Where is Easter Island? Easter Island: photo What is Easter Island.

Easter Island is a tiny piece of lava, with its outlines reminiscent of a Napoleonic cocked hat, for thousands of miles around it is embraced by the ocean, heavenly space and silence. Unless, of course, we do not take into account the cries of seagulls and the monotonous rhythm of the ocean surf.

As the tireless explorer of the island, Catherine Rauplege, wrote, "someone who lives here always listens to something, although he himself does not know what, and involuntarily feels himself on the eve of something even greater, which lies beyond our perception."


Everywhere on the island there are traces of a bygone past - in the long corridors of countless caves strewn with fragments of obsidian; on the slopes of volcanoes, covered with the remains of an extinct culture; in the eye sockets of stone giants, some of which lie staring at the zenith, while others rise above the island, gazing into an unknown distance.



Some of the famous mathematicians noticed that life on earth is an immense kingdom of approximate values. It seems that this thesis convincingly demonstrates our ideas about Easter Island.


So when it comes to the origin of the island, the origins of its ancient civilization, the purpose of the mysterious stone colossi and much more, which make up its many mysteries, it is always useful to remember the relativity of the knowledge that the scientific world has at its disposal today.


Interest in this tiny volcanic formation, lost in the ocean vastness, does not diminish over time. And the number of publications about this place is growing from year to year. It is difficult to say whether we are getting closer to the truth from this, but something else is undoubtedly: Easter Island knows how to puzzle and surprise.


Thor Heyerdahl had a similar feeling in the face of exciting uncertainty when he explored the mysterious island, where the inhabitants “did not build castles, palaces, dams, or piers. a wagon, dragged many of them across mountains and valleys, and set them up on powerful terraces at all ends of the island ... "


The indefatigable craving of the ancient inhabitants of the island to hew out huge stone figures, the largest of which is as high as a seven-story building and weighing 88 tons, has borne fruit: there are many hundreds of them on the island. They say about a thousand maoi (the local name for the statues). But the next archaeological expedition reveals more and more statues every time.

One of the island's explorers, Pierre Loti, described his impressions of the stone giants in the following way: “What kind of human race do these statues belong to, with slightly upturned noses and thin protruding lips, expressing either contempt or ridicule.

Instead of eyes, only deep depressions, but under the arch of wide noble browbrows, they seem to be looking and thinking. On both sides of the cheeks, protrusions depicting either a headdress similar to a sphinx's cap, or protruding flat ears, five to eight meters long. Some wear necklaces inlaid with flint, others are decorated with carved tattoos. "


The statues described by Pierre Loti are considered by a number of island explorers to be the most ancient. But besides these, there are statues of a different kind. “Every day we find statues of a different style - other people,” wrote Francis Maziere, who visited the island on a scientific expedition in the mid-60s of the last century. watch the life of the island. They and only have open eyes. On the heads of these statues are huge red cylinders made of red tuff. "


Thor Heyerdahl's expedition discovered a bearded figure in a seated position. It was not like other island sculptures, causing a lot of speculation about its origin.


The French explorer Francis Maziere became the owner of a human figurine made of wood, which, in terms of the nature of its execution, was strikingly different from everything he had seen on the island earlier. This prompted the researcher to suggest that this figurine has nothing to do with Polynesian traditions and belongs to a different race.


Surprises await explorers in the labyrinths of island caves. Rock frescoes were found in one of them. One of them resembles a penguin with a whale tail. Another depicts the head of an unknown creature. This is the head of a bearded man with insect eyes. Deer antlers branch out on its skull. The islanders call him "insect man".


But what peoples created eyeless giants at the foot of the Raku-Raraku volcano? Who is the creator of the giants that stand along the coast? Whose hand painted the head of an "insect man" in one of the caves? "The locals cannot explain anything," wrote Francis Maziere. "They tell such a confusing jumble of legends that one might think that they never knew anything and that they are not the descendants of the last sculptors."


A modern tourist who has visited the island, as a rule, is presented as an "exotic dish" with a story about the war of two island tribes - "long-eared" and "short-eared".


The legend of the arrival on the island of Hotu-Matua, the leader of the ancestors of the current islanders, is still in circulation. "The land that Hotu-Matua owned was called Maori and was located in Khiva ... The leader noticed that his land was slowly sinking into the sea. He gathered his servants, men, women, children and old people, and put them on two large boats. reached the horizon, the leader saw that all the land, except for a small part of it, called the Maori, went under water. "


These stories, perhaps, retained echoes of some old events. Their fragmentary and obscure nature does not make it possible to even come close to the true history of the island. Even the purpose of the statues is not clear.
James Cook believed that stone idols were erected in honor of the buried rulers and leaders of the island. Professor Metro thought that the sculptures depicted deified people. The American scholar Thomson believed that the statues were portraits of noble people, while another explorer of the island, Maximilian Brown, believed that they represent their creators.


The fact that stone figures are images of gods was said by Catherine Rauplege. Admiral Roggevan, without expressing himself definitely, only noticed that the locals were making fire in front of the statues and, squatting, bow their heads.


Among Western researchers there is a "competitive" version about the purpose of the statues. According to her, the tribes living on the island were at war among themselves for the right to be the first. And supposedly the prestige in this relentless struggle was won, among other things, by the number of statues hewn by each rival tribe. Thus, according to this version, statues are not even a goal, but only a means of self-affirmation of people.


It is unlikely that the "aboriginal" of the island, old man Veriveri, who once told Francis Maziere, as a sign of special trust, would agree with such an interpretation the following: "All maoi (statues) of Raku-Raraku are sacred and face the which is responsible. That is why the island was named Te-Pito-o-te-Henua, or the Navel of the Earth ...


Easter Island, the Navel of the Earth .... But these are not the only names for the island. Our compatriot Miklouha Maclay wrote down the following local name - "Mata-ki-te-Rangi". James Cook recorded several at once: "Vanhu", "Tamareki", "Teapi". The Polynesians called the island "Rapanui", and the islanders still call it "Te-Pito-o-te-Henua".


Many who visited the island paid attention to the eye-catching disproportion between giant statues, quarries of truly cyclopean proportions and modest-sized residential buildings of local residents.


"The obvious disproportionality of the ahu with the overthrown statues in comparison with the remains of houses was striking. The statues towered over the village, fixing their eyes on it. With their backs to the sea, these giants, it seemed, were called upon to support the courage of the people-captives of the land lost in the ocean." This is what Francis Maziere wrote.


He also owns these lines:
"The walls of the quarry, carved in the shape of a crater, are located on a very steep slope, and it was necessary to do a lot of work, not only in order to make cylinders out of it (maoi hats. - Author's note). And here, as elsewhere on the island, it seems as if ordinary human dimensions did not suit those who worked in this career. "


Meanwhile, Rapanui can hardly be called an ideal abode for the realization of titanically energy-intensive fantasies. To begin with, food and water resources on the island are limited. Fresh water, the main source of replenishment of which for centuries has been rains, is devoid of many mineral salts necessary for the body - this is the result of filtration of water as it passes through the spongy volcanic rocks of the island. The use of such water, according to experts, led to serious diseases.

