Easter Island is the most remote inhabited island in the world. The closest inhabited island is over 1,200 miles away and the closest land mass (Chile) is about 2,200 miles. Also called Rapa Nui, the island has a population of only 5,000 (who all live in the small town of Hanga Roa) and is only about 63 square miles.
Easter Island is named so because a Dutch exploration vessel "discovered" the island on Easter Sunday in 1722.
The main reason people visit Easter Island is to see the 800 mysterious moai, monolithic stone statues with giant heads. The moai are sometimes placed on ceremonial platforms called ahu. The moai generally face inland, and represent each tribes' ancestors. The moai would serve to protect the tribe and village. When Europeans first visited the island, most of the moai were fallen face down during conflicts between tribes. Basically, you would knock down the moai of your enemies. All of the statues currently standing have been restored and hauled back upright.
Probably the biggest mystery of the moai is how they were transported from the one main quarry where they were carved. There are a few theories, but it sounds like they may have been "walked" around the island using rope and maybe logs (and lots of manpower).
It was neat to see the moai, but after awhile, it was just became one big stone head after another.
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| Sunset on Easter Island |
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| Moai at Ahu Tongariki |
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| Me and and a smaller moai |
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| Moai |
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| Quarry where all the moai were carved, Rano raraku |
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| Moai with coral eyes inserted |
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| Crater Lake |
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