pisco.
Another common cocktail is the piscola - pisco with coke.
There's a local brewery called Mahina producing both artesanal pale ale and stout. It's sometimes out of production due to limited capacity. Yummy and bottles make super island souvenirs. Despite of its name and local owner, brand Akivi is produced in mainland Chile (brewery is located in Quilpué). The same goes with wine brand Anakena.
LOCAL TIME
2:11 pm
January 24, 2021
Pacific/Easter
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I'm going to tell you about one strange place. You can clearly see in the title picture that we are talking about Easter Island . The island is not very large. It is home to the inactive volcano called Terevaka , two craters of which are located at opposite ends of the... |
According to the legend of the islanders, this is the
Bay of Anakena
, where the first leader of the Rapa Nui Hotu-Matua landed.
At the entrance to the
beach
, there's free parking and a toilet for $1, and a few souvenir shops. Among the palm grove, there are wooden tables with... |
There are 3 beaches on
Easter Island
. One of them is a city beach, but in this review, I'm going to show you a hidden and remote beach on the island, called Ovahe Beach.
A small cove is hidden from the eyes of tourists, and it is impossible to see it from the road, passing by. The scenic... |
One of the volcanoes on
Easter Island
is
Rano Raraku
. This is an extinct volcano that is up to 492 feet (150 meters) tall, with a freshwater lake inside the crater. This place is known by the fact that, earlier, there was a quarry where the statues were made over 500 years ago,... |
Tongariki
is the largest ceremonial complex on
Easter Island
! Here, there are 15 moai statues set on the ahu platform.
Ahu is a ceremonial platform, which (according to beliefs of the indigenous people) formed a spiritual link between this world and the next. However, their... |
We came to
Easter Island
to see the mysterious statues!
At the airport, you take a map of the island with a detailed locations of all the moai.
Moai are monolithic stone statues, which were made by Polynesian natives between 1250 and 1500.
Today, there are 887 statues, and 834 statues... |
The harbor in
Hanga Roa
(
Easter Island
) is located not far from the post office, fire station and stadium. One can go down this way to reach the ocean.
It is impossible to get close to the waterfront, as there was a barrier near the road, but we were lucky because it was... |