Rapa Nui  : Easter Island

Rapa Nui, the Polynesian name of Easter Island, bears witness to a unique cultural phenomenon. A society of Polynesian origin that settled there c. A.D. 300 established a powerful, imaginative and original tradition of monumental sculpture and architecture, free from any external influence. From the 10th to the 16th century this society built shrines and erected enormous stone figures known as moai, which created an unrivalled cultural landscape that continues to fascinate people throughout the world.

Easter Island-Rapa Nui is a tiny speck of land in the South Pacific. Formed by a series of massive volcanic eruptions, the island was only inhabited by sea birds and dragonflies for millions of years. Its steep slopes, however, stood out like a beacon to a weary group of Polynesian seafarers. How long their voyage took or their reasons for leaving their home country are questions that we'll never have the answer to, but we can imagine their joy at seeing this sight after what must have been months at sea.

Lava tubes and pounding waves have created hundreds of sea caves and a treacherous coastline. There are only a few small areas that are safe for anchorages.

Located in the South Pacific between Chile and Tahiti, Easter Island is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world. Roughly triangular and covering only 64 square miles, it formed when a plume of hot material rose from deep within Earth's interior, burned through the crust and erupted onto the surface as lava.
Today, volcanic cones are found at each point of the island. The largest, Rano Kau is easily visible from space. The highest is Terevaka, which rises to 11674 feet above sea level. There are over 70 eruptive centers on the island but none has known activity since the island was colonized 1300 years ago.

It is unclear why the Easter Islanders turned to statue construction on such a massive scale. Their obsession with it ultimately brought about their downfall as they depleted more and more of the forests for use in the process of moving the giant moai. While the why is a mystery, where it happened and to a large degree how it happened is fairly clear. Each moai was born from the massive caldera of Rano Raraku.

Currency:

As part of Chile, the currency used is the Chilean peso. However, US dollars are very welcome, as are Traveler's Checks. You may need to show your passport to cash the latter. Some places take credit cards, but, as it can take months for proprietors to recover the money, it the least welcome form of payment (and some will even offer a cash discount over credit card purchases). Few islanders will take French francs.

Money exchange for all important currencies can now handled at the island's bank.

Health Issues:

The tap water is safe to drink, but it has a high mineral content that upsets some stomachs. If you experience a problem, switch to bottled water (available in the island stores, or at your hotel).

There is a hospital on the island, staffed with medicos from mainland Chile. Many are doctors in training, so the expertise and the care provided varies with the individual. However, there are few medicines available at the hospital.

Shop :

A variety of small shops line the streets. Many specialize in tourist items, wood carvings, postcards, etc. There are several markets along "main" street, Atamu Tekena.

Inscription at the World Heritage of UNESCO since 1995

838 = number of Moai
8600 hectares = size of the Natural Park