Chile and Easter Island

Easter Island

The gigantic statues of Easter Island, called moai, are majestic. I was impressed, to say the least, to be there among them. In many ways it was a spiritual experience to be in the presence of these timeless ancient statues. I felt very insignificant. It was extra special because there was a full moon when we were on the island, the sun was bright, and clouds were light and fluffy. The moai were carved from volcanic rock between 1000 and 1500, the height of the Rapa Nui culture. At one time the island was covered with 14 species of trees and other shrubs, but all of these disappeared due to drought, erosion, and thus deforestation. The island has few trees, but green grass and some shrubs; it is hilly because of the volcanoes with lots of loose volcanic rock. Wood might have been used to transport the moai, firewood was needed for the growing population, and fields were cleared for agriculture. Another theory is that the deforestation was caused by rats, not people, since thousands of rat bones have been found on the island. Polynesian rats stowed away on the boats when the people came. They ate tree seeds and sprouts and multiplied and so they perhaps caused the deforestation. The people also ate rat meat.

People came from Polynesia and settled there from approximately 400 to 1200 AD, not from Peru as Thor Heyerdahl wished to prove. The currents carried the people east in boats to this island, Rapa Nui, later called Easter Island in 1722 by the Dutch. It is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world and belongs to Chile. It is a small triangular volcanic island 66 square miles (171 sq kilometers). It was a five hour flight from Santiago to Easter Island (2,250 mi, 3600 km). 

 

I was in Chile and then Easter Island with my Spanish teacher friend, Francie Anthony, who I taught with at Harding High School. We had both lived in Chile and taught English. I was there in the late 60’s and Francie in the mid-70’s. We were lucky on our flight and put in business class and enjoyed exceptional service, large seats, and ample leg room. 

The size of the statues is amazing, averaging thirteen feet in height and weighing thirteen tons. The site of Ahu Tongariki is especially impressive; there are fifteen statues with individual characteristics lined up on a platform or an altar called an ahu. They were carved to honor the powerful ones in the society. The altars also served as a burial place where the scraped bones of the deceased were buried. Only one in this line up has a topknot of hair called a pukao, a large red scoria stone taken from the quarry Puna Pau, a different quarry than from where the statues were carved. It is a mystery as to how the huge topknot was placed on top of the moai. No one knows for sure how the moai were transported to the platforms, but the latest theory, also a documentary by National Geographic shown on public television, demonstrate how they were “walked” upright with the aid of rope and men, something like moving a refrigerator forward.

A topknot

The statues are not gods or idols, but rather generalized portraits of high ranking ancestors. Eyes were put in when they were moved to the platforms. They are located close to the shore and mostly looking inland, to protect the people living on the interior of the island. Most of the figures are male, but there are a few female. There are 877 statues that represent 500 years of carving; only 150 reached their final destination and were placed on platforms. Today there are 42 standing. Several hundred are still on the mountain quarry, Rano Raraku, where they were carved. 

The quarry, Rano Raraku

The Rapa Nui cultural peak was reached in the 15th century when there were perhaps as many as 15,000 people, but the society collapsed due to famine and disease. The population was about 1000 when the Europeans arrived in the 1800’s. At the beginning of the 1800’s many of  the moai were toppled or destroyed and by 1868, none were upright. No one knows for sure why the moai were toppled, but the people probably lost faith in the ability of the moai to protect them. There was also a lot of infighting among the clans. It was definitely a society in crisis.

A new spiritual order was established at the end of the 16th century, Birdman Cult. In order to decide which clan would rule, a warrior from each of the clans was chosen by the elders.The young men would descend the rocky cliff from the the ceremonial center of Orongo to the ocean, swim to one of the three small islets and secure an egg of the Sooty Tern. The first man to return with the egg in tact would win the competition and his elder would become king and rule for the year, and the warrior was honored as the Birdman. It was extremely challenging and some died. This practice continued until the missionaries arrived in the mid-1860’s. In 1862 the population was severely diminished because of the taking of over 1000 people as slaves to Peru to work on the guano islands. Some of the people were returned, but most had died of disease. In 1867 the population on the island was 111. Yet the Rapa Nui survived the difficult times. Tourism is important and their history is being kept alive with stories and dance. We attended a  high energy traditional dance performance which was wild with music and lots of jumping and other movements.