The very obtaining of food required, apparently. huge energy consumption. And she, of course, was not enough. This is evidenced by at least the fact that cannibalism has developed relatively recently on the island. Even two Peruvian merchants were reported to have fallen victim to the cannibals.
Most scientists came to the conclusion that the first, unknown to us civilization, which was the creator of Maoi, other colossi, was subsequently destroyed and assimilated by the second migration, the decline of which has been observed on Rapanui for at least the last three hundred years.


"On the island you can find traces of a prehistoric people," concludes Francis Maziere, "whose presence we are beginning to feel more and more and which forces us to reconsider all the data on time and ethics imposed on us by science now ..."


Let's go back to our days. In the early 60s of the last century, a powerful tidal wave penetrating 600 meters into the interior of the island, some Maois were thrown up to 100 meters away. Work on the restoration of the statues began relatively recently - there was no appropriate lifting equipment.
It was only after the Japanese company Tadano donated $ 700,000 and delivered a powerful crane to the island that things got going. Many of the overturned maoi tsunamis have been raised this year. But the question arises: how did the ancient inhabitants of the island move the stone giants, the smallest of which weighs at least 35 tons?


All hypotheses that have arisen around this problem can be roughly divided into three categories. Fantastic appeal to alien power. The rationalistic approach relies on the use of all kinds of ropes, collars, winches, rollers by the islanders ... There is even a version according to which the statues moved along a road of several kilometers covered with sweet potato puree, which made it slippery.


There is also a hypothesis of a mystical nature. According to the islanders, the statues were moved by means of the spiritual power-mana, which was possessed by the leaders of their distant ancestors. "What if, in a certain era," asks Francis Maziere, "people knew how to use electromagnetic forces or anti-gravity forces? This assumption is crazy, but still less stupid than the story with the crushed sweet potato."


Of course, you can assume anything, but in the face of a colossus 22 meters high, conventional logic becomes powerless.

Easter Island is sometimes compared to a lava splinter, on which the most original art and the most mysterious writing in the world arose without transitional steps. The latter is a fact all the more significant since it has not been possible to find writing on the Polynesian islands until now.

On Easter Island, writing was found on relatively well-preserved wooden tablets, in the local dialect called kohau rongo-rongo. The fact that wooden planks have survived the darkness of centuries, many scientists explain by the complete absence of insects on the island.
Nevertheless, most of them were eventually destroyed. But the culprit was not the tree bugs introduced by the white man, but the religious fervor of a certain missionary. The story goes that the missionary Eugène Eyraud, who converted the inhabitants of the island to Christianity, forced these writings to be burned as pagan. So even the tiny Easter Island had its own Herostratus.
Nevertheless, a certain number of tablets have survived. Today in museums and private collections around the world there are no more than two dozen kohau rongo rongo. Many attempts have been made to decipher the contents of the ideogram tablets, but they all ended in failure.
As well as an attempt to explain the purpose of the paved roads, the time of their creation is lost in the mists of time. On the Island of Silence - another name for the island - there are three of them. And all three end in the ocean. Some researchers, on the basis of this, conclude that the island was once much larger than it is now.

Near Rapanui is the tiny islet of Motunui. This is a few hundred meters of a steep cliff, dotted with numerous grottoes. A stone platform has been preserved on it, on which statues were once installed, later thrown into the sea for some reason. "How could people build ahu with maoi there," reflects Francis Maziere, "where we can't even get to by boat? Where it is impossible to climb the rock? What mass brought these multi-ton giants here? The theory of using sweet potato bedding is equally powerless here. , and the theory of wooden rollers! "

Was Easter Island once part of a wider land area? Around this issue in the scientific world, controversy continues to this day. In the second half of the 19th century, scientists Alfred Wallace and Thomas Huxley, already well-known at that time, hypothesized that the population of Oceania, including the inhabitants of Easter Island, is a remnant of the "oceanic" race that lived on the now sunken continent.

Academician Obruchev generally supported this theory. He believed that when the continent gradually began to sink under the water, the people of the highlands began to carve stone statues and place them in the lowlands, in the hope that this would appease the gods and stop the advance of the sea. Sometimes this continent figured in scientific hypotheses as the Pacifis, at other times as Lemuria.

The modern scientific world, with a few exceptions, perceives this kind of hypothesis with a great deal of skepticism. But on the other hand, history knows many examples when, at first glance, a completely insane idea turned out to be true. Let us recall at least the classical case with the hypothesis of "stones that fall from the sky."
In 1790, a meteorite fell in Gascony. A protocol was drawn up, signed by three hundred eyewitnesses, which was sent to the French Academy of Sciences. But the "tall Areopagus" called all this stupidity, since science was well aware that stones from the sky cannot fall. But this is so, by the way.

Recently, two hypotheses have been most widespread: the hypothesis of the American origin of the Polynesians and the Polynesian culture (to which a number of scientists include the Rapanui civilization) and the hypothesis of the settlement of the Polynesian islands from the west. Thor Heyerdahl argued that Polynesia was inhabited by two migratory waves.
The first arrived from the South American Pacific coast (the location of present-day Peru). The settlers of Andean origin, Polynesia owes the appearance of stone statues and hieroglyphic writing. The second wave came at the beginning of our millennium from the northwest coast of North America. At one time there was a rumor about the Vikings who sailed to Easter Island in time immemorial and settled there.

In some versions, they try to interpret the history of the island's civilization from the standpoint of ethnogenesis: supposedly, the first settlers, who had a high level of passionarity, were the only ones in all of Polynesia who knew the written language. But gradually, century after century, there was a dissipation of the initial level of passionarity, which ultimately led to the extinction of culture ...

Will our knowledge of Easter Island become more accurate? In any case, a number of researchers, for example, our compatriots F. Krendelev and A. Kondratov, rely on this in their book "Silent Guardians of Secrets". "The mysteries of Easter Island are one of the most burning and pressing problems of modern geology," they write. to help find a solution to the problems over which ethnographers, archaeologists, and historians have struggled unsuccessfully. "

It must be said that today the "exact sciences" have brought a number of interesting data to the problems of the evolution of the island. Rapanui is located in a unique geological location. Below it is the boundary of the fault of giant tectonic plates, which seem to divide the ocean floor. The oceanic plates of Nazca, Pacific and axial zones of underwater ocean ridges converge to the island. Which gives another reason to think about the symbolic name of the island. This is truly a kind of "Navel of the Earth".

Today, the main wealth of Rapanui residents is undoubtedly the mysterious past of their small island. It is this that attracts scientists from all over the world, which is why planes with tourists land at the local airport twice a week. At such times, the life of the island, unhurried and monotonous, like the surf of the ocean, comes to life. The small terminal building is filled with multilingual polyphony: someone is looking for a guide, someone offers a car for rent, someone needs a hotel ... But a few hours pass, and again peace and quiet reign over the island. The number of cars here can be counted on one hand. And they, too, obey the general rhythm of a leisurely existence. In these parts, the speed of 50 kilometers per hour looks like an unforgivable recklessness. Along the roads from time to time there are signs limiting the speed to 30 kilometers.

Easter Island is in no rush into the future. Modernity - air traffic, the Internet, telephone communications - has a limited sphere of influence here. The true masters of the island are still the silent stone guards, who firmly keep their secrets in reliably closed lips.

