Second stop of our around the world journey is Easter Island, a remote volcanic island in Polynesia, 1500 miles off the coast of Chile. Its native name is Rapa Nui. Easter Island is famous for the monumental statures called moai, created by the island’s inhabitants during the 13th-16th century. As we approached the island, our pilot did a flyby so we could see a bird’s eye view of the volcanic crater.
We were greeted at the airport with music and leis but unfortunately our welcome was short-lived. There is tension on the island between the Rapa Nui people of Polynesian descent and Chileans over land and governance issues. This had boiled over when we arrived due to circumstances unrelated to us; however, protesters were demonstrating and blocking the entrance to the Hangaroa Eco Lodge where we had planned to stay. So we diverted and went to visit Ahu Tahai, the site of several restored maoi near the coast while the police were called to deal with the situation. Moai are carved human figures with oversized heads, often resting on massive stone pedestals called ahus. One of the moai at Ahu Tahai has had its coral eyes restored, representative of how these figures must have looked hundreds of years ago.
We enjoyed the sea and moai at Ahu Tahai, then found a restaurant in town for dinner. The situation with the protesters worsened; when our tour operator crossed the line to enter the hotel, she was punched and stoned. The police and army were on the scene and the governor of the island was attempting to negotiate access but most of these folks were Rapi Nui and sympathetic to protesters. Our guide deemed it best for us to depart the island, so we booked a 1:30am LATAM flight to Papeete, Tahiti which became an unplanned stop on our itinerary. Disappointing to miss learning more about the culture and archaeology of Easter Island; however, under the circumstances, it was not prudent to stay.
Wow Nancy Great Trip