A Visit to Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
July 26th, 2002

The trip to Easter Island came about because airfares there were a reasonable price and we thought we might never be this close again. Connections by air can only be made twice a week from Tahiti or from Santiago, Chile. So off we went for a four day excursion. Rapa Nui has one town, Hanga Roa, and no good safe harbors. A few hardy souls on private yachts sail to the island and regular supply ships visit. Boats of all sizes must anchor out beyond the surf line and dinghy into the small boat basin at Hanga Roa through some amazingly large surf and dangerous rocky outcrops. The island is windy, rocky,and barren in places, but still beautiful. On top of the volcanoes it is wise to hang on when standing close to the edges of cliffs. The wind gusts could tip you backward. There are replanted forests of eucalyptus trees taking hold on the mountain slopes. Much of the rest of the landscape is grass with lava poking through the soil.

There are several hotels in town, but many visitors stay at one of the bed and breakfast establishments. The languages spoken are Spanish and Rapa Nui. The island is a mixture of Rapa Nui and Hispanic cultures. Of the 4,000 or so permanent residents, half are Chilean and half Rapa Nui. The Rapa Nui are not too fond of the Chileans although some locals have married Chileans. Most of the Chileans there are government employees sent out from Chile. They are given hardship pay for being stationed in an isolated location for three years. Neil enjoyed the comfortable feeling of speaking Spanish again.

Our four days were filled with whirlwind treks around the island to see as much as we could in such a short time. We took one tour with a wonderful guide, Patricio Ballerino, rented a car for one day and did our touring on foot the two remaining days. We could have spent several weeks at this magical place and not seen it all.


Nancy next to one of the first moai we visited. This ahu had several moai toppled off the platform in the face up position. You can see by comparison how very large these stone figures are. Right: This moai is the only kneeling one found on the island. The figure was unearthed at the quarry where all the moai were carved from a mountainside. The 15 moai of Ahu Tongariki can be seen in the distant background.

Rapa Nui is called "The Navel of the World" by the island inhabitants. The first people here date from the fourth century after Christ. There are many theories still about the culture that developed here. We were told that the monuments were carved and placed over the tombs of deceased village leaders. The heads were positioned to face the village and keep the mana or power of the leaders watching their people. All of the moai originally stood on a raised stone platform called an ahu. Each population center had its ahu and held its ceremonies there.


These moai have been buried by soil washed down around them over the centuries they have waited. The one to the right has as much below the ground as above. The oldest of the moai are smaller than these later ones. The unfinished ones on the mountain are larger yet. There are several theories as to how they were moved down the mountainside to their ahu.

 The most impressive part of the visit was the quarry where the moai were carved and started their journeys toward the ahu where they would finally rest. The mountainside is known as the "way of the moai". Here you can see over three hundred moai, some standing in a line where they were abandoned on their way to their ahu. Others in various stages of being finished. Everywhere you look on the mountain, you will see another face looking back at you. As you walk up to the top of the mountain, you find some moai in the inside of the crater above the lake that fills its center. The moai at the quarry have no eyes nor are their heads shaped at the top to hold the red cinder "hats" or pukao. This finish work was done at the ahu after the moai were placed in position.


Rano Raraku is the name of the volcano where the moai were carved. The dark "bumps" on the left grassy slope of the mountain are the moai that you see at the right. The unfinished moai lay above in the bare rock of the volcano's sides. A climb to the top of the volcano gives a view into the crater with its lake and more standing moai.


From the top of Rano Raraku looking to the east, you will see the shore and a restoration of this ahu, Ahu Tongariki. This shows a good view of the construction of an ahu. The stone covered area below the moai platform holds burial sites of lesser members of the village that kept this ahu. We show a left and right view of this site as we couldn't decide which was best.


The hull of the s/v Teresa B. rests on the rock below Ahu Tongariki. The captain of this Italian boat left it anchored just offshore for a few days while he flew to Rangiroa. He returned to find his boat had chafed her anchor line and washed ashore. The seas around this lovely island are the roughest we have seen. We are happy to have made this part of our trip by air! Right: Nancy in front of the "capped" moai at Ahu Tongariki.

The photo to the left is the inside of the crater of Rono Kau at the south end of Rapa Nui. The shores of the lake were used to cultivate a variety of foods, among these were taro, seven kinds of banana, and guayabas. On the right side of the crater, at the high point of the "cut" in the wall is the ceremonial village of Orango. This is the site of the "Birdman" celebration held each spring to decide who would be the leader for the next year. Contestants climbed down the crater wall to the sea, swam to the small islands just off shore, found a sea bird egg and made the return trip back up the crater to the village. The first warrior to return with an intact egg won the right of leadership for the man he represented. Petroglyphs carved to honor these warriors can still be seen in the rocks overlooking the sea. The village houses made of flagstone have been restored. They have no windows and doors are so small that a thin person crawling would have a hard time entering.


Nancy standing at the site of the Orongo village on Rano Kau. Left: Neil at Ahu Tahira. The stonework on the ahu base here is particularly fine. You can't put a knife blade in the cracks. Some think that this stonework links the Rapa Nui people to the Inca city of Machu Pichu.

During our four day stay on Rapa Nui, we stayed at the bed and breakfast Cabanas Vaianny. Our unit was clean, had its own bath with a hot shower and a very comfortable queen sized bed. What bliss after saltwater bucket baths aboard Active Light! Our hostess, Teresa Araki Tepano, was delightful and provided us with a lovely breakfast each morning. She is Rapa Nui and a wealth of information on her beautiful home island. We felt very well cared for and at home. Teresa also arranged for a fine guide for our tour, a car rental for the next day, and tickets to see the local group, Kari Kari, who do music and dance of the Pacific Islands. They were a real treat. We were so pleased with our accommodations and appreciated the extras Teresa did for us.

Sunday was our last day there and we decided to spend it in Hanga Roa. By this time we were on overload with all the archeological wonders we had seen. Our first stop was the Catholic church service. We enjoyed the music accompanied by drums, guitars and ukulele. The church services in the Pacific Islands are so joyful and the singing gives you goosebumps. After the services, we visited the local crafts market and the gallery of Luis Tomas Pate Riroroko, carver in stone, wood and obsidian. His work was so lovely that we ended up buying two of his pieces. As we strolled toward the sea shore we noticed chess being played by all ages in the city park. Some quite young children were playing with adults. A soccer game was in progress at the local field and many people were out for a horseback ride. There are wild horses all over Rapa Nui and it is usual to hear hooves clip-clopping down the cobbled streets as you lay in bed at night.


Luis Tomas Pate Riroroko in his gallery. He has visited the United States and Europe to demonstrated his craft. Right: Our lovely hostess, Teresa, with Neil in her garden. Our unit is in back of Neil. Teresa is an avid gardener with a beautiful garden full of tropical plants.

Rapa Nui was an experience one dreams about. It was hard to realize that we really were standing among those mysterious stone monuments that we had seen pictured in magazines and books. We learned much about the culture and history of this outdoor museum and also found that there is disagreement among researchers about the early history of Rapa Nui. We found the people warm, friendly and willing to share their awesome and mysterious island. If you are ever in the area, don't miss the opportunity.
Nancy and Neil
S/V Active Light
Bora Bora, French Polynesia