The publication is based on Russian and foreign materials about Easter Island.
Author of the publication

It is the most remote inhabited island in the world. The distance to the continental coast of Chile is 3703 km, to Pitcairn Island, the nearest inhabited place, is 1819 km. The island was discovered by the Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeven on Easter Sunday in 1722.

The capital of the island and its only city is Hanga Roa. In total, 5034 people live on the island ().

Rapa Nui is largely known for its moai, or stone statues made of compressed volcanic ash, which, according to local residents' beliefs, contain the supernatural power of the ancestors of the first king of Easter Island, Hotu Matu'a. Chile annexed in 1888. In 1995, Rapa Nui National Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Island names

Easter Island has many names:

• Hititeaiiragi(rap. Hititeairagi), or Hiti-ai-ranks(rap. Hiti-ai-rangi);
• Tekaouhangoaru(rap. Tekaouhangoaru);
• Mata-ki-te-Ragi(rap. Mata-ki-te-Ragi - translated from Rapanui "eyes looking into the sky");
• Te-Pito-o-te-Henua(rap. Te-Pito-o-te-henua - "the navel of the earth");
• Rapa Nui(rap. Rapa Nui - "Great Rapa"), a name mainly used by whalers;
• San Carlos island(eng. San carlos island), so named by Gonzalez Don Felipe in honor of the King of Spain;
• Teapi(rap. Teapi) - this is how James Cook called the island;
• Waihu(rap. Vaihu), or Waihou (rap. Vaihou), there is a variant Waigu , - this name was also used by James Cook, and later by Forster and La Perouse (a bay in the northeast of the island was named after him);
• Easter Island(eng. Easter island), named so by the Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeven, because he discovered it on Easter 1722.

Very often, Easter Island is called Rapa Nui (translated as "Big Rapa"), although it is not of Rapanui, but of Polynesian origin. The island got this name thanks to the Tahitian navigators who used it to distinguish between Easter Island and Rapa Iti Island (translated as "Little Rapa"), which lies 650 km south of Tahiti, and has a topological similarity to it. The very name "Rapa Nui" has caused a lot of controversy among linguists about the correct spelling of this word. Among English-speaking specialists, the word "Rapa Nui" (2 words) is used to name the island, the word "Rapanui" (1 word) - when it comes to people or local culture.

Geography

Easter Island is a unique area in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. It is located 3703 km from the coast of the nearest mainland in the east (South America) and is 1819 km away from the nearest inhabited islands in the west (Pitcairn Island). Island coordinates: -27.116667 , -109.35 27 ° 07 ′ S NS. 109 ° 21 ′ W etc. /  27.116667 ° S NS. 109.35 ° W etc.(G) (O)... The area of ​​the island is 163.6 km². The nearest uninhabited land is the Sala-i-Gomez archipelago, not counting a few rocks near the island.

The toromiro trunk, about a human thigh in diameter and thinner, was often used in the construction of houses; also spears were made from it. In the XIX-XX centuries, this tree was exterminated (one of the reasons was that the young growth was destroyed by the sheep brought to the island).

Fauna

Before the arrival of Europeans on the island, the fauna of Easter Island was mainly represented by marine animals: seals, turtles, crabs. Until the 19th century, chickens were raised on the island. The species of local fauna that previously inhabited Rapa Nui became extinct. For example, the kind of rat Rattus exulans, which the locals used for food in the past. Instead, European ships brought rats of the species Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus, which became carriers of various diseases previously unknown to Rapanui.

Now the island is home to 25 species of seabirds and 6 species of terrestrial birds.

Population

It is assumed that during the cultural heyday on Easter Island in the 16th-17th centuries, the population of Rapa Nui ranged from 10 to 15 thousand people. Due to the environmental catastrophe that erupted as a result of the anthropogenic factor, as well as clashes between residents, the population dropped to 2-3 thousand people by the time the first Europeans arrived. James Cook also indicated the number of 3000 inhabitants when visiting the island. By 1877, as a result of the export of local residents to Peru for hard labor, epidemics, extensive sheep breeding, the population decreased even more and amounted to 111 people. By 1888, the year of the annexation of the island of Chile, 178 people lived on the island.

Administration

There are about two dozen police officers on the island, mainly responsible for security at the local airport.

Chilean armed forces (mainly the Navy) are also present. The current currency on the island is the Chilean peso (there are also US dollars in circulation on the island). Easter Island is a duty-free zone, so the island's tax revenues are relatively small. To a large extent, it consists of government subsidies.

Infrastructure

Other infrastructure facilities (church, post office, bank, pharmacy, small shops, one supermarket, cafes and restaurants) predominantly appeared in the 1960s. The island has a satellite phone, Internet and even a small disco for locals. To call Easter Island, you need to dial the Chile code +56, Easter Island code +32 and from August 5, 2006, number 2. After that, a local number is dialed, consisting of 6 digits (the first three will be 100 or 551 - these are the only valid island prefixes).

Tourism

Anakena is the most famous beach on the island

sights

Profile of the defeated idol against the background of the crater of the Rano Roratka volcano

How they were delivered to the coast is unknown. According to legend, they "walked" on their own. Recently, volunteer enthusiasts have found several ways to transport stone blocks. But what exactly the ancient inhabitants used (or some of their own) has not yet been determined. The Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl in his book "Aku-Aku" describes one of these methods, which was tested in action by local residents. According to the book, information about this method was obtained from one of the few remaining direct descendants of the builders of Moai. So, one of the Moai, overturned from the pedestal, was erected back by using the logs slipped under the statue, as levers, by swinging which it was possible to achieve small movements of the statue along the vertical axis. The movements were recorded by placing stones of various sizes under the upper part of the statue and alternating them. The actual transportation of the statues could be carried out by means of a wooden sled. The local resident presents this method as the most likely, but he himself believes that the statues nevertheless reached their places on their own.

Many unfinished idols are in the quarries. A detailed study of the island gives the impression of a sudden cessation of work on the statues.

• Rano Raraku- one of the most interesting places for tourists. At the foot of this volcano there are about 300 moai, of various heights and at different stages of readiness. Not far from the bay is ahu Tongariki, the largest ritual site with 15 statues of various sizes installed on it.
• On the shore of the bay Anakena there is one of the most beautiful beaches of the island with crystal white coral sand. Swimming is allowed in the bay. In the palm groves, picnics are arranged for tourists. Also near the bay of Anakena are located ahu Ature-Hooks and ahu Naunau... According to the ancient Apanui legend, it was in this bay that Hotu-Matu'a, the first king of Rapa Nui, landed with the first settlers of the island.
• Te Pito te Henua(rap. navel of the Earth) - a ceremonial platform on an island made of round stones. Quite a controversial place on Rapa Nui. Anthropologist Christian Walter claims that Te Pito te Henua was established in the 1960s to attract gullible tourists to the island.
• On the volcano Early Kao there is an observation deck. There is a ceremonial ground nearby Orongo.
• Puna Pau- a small volcano near Rano Kao. In the distant past, a red stone was mined here, from which "headdresses" for local moai were made.

