Easter Island Jan 18,2015

Easter Island , Chile January 18,2015 Well we made it! It was a close call as the waves were pretty choppy and the tender boats were difficult to get onto. They were flying up and down as we tried to jump aboard. The Suzuki Jimmy that I had rented from Akuakuturismo was there on the dock waiting for us. We added Sue and Ed from Casa Grande AZ to the back seat and we were off. Easter Island with a population of about 3500 is in the shape of a triangle. Hanga Roa,the very laid back capital and only village with virtually the whole population living within its environs , reminds me of a Kauii village. Our first stop was Rana Rua which is the south western volcano. you can drive right to the rim and look down on a series of puddles, rocks and wild flowers. Next to it between the rim and the sea is the remains of Orongo the ancient capital and site of the annual birdman festival. A reenactment each July whereby a person from each family or former village or tribe climbs down the 1000 sheer cliff and then swims to a nearby isle to gather a bird egg. The first guy back was the king for the year and his village was the top one. Our next stop was the quarry from which the famous moai were carved. It is on the side of the southeastern volcano and there are hundreds of these famous statues in various stages on the hillside. Aku Tonakiki with its 15 moai overlooking the bay is the iconic image seen in many posters of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). I really had been looking forward to seeing them and they did not disappoint. Standing beneath these 30 foot high guys I finally believed I was really here. I can literally remember when I learned about the moai. It was a book I had when I was 7, a paperback about 8 by 11 which had these stamps with pictures of the various wonders of the world. I would separate out the 2 by 3 inch stamp and paste it on the appropriate page. This book has been the basis for so many of the items on my bucket list. The Taj, Great Wall, Pyramids, so many more and now the Moai of Easter Island. Fabulous! I am such a lucky person. For the rest of our tour we drove the triangle of the islands passing herds and herds of wild horses, literally hundreds of them and of course cows. they all roam free. Nearly the entire island is unspoiled . I never saw a store nor home or sign of civilization until returning to Hanga Roa. We also saw the Aku Akivi which are the only moai which face the sea. you see all the moai were erected it is thought as protection to the inhabitants of Rapa Nui so they face inward toward the island with their backs to the sea. we ended the day with a trip to the market for wine (of course) and a visit to the town moai which has coral eyes . the tender trip back to the mother ship was rough but everyone had a smile. Easter Island was much more beautiful than I had expected. the juxtaposition of the black volcanic rocks with the green grasses and many hills and valleys sporting some of the more than 800 moai surpassed any pictures I have seen. Did I mention that in the AM as we were sailing towards the island still uncertain as to whether we could go ashore, I stood alone on the 11 deck and a rainbow appeared for about 15 seconds and then was gone just as quickly as it came. Well I knew we were going to make it. Sent from my iPa🐪