Well, I’m back in Seattle! I have to say, it was quite a shock to go from bikini & sunglasses to wintercoat & boots. The 28 hours of travel was kinda exhausting too. The trip was fabulous, and just what I needed. I took about a zillion photos (okay, around 1200), so expect them to come trinkling in. In the meantime, here’s a video I took in Ranu Raraku, the volcanic quarry where most of the moai were carved.
Moai are the giant “head” statues found throughout Easter Island. They rest upon ceremonial platforms (called “ahus”), and represent different high-ranking ancestors. Archeologists estimate that 1000-some statues were carved between 1000-1600AD. All the maoi were made from the volcanic rock on the east side of the island. They were (likely) then rolled on logs to the far corners of the 60 sq mi island. Most of the moai were toppled by the 1700s, the result of inter-tribal fighting. (Deforestation, which caused an ecological & agricultural collapse, was a major contribution.) It wasn’t until this century that some of the moai …
*blush* hug!! “nose dive”….. get it??? 🙂
On the east side of the island is Rano Raraku, a volcanic crater that served as the moai quarry. Walking around Ranu Raraku there was something eerily magical in the air . Some of the statues were half carved, still firmly in the rockbed. Others were sticking out of the ground, waiting to be finished and dragged to their final locations. I went several times, at sunrise and at sunset. The colors changed so drastically, from morning to night. And even as the sun went moved in & out of clouds. …
I returned back to Ahu Tongariki several times, including once at sunset… all in a row close up solitary moai sitting on a rock, waiting for sunset. (that’s my shadow) can you see me? look closer. me
Planning this trip in August, I was captured by the idea of seeing my first Easter Island moai at sunrise on January 1st. On the island on December 31st, I tried to figure out how to make it happen. I had heard that biking around the island was fairly easy – this place, afterall, isn´t that large. However, after renting a bicycle, I discovered the best place for sunrise is Ahu Tongariki, which is on the far east side of the island. The (only) town of Hanga Roa is, of course, on the far west side of the island. Yep, …
Tomorrow, I leave for Chile! The plan is to fly in to Santiago, and then head north to Valparaiso, a nearby seaport city. I’ll be spending the majority of my time, though, in one of the most remote places in the world: Easter Island. It’s my first major trip traveling alone, and I’m really excited about it. Over Thanksgiving, I did a 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat, which was awesome. (If it’s something you’ve considered, I’d highly recommend it. It’s a challenging experience, but definitely worth it.) So, I think having this time by myself in place like Chile will …