Easter Island - another day in the South Pacific

Day 2 on the Island began with a stop at Akahanga...one of two places on the island where the moai were toppled and destroyed.  It is said that this was how James Cook or one of the other early European explorers may have found the statues.  It was a a real find for archaeologists intent on study of the moai.

These two were like just pushed to the ground....

This was probably a place for the statue to be carved....

A cave...for shelter or meeting groups....

The beginning of a stand for one of the moai....it was said that at one time as many as 12 moai had been at this location....

Rano Raraku...was a quarry where nearly all of the moai were carved.....some 400 unfinished moai still lie here.

This was my greeter!!  BTW.....dogs are everywhere on the island...and most if not all run loose.  But horses - yes horses outnumber people on the island.  Most of these horses are wild.

While most of these moai were unfinished...some were said to be in process by a master-carver....these carvers were not plentiful and therefore it did take some time to finish the moai depending upon the reputation of your master-carver and how many clients he had ahead of you.  But once finished it is said the family would be called to Rano Raraku for viewing and approval.  Once secured the moai would be moved to its final site....this whole process could take up to a year!!

These are some of the unfinished moai....

The quarry were the rock was gathered....

Now to Ahu Tongariki....Unbelievable.....a platform with 15 huge moai.  This is the height of Rap Nui stone carving...It is the largest ceremonial structure anywhere in Polynesia.

...and here they are....WOW!!!

This is called the "traveliling moai"....it was taken to Japan for a trade show in Osaka and Tokyo and successfully retuned to the island.  Japan has always had an interest in Easter Island and was instrumental after the 1960 tsunami in putting the moai back in place that had been swept over in the tsunami....a crane was sent to put them upright and had difficulty with some of the moai which were thought to be in excess of 80 ton.

While some or all of the moai probably had a 'top-knot' they were not replaced except for the one shown second from the right.  That 'top-knot' was just placed there but did not belong to that particular moai.

This is what the moai view as I stood in front of them looking onto the island.

A view of the 15 from the back side....

One extra face in the crowd....

Final stop of the day..Ahu Te Pita Kura....site of the largest moai ever placed on a platform....some thought it was the first king....but it was never put up-right. 

Here it lies....

This is just to the left of the platform and legend says it was brought by the first king and contains mythical power bestowed by the gods.  If you sit on one of the small stones and place your hands on the larger stone the powers will be transferred to you....I did not try it...I have all the power I need!!!

Okay...one last look at the infamous 15 of Easter Island....again a big WOW!!!!

My photo of the day....these chickens....I found them near the beach at a refreshment stand.  It seems they are saying...." ....another of the tourists...... Okay eyes right for the camera.....!!!"

Easter Island - Chile

It was about 2,400 miles from Santiago to Easter Island.....a very small island in the South Pacific.  The airport is designed for emergency landings of most aircraft with it's 1 runway.  I was on a Boeing 767 which is a fairly large aircraft....had plenty of landing room.  The airport is a window-less port adjacent to the air strip...no jet-way...stairs rolled up to the aircraft...and luggage/baggage the old fashion way...

kind of cool!!

Okay...everyone gets one of these...why the frown?  The old fashioned luggage removal took over 45 minutes...and it was 85+ degrees...and the sun was quite bright....and I had been on the plane for 5 hours...just a few reasons....

Okay...settled into the hotel...off for a walk around the island....first stop...the Church of the Holy Cross.  This is on the list of "places to see" on Easter Island...quite unique...not like your typical Catholic church....probably because it accommodates all faiths here on the island...having Christian and Rapa Nui
symbolism

Inside the church....simple, but very beautiful....

Easter Island was formed from volcanic eruptions from the ocean floor...a couple million years ago.  All the volcanos are now considered extinct and no volcanic activity in several thousand years.  

The first humans to come to Easter Island (Rapa Nui) probably came from another island in Polynesia.  Bear in mind they had to bring everything with them they need for survival...except for the island's edible plans and an abundance of seabirds and fish.  

The main question when you see the statues on Easter Island?  What do they represent.  It is explained that when the chief or other important member of a tribe died...a statute was commissioned from the quarry and transported across the island back to his village. Note:  not an easy task since these statutes are about 60+ ton.  It is interesting that the statutes began small and probably because they became more adapt at moving them - increased in size.  

So my first stop to view statues was Rapa Nui....close to the center of the village on the island...

Here they are...not really that large....but notice they all face the inward...not to the sea....this is to signify they are continuing to look over their people...and not facing the sea - so as to indicate they are warding off demons....

This one is one of a kind.  It not only has a "top-knot" but also has eyes....none of the others on the island have eyes....One thing about the 'top-knot'....it fits on top of the head....it is not held there by mortar....but is fitted to the size of the head upon which it rests.

This was one of the "docks" or input areas for the boats used by the tribes....

A view from the moai (statues) to the current village of the island....

Next stop...the Parque National Park area of Rapa Nui....

Seven additional maoi....no top-knot or eyes...but were definitely from the early period as shown by the size...

The next stop was Puna Pau....this was sort of a finishing school for moai....most of what I saw here were ones in various stages of construction....but none finished...

..one of the beautiful flowers growing in the fields....

This guy was not quite ready to be moved....he also was just sitting in the middle of the field...

Another example of unfinished work....

This was my first look inside a volcanic crater....I can only imagine what this looked like with hot lava below....

The green areas would allow you to walk or step on them....but not for long....they would give away fairly soon....and you would sink into the crater...

The Orongo site had a very interesting story associated with it...bear in mind this is according to legend as passed down from generations of the people....

No...this is not the story....these are just some beautiful daisy flowers in fine form....

Now for the story....it is said that each year a prize of a virgin from the tribe selected by the chief would be given to the man who could scale down from the height of Orongo and swim across to the island and secure an egg from the sea bird nesting there and return it to the chief.  Now....this does not sound so difficult....but they had to wait on the island till the eggs had been laid and fight off the bird who was protecting the egg...and take a look at the sheer cliff they had to descend to get back to Orongo....and the waters were not exactly calm....

It is said the 'competition' would take a couple weeks...so the chief had to have a place to stay....and this was it....

Now....this is legend....

Final stop of the dayl....Ana Kai Tagata...an area containing a cave often used as a gathering place of the the tribe....

Carvings such as this and on the walls inside the cave were indicators of the various tribal activities...

This stone was identified as one that was being prepared for a moai....

This the the water inlet just below the cave....one of the many beautiful areas on the island where the Pacific comes in to wash the island with beautiful clear water.....

That is it for today...tomorrow...many more moai.....the largest group I am told!!

So...for the photo of the day....this guy followed me for some distance while I walked in the hills above the ocean....sort of keeping his 'eye' on me....so I put my eye on him....and made him...my photo of the day....he is a Fakuna....a hawk like bird that is seen in most areas of the island.