History

Settlement and early history of the island

Before the appearance of Europeans, two different peoples lived on the island - "long-eared", who dominated and possessed a peculiar culture, writing, built moai, and "short-eared", who occupied a subordinate position. During the uprising of the short-eared, which took place presumably in the 16th century, all the long-eared were exterminated, and their culture was lost. In the future, it turned out to be extremely difficult to restore information about the previous culture of Easter Island, only fragmentary information remained.

Activities of the ancient Rapanui

Easter Island is currently a treeless island with barren volcanic soil. However, by the time the Polynesians settled in the 9th-10th centuries, according to palynological studies of cores from the soil, the island was covered with a dense forest cover.

In the past, as now, the slopes of the volcanoes were used for planting gardens and growing bananas.

According to the legends of Rapa Nui, the hau plants ( Triumfeta semitriloba), marikuru ( Sapindus saponaria), makoi ( Thespesia populnea) and sandalwood were brought by King Hotu-Matu'a, who sailed to the island from the mysterious homeland of Mara'e Renga (eng. Mara "e Renga). This could indeed have happened, since the Polynesians, when settling new lands, brought with them the seeds of plants that were of practical importance. The ancient Rapanui people were very well versed in agriculture, plants, and the peculiarities of their cultivation. Therefore, the island could well feed several thousand people.

The settlers cut down the forest both for economic needs (shipbuilding, construction of dwellings, transportation of moai, etc.), and to free up space for sowing agricultural crops. As a result of intensive deforestation, which continued for centuries, the forest was completely destroyed by about 1600. The result was wind erosion of the soil, which destroyed the fertile layer, a sharp decrease in fish catch due to the lack of forest for building boats, a drop in food production, mass famine, cannibalism, etc. reduction of the population by several times over several decades.

One of the island's problems has always been a shortage of fresh water. There are no deep rivers on Rapa Nui, and water after rains easily seeps through the soil and flows towards the ocean. The Rapanui people built small wells, mixed fresh water with salt water, and sometimes just drank salt water.

In addition to the tribes and clan communities, which formed the basis of the social organization of Rapanui society, there were larger associations, political in nature. Ten tribes, or mata (rap. mata), were divided into two warring alliances. The tribes of the west and northwest of the island were usually called people Tu'u is the name of a volcanic peak near Hanga Roa. They were also called mata nui... The tribes of the eastern part of the island in historical legends are called "people of Hotu-ichi".

Ahu Te Pito Kura - the center of the world in the folklore of the inhabitants of Easter Island

The ancient Rapanui were extremely warlike. As soon as the enmity between the tribes began, their warriors painted their bodies black and prepared their weapons for battle at night. After the victory, a feast was held, at which the victorious soldiers ate the meat of the conquered. The cannibals themselves on the island were called kai-tangata (rap. kai tangata). Cannibalism existed on the island until the Christianization of all its inhabitants.

Europeans on the island

"Rurik" anchored off Easter Island

An active conversion of the Rapanui to Christianity began, although the leaders of the local tribes resisted for a long time. On August 14, 1868, Eugene Eyraud died of tuberculosis. The missionary mission lasted about 5 years and had a positive impact on the inhabitants of the island: the missionaries taught writing (although they already had their own hieroglyphic writing), literacy, fought against theft, murder, polygamy, contributed to the development of agriculture, breeding cultures previously unknown on the island.

In 1868, with the permission of the missionaries, the agent of the trading house Brandera Dutrou-Bornier ( Dutroux-Bornier), who took up sheep breeding on Rapa Nui. The heyday of his economic activity dates back to the period after the death of the last legitimate ruler, the son of the supreme leader Maurat, twelve-year-old Grigorio, who died in 1866.

Meanwhile, the population of Rapa Nui declined significantly and in 1877 was 111 people.

The cult of "bird-men" (XVI / XVII -XIX centuries)

Motu Nui Island, view from Orongo

One of the attractions of the village of Orongo are the numerous petroglyphs with images of "bird-men" and the god Make-make (there are about 480 of them).

Rongo rongo

Fragment of a tablet with the text rongo-rongo

Easter Island is the only island in the Pacific Ocean that has developed its own writing system - rongo-rongo. The texts were recorded using pictograms, the writing method was bustrofedon. The pictograms are one centimeter in size and are represented by various graphic symbols, images of people, body parts, animals, astronomical symbols, houses, boats, and so on.

The writing of rongo-rongo has not yet been deciphered, despite the fact that many linguists have dealt with this problem. In 1995, linguist Stephen Fisher announced the deciphering of the rongo-rongo texts, but his interpretation is disputed by other scholars.

The French missionary Eugene Eyraud was the first to report the existence of tablets with ancient inscriptions on Easter Island in 1864.

Currently, there are many scientific hypotheses regarding the origin and meaning of Rapanui writing. M. Hornbostel, V. Hevesi, R. Heine-Geldern believed that the Easter Island letter came from India through China, and then from Easter Island the letter reached Mexico and Panama. R. Campbell claimed that this writing came from the Far East through New Zealand. Imbelloni and later T. Heyerdahl tried to prove the South American Indian origin of both the Rapa Nui script and the entire culture. Many experts on Easter Island, including Fisher himself, believe that all 25 tablets with rongo-rongo inscriptions were born after the natives got acquainted with European writing during the landing on the island of the Spaniards in 1770.

Easter Island and the Lost Continent

Easter Island on the world map

This "Davis Land", which much later began to be identified with Easter Island, reinforced the conviction of the cosmographers of that time that there was a continent in this region that was, as it were, a counterbalance to Asia and Europe. This led to the fact that brave sailors began to search for the lost continent. However, it was never found: instead, hundreds of islands in the Pacific Ocean were discovered.

With the discovery of Easter Island, it became widely believed that this is the continent escaping from man, on which a highly developed civilization existed for millennia, which later disappeared into the depths of the ocean, and only high mountain peaks survived from the continent (in fact, these are extinct volcanoes ). The existence of huge statues on the island, moai, unusual Rapanui tablets only confirmed this opinion.

However, modern study of the adjacent waters has shown that this is unlikely.

Easter Island is located 500 km from a range of seamounts known as the East Pacific Rise on the Nazca lithospheric plate. The island sits on top of a huge mountain formed from volcanic lava. The last volcanic eruption on the island occurred 3 million years ago. Although some scientists suggest that it happened 4.5-5 million years ago.

According to local legends, in the distant past, the island was large. It is quite possible that this was the case during the Pleistocene Ice Age, when the level of the World Ocean was 100 meters lower. According to geological studies, Easter Island has never been part of a sunken continent.

Notes (edit)

1. UNESCO World Heritage Center. Rapa Nui National Park. ... Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
2. Easter Island Foundation. Frequently Asked Questions. What "s the difference between" Rapa Nui "and" Rapanui "?. (unavailable link - history) Retrieved April 13, 2007.
3. About Easter Island. Location. ... (unavailable link - history) Retrieved April 13, 2007.
4. Easter Island Statue Project. About Easter Island. (unavailable link - history) Retrieved April 13, 2007.
5. Great Soviet Encyclopedia. 3rd edition. Article "Easter Island".
6. This table was compiled using data from the site http://islandheritage.org/vg/vg06.html
7. Easter Island Statue Project. About Easter Island. Flora. ... (unavailable link - history) Retrieved April 13, 2007.
8. Easter Island Statue Project. About Easter Island. Fauna. ... (unavailable link - history) Retrieved April 13, 2007.
9. Ethnologue.com.

