February 5, 2004
After spending some time at the fallen moai site, our fabulous tour guide China drove us to Ahu Tongariki. This featured 15 stone moai of varying sizes and in various condition, all facing out to sea. This is one of the largest display of standing Moai on the island, and was quite impressive. Some of them were being restored, and had scaffolding and blue tarps over them, which made them look like some of them were using porto-potties.
It was quite amazing to me that somehow the ancient Rapa Nui had carved these multi-ton stone statues, somehow managed to drag them down the mountainside, and place them upright on a platform or Ahu. This was some feat of engineering and physics to be able to manipulate stone using only primitive tools. The Ahu also served as the final resting place of various chiefs and tribal nobles, so you can't walk on the ahu, but can get close enough to admire the size of the statues.
It's thought that the original statues had large top-knots made of a different kind of stone than the bodies, and the eyes were made of white rock with obsidian irises. None of the original eyes survived, so most of the statues have haunting, eyeless sockets. I'm not sure if that is something that was added by the restorers, or if it was discovered that way. The rock that made up the top-knot is much more porous and crumbly than the stone used in the bodies, so it was easily broken. Even though China told us these head pieces were supposed to be top-knots or hair, we still called them hats.
While we were there, several workers scurried around moving piles of rocks to and from the ahu. Alexander wanted to help out and move some rocks, but they were too much for him.
We continued our tour with a stop at Anakena Beach, a gorgeous, crescent-shaped white sand beach on the north side of the island. The sand was fine and pure white, and the water amazingly clear. Alexander couldn't stand being that close to the water and not diving in. He waded and splashed around, and begged us to let him swim in the water. We finally relented, and he stripped down and ran naked along the beach. There weren't many people at the beach, and China assured us that no one would think twice about a naked kid running around on the beach, so we let him have his fun. I'm not posting any pictures of that episode, for the sake of not embarassing him in front of his future prom dates.
Just off the beach were another group of Moai, most of whom had managed to keep their hats on.
For some reason, these guys had their backs to the sea.
It's too bad, because they were missing out on a gorgeous view.
Next to the beach was a little snack stand in a grass hut selling fresh pineapple, drinks, and grilled brochettes. We sat at a picnic table and had lunch by the beach, admiring the view of both the ocean and the moai.
On our way back to the hotel, we passed a large stand of eucalyptus trees. This was notable because there were not many trees on the island. China told us that the more recent inhabitants planted these trees because all vegetation was gone when Moai people disappeared. Archeologists theorize that the trees were cut down to help transport the moai to their locations, which upset the ecosystem.
Easter Island is a mysterious and wonderful place, with a rich and somewhat tragic history. What we saw there were incredibly friendly, warm people working hard to make a life for themselves in one of the most remote islands on earth. The more we learned about it, the more our fascination with the island grew.
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