We were on Easter Island for five days and went on tours for two full days visiting the various sites. It is a tropical island and it was hot. The green vegetation was beautiful and there were lots of flowers. We were given beautiful Polynesian leis upon arrival. We were in a hotel in the outskirts of the only town on the island, Hanga Roa, where the population is about 6000. People live on tourism. It’s not a cheap place to visit since most supplies come from the mainland, although they grow mangoes, small pineapple, oranges, avocados and other fruits and vegetables. We ate delicious fish and seafood. From several of the restaurants, one can watch surfers, the waves weren’t especially big and the the surfers weren’t especially proficient, but they were still fun to watch. There’s one beautiful sandy beach that we were taken to as part of the tour, Anakena, and then I spent part of another day there. The water temperature was perfect and the waves in the turquoise water were gentle. I even managed to find a palm tree to sit under to be in the shade. Many palm trees are near the beach, making it a very idyllic place. 

The last day turned out to be a long day because our plane left five hours late, but we managed by sitting in a restaurant, drinking Pisco Sours, and watching the surfers. 

Much restoration of the moai has been done by the Japanese. Every attempt is being made to save the statues from erosion. Lichen and fungi grow on them and eat away at the rock. I also recently read an article in the New York Times about rising sea waters that are eroding the coastline and slowly creeping up towards the platforms with the moai.

Perhaps the most impressive sight is Ahu Tongariki, the line up of fifteen moai on a platform; each also has markings on their backs. We toured the site one morning and then again at sunrise when our neighbors at the hotel invited us to ride with them to the site. The full moon was still present. Dark clouds were behind the statues, but eventually the sun rose. It was very dramatic to have the sun shine brightly through the clouds illuminating the moai that appeared to come to life.

Chile

The first days in Santiago we stayed with Francie’s friend, Barbara and her family in a suburb of Santiago. Santiago has gotten to be such a big, noisy, and crowded city. It’s always been polluted, but now more than ever. Buses and subways are very crowded. There are many homeless people on the streets, many living in parks in tents. Immigrants are from Venezuela, Colombia, and Haiti. Unfortunately they live on the fringe of society, hawking things in the streets and selling cheap junk off the sidewalks. I saw Haitians in some of the smaller towns where they seem to have jobs and be better off.

Then after Santiago we took a bus to Curico south along the Panamerican highway lined with many unattractive industrial buildings. There are some vineyards, orchards, and fields of corn; poplar trees often line small roads. This was the Chile I knew, but also with trash along the highway. We were met by Francie’s son, Jesse, who I had worked with at Harding High School for several years, and granddaughter, Josefa, 5, who just started kindergarten. They live in a house in a new development in a small town, Romeral, where Jesse’s in laws live. Jesse has established a business teaching ESL online. We went to an interesting museum in Santa Cruz with amazing pre-Columbian ceramics, silver Indian jewelry, huaso (cowboy) gear, and a train engine from Minneapolis. It was a nice bus ride there past brown hills, green trees, vineyards, agricultural fields, small towns, and an occasional Chilean cowboy or huaso riding horseback along the side of the road. Another day we visited a nearby mountainous area, Los Quenes which was lovely with the Temo River flowing through the small town. 

Francie stayed a week with her family, and I stayed a few days before heading to the next town, Talca, where I stayed at a very nice hostel (only later did I realize that I had stayed there before in 2010), a lovely property with a nice swimming pool and delicious vegetarian meals. I went off for two days by bus into the mountains and did some hiking, first to Altos de Lircay, a National Reserve, and then to the Natural Park, Tricahue. It was beautiful and nice to once again hike in Chile. Upon my return to Santiago, I stayed with my English friend, Erica. I had shared an apartment with Erica and other teachers 50 years ago when we both taught at Santiago College. We had also traveled together a great deal at that time, and in 2010 and 2015. It was most enjoyable being with Erica and her husband again. For a night we stayed in the beach house of a friend in El Quisco on the coast, where I met several of Erica’s English-speaking friends. There was a fun party with neighbors and beautiful guitar music and singing. Then we spent a morning walking by the water that smashed onto the rocks, which it does so many places along the coast in Chile.

Altos de Lircay

After Easter Island, the last couple of days, I was both at Barbara’s and Erica’s. I visited a modern Latin American art museum, Rali, which I mostly enjoyed, especially some very impressive Mexican sculptures. 

It was a great trip, the best part part being of course Easter Island with all it’s beauty and history and the amazing majestic statues. I will always remember the magic of the statues.

More photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/40QNW3hJcWefFNtI2