Since the above are already trying to understand why this Moai decided to drown, I answer. Employees of both dive centers in the area said that they tried to take away a particular specimen on a ship. But something went wrong and the ship capsized.
This version is quite true, because:
- it is really made of stone and is very similar to those that remained on land
- lies at a depth of 28 meters. For the fun of divers, ships and others are sunk around 15-18, so that they could dive and not AOWD
- They took out a lot of idols. It is quite possible that once again a ton of stone was poorly secured. There are no legends like "The spirit of the stone did not allow leaving the island". Just unlucky again. Dozens of other Moai were taken out and are in museums around the world. The most skillfully made with the presence of an ass (almost the only one with this part of the body) is exhibited in the London Museum (in which I do not remember)

Moai underwater is unusual. But the most surreal and penetrating to eggs view is a mountain-volcano, where these Moai were gouged out of stone. To see multi-tone stone muzzles scattered at different angles is cool.

The island is nothing like hell. Above in the photos are typical vegetation. Only trees are missing, they are still represented on this piece of land in some low-lying places. There are no minerals. The sea does not shine either.
Why did people decide to settle there about thirteen centuries ago? In fact, the question is different, why did the people who settled there, set sail and flooded into the open ocean? There were no global cataclysms in this area, so that one could speak of an isthmus to the mainland or the presence of other islands a thousand years ago. Just for some unknown reason, one authoritative person said “Let's go there” and pointed at ninety degrees to the shore of his homeland. Others said, "Come on!" What made the authority to raise some people from their homes and float into nowhere, scientists still do not know. But it is perfectly understandable why these people decided to settle on the island "damn nothing." It is very simple - when you get through the boats in the Pacific Ocean for a couple of thousand kilometers (then there were no steam engines even in Europe), you will be glad to anything.

So, a second wave of immigrants came, who seemed to have sailed without women. What they hoped for is not clear. But they were lucky - women were at the first wave. And the first migrants shared them in a friendly way. Everyone healed happily and called themselves Rapa Nui.
But the resources are few, so few that even the handful of people that grazed on this island lacked. In addition, those who sailed last were slightly developmental. And there was a paradox: those who came in large numbers became nasalniks, and those who remained in large numbers turned into almost disenfranchised guest workers.

I don’t know how guest workers won honor and respect. But the cool ones decided everything in an adult way. Google suggests that at the best of times, about ten thousand people lived on the island. I don’t know how many clans there were, but they were definitely there. And the more advanced settlers did not think of anything better as proof of steepness than riveting idols out of stone. The Rano Raraku volcano was adapted for the raw materials. If you want honor and respect for your clan, hollow out a stone muzzle weighing several tons and bang it into your territory. Whoever has more stone muzzles is cooler. Each idol symbolizes connection with ancestors and endows the clan with mana. When wars happened, the enemies tried to destroy as much of the enemy's Moai as possible, thereby demoralizing them.
The second unanswered question is how the Moai were dragged from the volcano. Although the island is not large, very good reasons and some technology are needed to carry such cargo. The first was more than enough, but with the second there were problems. I'm not sure if the Rapanui used even horses. With a very high probability they were dragged by hand. Here, by the way, there were less developed guest workers. Someone thinks that stone muzzles weighing several tons were rolled on logs, someone believes that they were rolled from side to side. But somehow they were carried even to the opposite coast. Although, as the photographs show, a lot, and even more likely most, remained on the hill.
The largest Moai, which was nevertheless dragged to its destination, is five meters high and weighs 75 tons. The largest, which they did not manage to finish, is about twenty meters high and 270 tons.

Cool, by the way, were called long-eared, and guest workers were short-eared.
And the latter did not like this state of affairs. Drag Maui they are, and honor and respect to those who made them carry. The revolution has come to pass. And although the long-eared were development, the short-eared clearly knew life. Whatever one may do to develop it was necessary not to carry some garbage across the whole island, but at least to upgrade the stone axes. In general, all or almost all of the long-eared were decided.
This ended the production of Maui. Those that had already been installed in holy places continued to be worshiped, but they stopped carrying new ones. The official version seems to say that short-eared minds have not grown to such a crown of human genius as hollowing out a multi-toned muzzle and ramming it five kilometers away. Personally, I believe that they just turned on their brains to the fullest and came to the conclusion that in this world, even in their little world, there are much more interesting, and most importantly, much more useful activities.

The short-eared people stopped hammering the rock for the sake of raising their self-esteem. The old idols, of course, have not gone anywhere, but the tsunami will roll over, then the volcano will slightly batter. Stone by stone, but gradually the Moai collapsed, taking mana with them. And besides, not all clans stay at the same level of steepness. If you don't make new Moai, then where can you get additional honor?

And at some point, the veneration of the Moai begins to intertwine with the veneration of the bird-man, something like a demigod or something like that. Old beliefs and gods are not canceled, but they gradually go to rituals and the acquisition of power without material evidence, like a lump of ten tons. Now the bird-man has become the main one on the island. He is the viceroy of God and is worshiped as a god. To become one, you must complete the task first on the designated day and hour. To do this, next to the damn nothing Easter Island is fucking nothing in the form of the island of Motu Nui. On it, besides stones, there are only nests of sea gulls. So, to become a god, you need to go down a very steep rocky slope of the volcano, swim a kilometer to Motu Nui, climb its steep slope, find a sea gull egg and return along the already trodden path with it to offer it to the chief priest. It is impossible to break, of course. Where did they put it in order to save it during the trip back, history is silent. Or maybe it was not necessary to drag, maybe the gentlemen took their word for it.

Now, another confirmation of my theory that the short-eared were not so dumb. At least some of them. So, some pretzel did it. But it is not he who becomes the main thing, but the one he represents. Not every shit is the main thing, right? Now the one who was represented by the hero-egg-seeker, well done, he is now a god. He is shaved in all places. including eyebrows. Give a new name. Refurbish the cave dwelling after the previous god. In this cave, the hero's representative will spend the next year making laws and resolving conflicts. He cannot cook his own food - the priest does it for him. He cannot cut his hair or nails, this is also the responsibility of the priest. He can't help but talk to someone, no one has the right to look at him. That is, God lives as a hermit. His only means of communication with the people under his control is the high priest, who transmits the decrees of the bird-man. Not stupid, right? At the same time, the priest does not strain every year for the sake of his title, well, except for jumping, waving the local censer and bringing the “master” to devour (something I doubt that at least one priest himself strained for the sake of cooking). What this pretzel from the cave actually said, even the pretzel itself will not remember in a year. If he remembers, then at the time of his communication with other people he will no longer be a god. And that means running into the high priest is fraught with the loss of your own eggs, and not bird eggs. And with cooking, there is also a good space for action. If the bird-man bends the shores, then add the necessary drug and business with the end. The gods called to him, he was so cool, what else can I say. In the meantime, there are no eggs, I will be in charge here. Well, or piss on Motu Nui right now, if you like, but don't come back without eggs. No birds with eggs? Your problems.
Although in fact the main power was with the military leaders, I suppose.

