my brother in February. Santiago was beautiful, with modern, green
areas and older, traditional areas. Like many Latin American cities,
Santiago was quite modern, really no different than cities in the US.
the Pacific Ocean. It is a five-hour plane ride from Chile (in a big jet, not a
prop plane), and a similar distance from Tahiti, which is the nearest
South Pacific island chain. It is in the middle of nowhere.
There isn't much to do in Easter Island except look at the moai, which are
huge stone carvings (head and torso, more than eight feet tall and
several tons). However, the moai are so fascinating, it's quite enough
just to see them. It's believed that the native peoples built them for
ancestor or spirit veneration, and in the process, became so obsessed
that they used up most of the natural resources (especially trees) and
caused their own demise. Contrary to what most of us might expect, the
moai face inland and not towards the sea.
The moai were quarried in a single place on the island and somehow
transported to various locations, sometimes miles away. It's still a
mystery how the moai were 1) transported, 2) erected, and 3) how red
stone "topknots" were likewise placed atop the moai. It's really amazing
trying to imagine accomplishing such a task.
It's believed that as resources became scarce, tribes started warring with
each other. The moai were toppled, either to disturb or protect the spirits
within them. When Westerners first saw the moai, all of them were
toppled. Many have since been re-erected.
Many moai have eyes made of shell, and surprisingly, some moai have
hands and arms carved into them. They look rather alien-like. It makes
you wonder!
The stonework for the moai as well as some of the walls around the
island are reminiscent of walls in ancient civilizations in Latin America,
leading some scholars to think that the original Easter Islanders were
from Latin America. It is also speculated that they were from Polynesia.
There is no definitive evidence indicating the true origins of the Rapa Nui
people.
If you ever get the chance to go to Easter Island, I would highly
recommend it!!!
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