Easter Island

As I was not up to snuff when leaving Lima, to fly to Easter Island, I was pleasantly surprised to find my travel agent had some how booked me into first class. This was a welcome discovery as the seats on the 5 hour flight from Santiago, Chile, to Easter Island, laid out perfectly flat and single sized duvet blankets were offered. I slept the whole flight.

The island has the typical tropical feel, with greeters coming to meet the passengers off the plane, providing flowers, or leis of orchids or beans. The airport has one gate with 2 daily flights. My friend met me at the airport and with a car he had rented we went to the hotel where I cleaned up from my terrible Lima day.

After lunch and wandering through a town that reminded me of the non-touristy Hawaii, the relaxed, hang-ten attitude of the people, we went to a grassy hill that hosts 6 Moai.

If you are unsure what a Moai is, are to enraptured in my blog to google, and have children, think of the movie Night at the Museum. The big stone head statue that asks " Hey dumb-dumb, where's my gum-gum?", that is a Moai.

So the 6 Moai, overlook the ocean on the west coast, where the sun sets. Perfect classic picture taking opportunity. We were joined by all of the other tourists on the island. The nice thing about being a tourist in Easter Island, there are not many of them. I think because the island is so remote, and such a pain in the butt to get to, there are only a few dedicated tourists.

That night after returning was the fore-mentioned cockroach night...

The next day after both of us surviving the cockroach, me the bug, my friend me not killing him for chasing me with the bug, we explored the island.

Easter Island is a strange and unique place. It is claimed to be one of the most remote inhibited places in the world with fewer than 100 residents. It is 3,510 km or 2,180 miles west of Chile. The island is about 25km or 15 miles long by 12km or 7.6 miles at its widest part, and triangular in shape. It was formed by 3 volcanoes, which cause for black volcanic rock beaches. The whole island ends in these jagged rocks with no form of soft sandy beach. The large waves break over the rocks causing for spectacular white spray to shoot into the air. The crashing waves cause for beautiful contrast against the rock.

The rest of the island has strange random peaks of mountains that rise up out of flat planes. Most of the island is covered in low scrub and few trees regardless of the tropical climate.

Part of the problem preventing further tree growth is, as said by one of our local guides, caused by all of the horses on the island. Although they provide alternate modes of transportation, and opportunities for horse-back riding tours, most of the seem to breed uncontrolled and wander the island freely. The same guide said that they lead to further destruction of the ruins.

However the 5 year old girl in me saw horseys and the next hour was spent me stalking them.. My friend kindly indulging me.

We drove around the island hiking up the volcanoes, over looking the small island the bird cult tribes would swim to, walking through the quarry of the mountain that is half cleaved, for the ancient people to carve the Moai out of, wandering the desolate beaches. It was a great adventure. A surreal place to visit with a strange history.