Easter Island or Rapa Nui
Easter Island is a destination that seems to inhabit our subconscious.
The image of the great stone moai, their
backs to the vast Pacific Ocean, hints at an ancient and mysterious creativity.
This is the world's most isolated bit of land, a tiny pinprick in the great Pacific; a mound of consolidated lava and ash from three submarine volcanoes. The natives call their island Rapa Nui or Te Pito o Te Henua – ‘the navel of the earth.'
Linguistic and cultural comparisons indicate that the first humans on Easter
Island arrived from the west, most likely from the Marquesas islands or Mangareva,
as part of a greater migratory process which spread Polynesian culture throughout
the south Pacific. However, the twelve centuries which elapsed between the
arrival of the first intrepid 'settlers' near 500 AD and the 'discovery'
of the island in 1722 by the Dutch admiral Jacob Roggeveen are among the
world's great mysteries.
European sailors visiting the island found that the natives could not explain
the construction and transport of the great moai megaliths, the
largest of which exceeds sixty feet in height. Nor could they decipher their rongo
rongo tablets whose hieroglyphic script appears to be a forgotten form
of written language. Somewhere in the past - a past which has seesawed from
ancestor worship, monument building and population growth, to deforestation
and food shortages, feuding and in some cases even cannibalism - the old
knowledge had been lost. It is the mystery of these disappeared artisans,
and the awesome presence of their works, which continues to draw scientists
and seekers from across the globe.
Today, Rapa Nui National Park protects most of the island's archaeological sites, and the native tolomiro forests that once graced the island are being replanted. Opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding abound on the island, while a rich marine ecosystem of corals and colorful tropical fish make Easter Island a prime destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.
Useful links:
Secrets of Eastern Island
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/easter/
 "Altar Ahu Nau Nau in Anakena, Region of Valparaiso. Easter Island.")
 "Moai en Rano Raraku, Region of Valparaiso. Easter Island.")
 "Playa Anakena, Region of Valparaiso. Easter Island. Photography Geoge Munro")
