Isla de Pascua

Rapa Nui is the most beautiful place I have ever seen with my own eyes. The people, the land, the culture…everything is simply beautiful. I participated in an archaeological field school on Rapa Nui last summer, and I’m going back in about a month. The experience was amazing, and living with people so different from me truly opened my eyes to the interconnectedness of everything in this world. I would recommend people to visit this island, but under some conditions – don’t touch the moai (the big statues), and don’t get up on the ahu (the platforms on which the moai stand)!!

Beautiful… the mystery of the moai and previous culture. The gorgeous weather & location—it reminded me of Hawaii, except much more rustic, untouched, so many less people, and so much less tourist-trappy.

Go see a native rapa nui dance and talk to the people about how they got here and what it’s like to fly back to Chile for nescessities.

It’s literally the middle of no where, Pacific Ocean. Insane.

I’ve decided I DON’T want to visit Easter Island. Particularly after reading this weblog.

I guess if something has been completely tracked out by tourists, it makes it very unappealing to me. Hence why I didn’t bother with the great wall in China. (Instead I just hired a bike and went cycling around Beijing. I enjoyed myself!)

so that i can pay tribute to my austronesian ancestors.

Went to Easter Island in ‘86 prior to the filming of the ill fated film depicting the islands savage history, RAPA NUI. In making the film a new air field was constructed, possibly altering its idyllic isolation. And isolation is what Easter Island is all about. I may be mistaken but it is my understanding this is the most isolated island on the planet, except for of course the brooding moai’s. There unexplained presence is what Easter Island is all about. The wind the limitless blue sky and the never ending ocean. This view is particularly impressive from Rano Raraku aka The Factory. This is a spot where the Moai were mass produced and where production mysteriously just stopped. A truly one of a kind place.

Honestly, wasn’t expecting it to be the highlight of my round the world trip but it was. Just loved it. And make sure you got to the quarry!

is probably the strangest place I’ve ever been. In one day it is possible to see hundreds of moais, climb to the top of a volcano, swim in the bluest water I have ever seen, and go spelunking. It is well worth a visit.

It is a very mysterious place…

http://www.mysteriousplaces.com/Easter_Island/index.html

Easter Island is one of the civilizations Jared Diamond writes about in the Book Collapse : How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. This is a great read if you are interested in how and why some civilizations have been lost, and understanding what factors are similar to our current path of unsustainability today.

... so worth it. i’ve travelled a lot and this place is on my top 10 for sure. just magical…will have to get the pics from my sis to upload.