Moai, Two World” Due to Its Isolation
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M O A I W O W I E History Geology The name “Easter Island” was Easter Island is a volcanic high given by the island’s first recorded island, consisting mainly of three European visitor, the Dutch extinct volcanoes: Terevaka (altitude explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who 507 metres) forms the bulk of the encountered it on Easter Sunday island. Two other volcanoes, Poike 1722, while searching for and Rano Kau, form the eastern Davis or David’s island and and southern headlands and give named it Paasch-Eyland the island its roughly triangular (18th century Dutch for shape. There are numerous lesser “Easter Island”). The cones and other volcanic features, island’s official Spanish including the crater Rano Raraku, name, Isla de Pascua, also the cinder cone Puna Pau and means “Easter Island”. many volcanic caves including The current Polynesian lava tubes. Poike used to be an name of the island, “Rapa island until volcanic material Nui” or “Big Rapa”, was from Terevaka united it to coined by labor immigrants Easter Island. The island is from Rapa in the Bass dominated by hawaiite and Islands, who likened it to basalt flows which are rich their home island in the in iron and shows affinity aftermath of the Peruvian with igneous rocks found in slave deportations in the Galapagos Islands. 1870s. However, Thor Easter Island and Heyerdahl has claimed that surrounding islets such as the naming would have been Motu Nui, Motu Iti are the the opposite, Rapa being summit of a large volcanic the original name of Easter mountain rising over two Island, and Rapa Iti was thousand metres from the named by its refugees. sea bed. It is part of the Sala There are several hypotheses y Gómez Ridge, a (mostly about the “original” Polynesian submarine) mountain range name for Easter Island, including Te with dozens of seamounts starting pito o te henua, or “The Navel of the with Pukao and then Moai, two World” due to its isolation. seamounts to the west of Easter Island, and extending 2,700 km east to the Nazca Seamount. Moai Fun Times The large stone statues, or Most, if not all of the commerce moai, for which Easter Island is on this island occurs in the port world-famous, were carved during town of Hanga Roa. There are a relatively short and intense a number of small shops geared burst of creative and productive toward tourists, as well as an megalithic activity. A total of 887 open market. If you join an monolithic stone statues have been organised tour, expect to see the inventoried on the island and in same souvenir-sellers at each site museum collections. Although often selling the same items - generally identified as “Easter Island heads”, a plethora of moai-inspired the statues are actually complete trinkets. The official currency is torsos, the figures kneeling on bent the Chilean Peso, as opposed to on knees with their hands over their the mainland, transactions can be stomach. Some upright moai have performed in US Dollars. become buried up to their necks by The biggest tourist attractions shifting soils. on Easter Island are, of course, the The period when the statues were Moai. Please note that the Moai are produced remains disputed, with archaeological features and should estimates ranging from 400 CE to be treated with care as they are 1500–1700 CE. Almost all (95%) far more fragile than they seem. moai were carved out of distinctive, Often Moai will be placed upon compressed, easily worked volcanic ceremonial platforms and burials ash or tuff found at a single site called Ahu. Do not walk on the Ahu inside the extinct volcano Rano as it is an extremely disrespectful Raraku. The native islanders who gesture. Even if you see others carved them used only stone hand walking on the Ahu do not do so chisels, mainly basalt toki, which yourself. still lie in place all over the quarry. All of the sites, which can The stone chisels were re-sharpened be visited for free (with one by chipping off a new exception), are mostly found along edge when dulled. the coastline of the island. First The volcanic stone time vistors may be struck by how the moai were many archaelogical sites there are carved from was around the island, where you can first wetted to be virtually alone soften it before as the only people sculpting visiting. began. Guest Houses Food Most of the accommodation on There are around 25 restaurants Easter Island is “guest houses”. catering to tourists on the island. A Representatives of the guest houses few can be found close to the dock will generally come to the airport in Hanga Roa, with a few others to greet travellers who may wish to scattered in the surrounding areas. stay with them. Rates are usually Menus tend to be limited, as most quite reasonable. The proprietors of of the food on the island needs to these guest houses will be happy to be imported. There are also a few help you find places to eat, drink, “supermarkets” where visitors can hire cabs, and generally get around. pick up snacks, limited sundries, A number of guest houses booze, etc. describe themselves as hotels, Like the souvenir vendors on and certainly would pass for the island many restaurants do not them elsewhere in the world as accept credit cards or will have a well. These hotels frequently high minimum charge. have restaurants offering at least As a result of the increased breakfast, and often dinner as well. amount of tourists, some of the Tauraa Hotel: Very clean guest restaurants may be a kind of “tourist house, less than 5 minutes from the trap,” so don’t hesitate to ask your airport. Bill and Edith are very nice guide or your host for advice where to talk to, and they can talk about to go. the island for hours. Good breakfast, Te Moana: Quite possibly the different everyday. Together with best restaurant on the island. The the hotel is a tour company, which Tuna Sandwich is particularly good. offers visits of basically the whole A live band is often playing on island in 2 days. A bit on the pricey Wednesdays and the weekends. Get side however, 150$ per night. to Te Moana early or it is likely that Kona Tau: A very nice hostel, you will not get a table. and quite cheap taking the island in La Taverne du Pêcheur: A mind. The rooms are very basic, as small restaurant in the port section is the breakfast. Scooters are rented of the village held by a resident out and they have a table of Rapa Nui who lived for some football game. One of time in the French the guys employed at Polynesia. Very the hostel (he mainly good seafood, the cleans) cooks cheap most expensive empanadas (1000 restaurant on the each) most nights. island. See and Do Language The biggest tourist attractions As a territory of Chile, the on Easter Island are, of course, the main language spoken on Easter Moai. Please note that the Moai are Island is Chilean Spanish. As it is a archaeological features and should popular tourist destination, it is also be treated with care as they are far possible to find a number of people more fragile than they seem. Often who speak English, or French. Moai will be placed Almost everyone will at upon ceremonial least attempt those platforms and languages. burials called The Rapa Nui Ahu. Do not language - a walk on the Polynesian Ahu as it is language - is an extremely spoken by all disrespectful islanders, and many gesture. Even souvenir-sellers if you see and restaurant staff others walking will greet you with on the Ahu do not “Iorana” rather than do so yourself. “Buenos días”, as well All of the sites, which as using “Maururu” as “thank can be visited for free (with one you”. exception), are mostly found along the coastline of the island. Plaza Oeste. Avda. Américo Vespucio N° 1501, Local B-110. Nicholas LoPresti 2715 SE 13th St. Apt #4 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.