Easter Island (Spanish: Isla de Pasqua, Polynesian: Rapa Nui) is one of the most isolated islands on Earth. The early settlers called the island "Te Pito O Te Henua" (Navel of the World). Officially a territory, Easter Island is located far in the Pacific Ocean, about halfway to Tahiti. Known for its mysterious giant stone statues built centuries ago, reflecting the history of the dramatic rise and fall of Polynesian culture.

general information

The name of the island is reminiscent of the fact that it was discovered by a Dutch exploration vessel on Easter Sunday in 1722.

Ever since Thor Heyerdahl and a small group of adventurers set sail from South America to the Tuamotu Islands, far north of Easter Island, controversy over the origin of the islanders has continued. Nowadays, DNA testing has conclusively proved that the Polynesians came from the west, not the east, and that the inhabitants of Easter Island are the descendants of fearless travelers who traveled there from Taiwan thousands of years ago. Legend has it that people went to Easter Island because their own island was gradually swallowed up by the sea.

In short, Easter Island's backstory is a succession of achievement, prosperity and civilization that ended in environmental destruction and decline. While there is no consensus as to when humans first appeared on Easter Island (estimated to be from a few hundred to over a thousand years ago), it is believed that the first humans arrived from Polynesia. This was hardly a mistake or an accident: the evidence suggests that Easter Island was deliberately colonized by large boats with many settlers - a significant feat, given the distance from Easter Island to any other land in the Pacific Ocean.

The first islanders found the land undoubtedly a heavenly place. Archaeological evidence shows that the island was covered with trees of various types, including the largest palm species in the world, whose bark and wood the natives used to make textiles, ropes and canoes. Birds were abundant. The mild climate favored an easy life, and the abundant waters provided fish and oysters.

The islanders thrived on these advantages and reflected this in the religion that became their leisure - the giant moai, or heads, that are the most distinctive feature of the island today. The moai that dot the island are believed to have been depictions of ancestors, whose presence was probably considered a blessing or vigilant guard in every small village.

The ruins of the Rano Raraku crater in the quarry, where dozens, if not hundreds, of moai are located in the very center, are a testament to the importance of these figures to the islanders and the fact that their lives revolved around these creations. It has been suggested that their isolation from all other peoples working in the center of commerce and creativity was created by the expectation of some other significant path destined for them, for which they could use their skills and resources. The human bird in culture (in the form of petroglyphs) is clear evidence of the hopes of the islanders for the opportunity to leave their island for the sake of distant lands.

However, as the population grew, the pressure on the island's environment increased as well. The deforestation of trees on the island gradually increased, and when this major resource was depleted, the islanders found it difficult to continue making ropes, canoes and supplies for hunting and fishing, and ultimately maintaining a culture that encouraged the islanders to produce giant stone figures. Apparently, the divisions began to intensify (with some violence), confidence in the old religion was lost, which was reflected in part in the ruins of the moai, which were deliberately overthrown.

By the end of the glorious culture of Easter Island, the population had reached a minimum, with the inhabitants sometimes resorting to cannibalism and raw food because of the small amount of food or means of obtaining a livelihood. Even the subsequent raids of powers such as and did not devastate the population so much, in the last century there were only a few hundred natives of Rapa Nui.

Today Rapa Nui National Park is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its residents rely on many tourist and economic connections and daily flights to Santiago. Like many indigenous peoples, Rapa Nui is looking for artifacts from their past and trying to integrate their culture with the political, economic and social realities of today. You can book a hotel on Easter Island at, and you can check if there is a better price. Some travelers prefer to rent accommodation from locals - you can look at the offers.

How to get there

Due to the extreme geographic isolation of Easter Island, many people believe that only the very adventurous traveler can reach it. Indeed, it can be reached via regular commercial air travel, Hanga Roa (IATA: IPC), as tourism is the island's main industry.

Since this place is de facto a part, this is a domestic flight from Santiago and no passports are required upon arrival from Chile. There are also flights from Tahiti - then your passport will be needed.

However, these are rather “routes” for most people, with a minimum of 5.5 hours in the air from the nearest continent, and there are very few routes to get to Easter Island. Only regular LAN Airlines flights fly daily to Santiago de and once a week to Tahiti. With no competition for this long and challenging flight, fares range from US $ 400 to US $ 1,200 per flight from Santiago. You can find out how much the flight will cost for your dates in the Trevelask section.

Easter Island is said to be "conveniently located" when it is revealed to be on a travel map around the world, where it acts as an interesting stopover between Polynesia and South America and also helps to reinforce the perception of outsiders. Because of the waves, only one in four cruise ships can dock here.

If you want to travel on a fearless route, the "sailboat" Soren Larsen sails to Easter Island from New Zealand once a year. The journey takes 35 days, crossing the point farthest from earth.

If possible, consider landing in Santiago after returning from Easter Island. There is a small chance that you will be denied boarding for your flight if a medical evacuation is needed, and the planned stop will give you more options if you are faced with this. The plane sometimes leaves the island late, and as a result, you may have problems with onward connections on the mainland.

By plane

Prompt:

Easter Island - the time is now

Difference in hours:

Moscow 8

Kazan 8

Samara 9

Yekaterinburg 10

Novosibirsk 12

Vladivostok 15

When is the season. When is the best time to go

Prompt:

Easter Island - monthly weather

Major attractions. What to see

The biggest attractions on Easter Island are the figures standing on solemn platforms called ahu, moai.

Please note that moai and their platforms are protected by law and should not be approached under any circumstances. Don't go on ah. This is extremely disrespectful, and in case you damage the places, even by accident, the punishment will be severe. A German tourist who broke a moai ear was recently sentenced to criminal charges and a $ 10,000 fine.

Rano Raraku and Orongo require an entrance ticket to the National Park, which can be bought at the airport upon arrival or at the CONAF office. You need a ticket to enter both places, so make sure you have it safe. The rest of the island can be visited without a ticket.

Ahu are mainly located along the coastline of the island. For the first time, visitors may be amazed at how many archaeological sites there are around the island that you can practically visit on your own, depending on the season and time of day.

Each clan usually had a guardian, although not all of them were moai, so if you travel along the southern coast of the island, you will see that each mile has sections of ruins.

Two exceptional sites are the volcanic craters Rano Cau Rano and Raraku. A little deeper in the quarry at “Rano Raraku” there is a place where most of the moai were created, on the side of a hill. It is a 300-foot cooled volcano that provided rocks for great creations. The visitor can see various stages of carving, as well as partially finished figures scattered around. The ascent along the left side of the volcano, to the top and inside the crater, will be remembered for a long time. The opposite side of the crater, where some of the moai have been carved, is one of the most dramatic spots on the island, but unfortunately not available at this time.

Likewise, Rano Kau is a remnant of a volcanic cone, ash, like Rano Raraku, filled with fresh rainwater and having a speckled unearthly look that is breathtaking. Nearby there are other points of view of Hanga Roa.

Often overlooked, Easter Island's particularly captivating attractions are its extensive cave systems. While there are several "official" caves that are quite interesting in their own right, there are numerous unofficial caves on the island, most of which are located near Ana Kakenga. Studying them will make you feel like a real adventurer.

