Rapa Nui

Before the sun was up in Santiago we had already finished a quick breakfast and were on the way to the airport in the dark. Isla de Pascua (Easter Island, aka Rapa Nui) is officially part of Chile — has been since 1888.

But going there requires filling out special forms and going through immigration, much as one would for an international flight. Also, there are strict restrictions on what can be brought back to mainland Chile from the island. It’s sort of an independent, dependent, possession of Chile.

Rapa Nui is not close by. The flight took almost 5 hours and we are two time zones removed from Santiago. In fact, we’re a long way from anywhere. This island is the most remote places on earth, thousands of miles from any other populated point of land. Tahiti is another five hour flight farther west. Hawaii is six hours northwest. There is literally nothing but ocean for more than 1,200 miles in any direction.

View from the road in front of our hotel.

Nevertheless, it is a very popular destination, especially during the Chilean summer holiday. We expected to be on a small plane, but it was a big 787-9 and it was full. Fewer than 8,000 people live here, and less than one third of those are native Rapa Nui. But more than 90,000 tourists visit each year. Yet, the airport is very small — and the only terminal I’ve ever seen with a thatched roof.

I made an impression upon arrival. There is only one luggage belt, one of those in a long U shape. Several suitcases managed to fall off the belt into the middle of the U, and one was mine. So I had to jump over the belt to get it. I also handed over a bag for a young woman who was trying to figure out how she would get to hers. Then I had to jump back over the belt once again. I’m not sure if the crowd was impressed that an old man could be that agile, or aghast that an old man thought he could manage such a thing.

There is only one town on the island and it is very rustic. The streets are paved, sort of, but you wouldn’t want to drive too fast as they are very bumpy. Many homes and shops appear to be constructed of plywood or corrugated steel. Few buildings really look permanent. But our hotel is an exception and is quite nice.

After checking in, our local guide took us to Ahu a Kivi, one of the national park sites, so that we could see 7 of the oldest Moai — the stone statues, or “heads” for which the island is famous. We next drove to one of the stone quarries from which parts of the statues were carved.

And we visited another, single Moai which served as an astronomical observatory.

On the way back into town we visited a rather unique Catholic church (the only church of any kind we’ve seen so far), and visited an “Artesan [sic] Market,” though it was really just a lot of bunch of souvenir stalls, all with the same junk.

Church exterior

A very Polynesian Virgin Mary

Baptismal font and paschal candle

The group met once again to go to our “welcome dinner” and it was one of the best meals we’ve had on the trip — excellent fish and seafood. Then we walked the 6 or 7 blocks back to the hotel along the seacoast. Some were complaining about the heat and humidity, but after reading the Minnesota weather report, we think it’s pretty nice.