The CONAF (National Park Maintenance Organization) has classified the caves as dangerous for tourists, and park rangers have been regulating access to the caves since March 2014. According to the directions of the park rangers, there is a danger of collapse, especially Ana Te Pahu, which is located under the road. Consequently, tour operators will no longer take their clients to the caves (visiting the caves has now been replaced by excursions to other archaeological sites). At the moment there is no fence to prevent access and with local guides it is quite possible to visit the caves individually, although some precautions and restrictions must be observed.

While the openings in most of these caves are small (some are barely large enough to crawl through) and hidden (the background of a rather surreal lava field could be compared to the surface of Mars), many lead into prohibitively deep and vast cave systems. A note of caution: These caves can be dangerous because so many go much deeper. A man without a torch will plunge into total darkness with little hope of getting out anytime soon ... if ever.

The caves are also extremely wet and slippery (some ceilings have collapsed due to water erosion). In addition, subtropical rain should not be underestimated. Climatic changes are very rapid and there is a risk of unexpected flooding due to rain. And this is in a cave with limited space to move!

Beaches. Which is better

Easter Island has two white sand beaches. Anakena, on the north side of the island, is a great surfing spot with little waves. You can also surf in the harbor at Hanga Roa, which many of the locals do. There is a small car park, a toilet (for the price of $ 1), several small barbecue cafes with refreshments, and a shaded picnic area. Palms imported from Tahiti complete the calming effect. Anakena includes 2 ahu with moai. Be careful when walking under trees - coconuts may fall. Anakena is considered the place where the tribes of the colonialists first appeared on Easter Island, therefore it is called the birthplace of the island's civilization.

The second beach is the pearl of the island and is called Owahe, east of Anakena. This beautiful and deserted beach is surrounded by breathtaking cliffs. Please note: the path down to the beach is very rough and the best way to get here is on foot. Off-road driving (as opposed to erroneous actions of some tourists) is considered illegal in most of the island.

Sometimes large waves wash away all the sand from Ovahe and then slowly return it. The last such incident occurred in 2012.

Some sources mention that it is possible to spend the night in one of the caves in the Ovahe Beach area, but this information is out of date as water is currently seeping through the cracks. In addition, it is not recommended to enter the cave at night without an instructor.

Food. What to try

Hanga Roa restaurants are on the main street and next to the harbor, but there are several others scattered in the surrounding areas.

Traditional food includes curanto and tuna ahi.

Menus are generally limited as most of the island's food has to be imported, which explains the level of prices on the island. Even in regular restaurants, snack prices start at $ 20 and up. The assortment of fish is quite large, as is the case in the continental. Pizza and other familiar foods are available at the corner café next to the Catholic Church. A large pizza, however, will cost you 14,000 - 22,000 pesos. There is a large selection of toppings and a really varied menu.

There are 2 types of lobster. The big one is called a real lobster, and the small one, equally delicious, is called "Rape Rape" by the locals. Lobsters are currently protected and restrictions are imposed on fishing during the off-season.

The local tuna is considered a recognized delicacy for its white meat and is highly recommended. The octopus and several types of fish are delicious too.

There are also a few limited supply grocery stores (only a few can be considered true supermarkets) where visitors can pick up snacks, limited sundries, booze, etc. It should be noted that it is difficult to shop at the grocery stores on Easter Island. They are all quite small and their range is constantly changing. A large number of products are not on the shelves - they can only be obtained after consulting with the seller. If possible, it makes sense to bring canned food and drinks from the mainland. This will save you the need to overpay on the island, as well as provide you with everything you need.

Like the souvenir sellers, many restaurants on the island do not accept credit cards or have a high minimum cost. Gratuities are also included (10% is considered a polite level). However, check your receipt before paying for anything, as some restaurants add a mandatory service fee to your bill.

• Kanahau is good food and service on the main street.
• Kotaro is a Japanese restaurant with delicious food and excellent service from the chef himself.
• Kuki Varua - Great food and great service. Try to have your table on the second floor terrace.
• La Kaleta. Restaurant with great sea views and delicious food. It has the reputation of being the best restaurant on the island, so it's not the cheapest place either.
• La Taverne du Pêcheur is a small French restaurant in the harbor side of the village. Very good seafood. Perhaps the most expensive restaurant on the island. Some people think that the prices are too high.
• Mamma Nui is a traditional family restaurant. They specialize in tuna ahi.
• Pea. Despite the sea view, the high prices are not comparable to the quality of the main dishes.
• Tataku Vave. Since the restaurant is not located in the very center, you would not have been able to find this gem without recommendations from the front desk. The seafood, service and view are as good as the most expensive restaurants, but the prices are much more reasonable. They specialize in small lobsters ("Rape Rape"). An exquisite view of the sunset and the crashing of the waves. 8,000-12,000 pesos per person, plus drinks. Steep access road, however, can be taken slowly or by taxi.
• Te Moana. The restaurant moved from the main street to the extreme line in 2013. The tuna sandwich is especially good. A live orchestra often plays on Wednesdays and weekends.
• Te Ra "ai offers a package that includes relocation (hotel - restaurant - hotel), Polynesian dance show and Curanto dinner. The restaurant is located outside Hanga Roa. Reservation required as the restaurant is very popular. The show has some Brazilian influence due to with its owner.
• Varua, Atamu Takena. A new restaurant with all the classic trappings can be found on the island at good prices, plus an excellent menu for the main dishes of the day (appetizer, main course and fruit juice). Service and food are excellent.

Less expensive options include sandwiches and empanadas. Alternatively, you can find a local bakery and make your own sandwiches. Budget tourists or those looking for simple food can try the following options:

• Club Sandwich has fantastic empanadas too, but the sandwiches are their true calling and worth trying. Try banana and orange smoothies, if available. To my shame they are not open for breakfast.
• Donde el Gordo on Church Street is also a good option for those looking for simple food, but their sandwiches are a little more expensive.
• Mahina Tahai is a classic large “menu” that includes bread, butter, soup, fish and rice steak, juice and dessert.
• Miro is located close to the cemetery, there are great pizzas.
• Piroto Henua is a sports bar with a simple menu next to the airport entrance.

Beverages

The Chilean drink pisco, made from fermented grapes, is the island's unofficial drink. However, pisco is sour and should be mixed with lemon juice and egg whites, which is the best option if you're not used to whiskey or rum. Drinking pisco has a lower degree than vodka, although the Chileans do not recommend it.

The island also offers papaya, mango or guava drinks, depending on the season. All these natural juices are blended with pisco. About 4,000 pesos at the restaurant.

Another common cocktail is piscola, pisco with coca cola.

The local brewery is called Mahina and produces light craft beer and stout. It was closed for almost 2 years between 2012 and 2014, but is currently working again. Delicious bottled souvenirs are also produced. Despite its name and local owner, the Akivi brand is produced on the mainland (the brewery is located in Quilpué).

The usual rate for a can of soda in a restaurant or hotel seems to be around 1,500 to 2,000 pesos. You can buy beer for the same price.

Security. What to watch out for

In practice, there is no street crime in Hanga Roa. Thus, well-behaved tourists need not be afraid of anything. Tourists who need police assistance can contact the local PDI (Chilean Federal Police) office, which is located outside the city, a taxi ride away and is open until 6pm. However, keep in mind: officers usually only speak Spanish.

If you have lost your passport, you can file a report for 500 pesos, as well as replace your visa application form; A photocopy of the document will be invaluable in this case. Presenting this report will allow you to board the plane back to Santiago, the rest will be decided at your embassy.

It is dark in the mornings during the winter months (June - August), and it can be cold at night until spring (September - October). Depending on the season, you should not forget about sun and wind protection.

The CDC's hepatitis shots are offered to Easter Island visitors mainly due to street food vendors and tropical water intake. Easter Island officials insist the water is safe, but some say it tastes different and could therefore disrupt your intestinal flora. Avoid drinking tap water and eating street food until you know how it will affect you. Let the hotels prepare all food and drink for the stomachs of tourists, and therefore be safer than restaurants. Day trips organized by travel companies often include a ready-to-eat lunch. They also need to be safe, as many travel companies are hotel-affiliated and get their food from travel hotel kitchens, but if in doubt, ask.

There are many stray dogs on Easter Island. It is advisable not to let them approach, as some of the dogs are unpredictable. Get rid of stray dogs with a commanding voice and stern gestures. If you are bitten by a dog, go to the hospital and get a rabies shot.

Visitors to Anakena Beach should be careful when walking under the palm trees. Coconuts can fall and hurt you. In addition, there are many vendors of very exotic looking food and drinks on Anakena Beach that are interesting to try, but always keep in mind that there is no running water in this part of the island, so food hygiene and safety should be an important criterion when purchase. If you decide to get the hepatitis vaccine before arriving on the island, keep in mind that it involves three shots and will take several months for full protection.

Remember that some of the island locations can only be reached after a long journey, sometimes steep and potholed. Always ask your instructors about this. A path over 700 meters long will tire you quickly. Travelers will enjoy more if, especially in key areas, physical activity is not a problem.

Travelers who have walking problems, using stairs or wheelchairs will be restricted in travel. The tracks simply do not support wheeled transport. The stairs can be very steep and quite narrow for people walking up and down the same steps. Steep slopes sometimes do not have safety rails. Most of the trails are not comfortable and can be narrow. It is not allowed to leave the trail: this will entail a complaint from your guide and it is also against the rules of the park.

Things to do

Some areas of the recovery zone (Pua Catica and Terevaca peninsula) are forested. These sites may only be accessible for hiking or horse riding. Access to the recovery areas by car is strictly prohibited.

Much of the west coast may not be accessible by vehicle and thus only hiking or horse riding (limited availability) remains.

Snorkeling is a popular pastime, even though there are current partial restrictions in some areas (near the islands of Motu Nui and Motu Ichi). There are diving centers that rent equipment and organize boat excursions for divers: Atariki Rapa Nui, Orca and Mike Rapu Diving.

Large sea turtles can be seen near the fishing boats.

Tours

Group tours are the most common way to explore the island. Given the lack of public transport, sharing the tour with a group of tourists is an effective way to reduce the burden on the environment. Travel companies also provide private tours.

Local guides can also show you some aspects of island life that you might never have seen or heard.

Travel agencies sell vacation packages that include accommodation and excursions. However, only places officially owned by the company can legally provide their services tax-free (the invoices they give you, Law 16.441). This means that you will avoid VAT and other taxes when you contact the operators directly.

There are 4 well-established local tour operators, each with at least ten years of experience.

Aku Aku Turismo. Tour operator mainly providing Spanish group tours. Their office is located next to Hotel Manutara's reception.

Kia Koe Tour, Atamu Tekena s / n, Hanga Roa, ☎ +56 32 210-0852. The main tour operator on Easter Island. The office is located on the main street. Tours are available in groups or with a private guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese. They also provide serviced charters and cruisers. The company was founded in 1984.

Mahinatur. One of the oldest tour operators, their specialty is tours in French.

Rapa Nui Travel. Tour operator providing mainly German group tours.

The tourist information center also offers contacts with freelancers, but professional guides work mainly with large tour operators.

Easter Island Travel. Specializes in private groups, has experience in adventure and independent cruise excursions. English and Spanish speaking guides.

Green Island Tours-Easter Island.

When dealing with small companies or self-employed freelancers, you should always have a description of the services and the total cost in writing for your own safety. In addition, law firms in, including Easter Island, have a RUT (9-digit code).

Hike

Hiking is pretty easy on Easter Island. It is not necessary to hire a guide for this, although it may be worthwhile to see some of the hidden archaeological treasures of these routes. If you decide to do this without a guide, all you need is a simple map and some recommendations from the porter or park rangers (especially taking into account local laws and regulations).

The most popular trekking options are recovery zones. They are not accessible for any type of vehicle (even the old paths are still partially visible, these areas are not allowed to visit):

Trekking to Terevau, the highest point of the island, is fairly easy. The way to the top will take about 1.5 hours, and take another hour on the way back (from and to Ahu Akivi). Or you can start from Vaitei (about half way to the main beach of Anakena). You can also get there on horseback (as a rule, such tours take place every morning, depending on the weather).

Rano Kau can be easily reached on foot. When you reach the volcanic crater, simply follow the east side of the crater to see landscapes not accessible by other vehicles. You can also go to Orongo or just take a guided tour.

The hike along the northwest coast will take about 5-7 hours and will require some planning and preparation. You can simply take a taxi to Anakena's main beach and drive back along the coast to Hanga Roa. You can also go on horseback, although it is less accessible (the route is less popular and more expensive than the others). Although there are several archaeological sites, which, however, are not of great interest. Among them, for example, a cave full of petroglyphs.

Pua Catici is an isolated northeastern peninsula with high steep cliffs. Some of them are currently used as grazing areas for cattle. The ascent to the top will take about 1.5 hours. Along the way, you can see some interesting monuments, including the infamous "Cave of the Virgin".

Shopping and shops

Since there is only one village on the island, Hanga Roa, craft markets and shops are mainly located on its main street, church street or nearby.

Many local small-scale producers are located in large areas close to tourist bus stops - well worth seeing if you are looking for local artisan products or limited-edition souvenirs that cannot be found in other countries. You can also buy souvenirs at the airport, but they will be mass produced.

The official currency is the Chilean Peso (CLP), but unlike the Continental one, here you can pay in cash using dollars (USD). Almost all hotels and business people accept USD payment, but you should recalculate to see which rate is best for you. Taxi drivers only accept small USD bills.

Some travel guides claim that you can use Euros (EUR), but this information is false, although some gift shops will readily accept cash. However, it is possible to exchange euros at a gas station at a reasonable rate (more convenient than at banks).

When buying souvenirs, it is better to pay in cash. Often sellers will inflate the minimum cost or charge for services for using a credit card (about 10 - 20%) - only in cases where the seller accepts credit cards at all; many smaller manufacturers only accept cash.

There are a total of 2 ATMs on the island. ATM in front of Banco Estado on Tu "at maheke Hanga Roa accepts only Cirrus, Maestro and Mastercard, except for branded Visa cards. ATM on Polikarpo Toro accepts Visa, Cirrus, Maestro and Mastercard. Previously, there were ATMs in the departure hall of the airport, as well as inside the gas station but both stopped working (July 2013).

The local bank can issue loans to a Visa card, but it is open part-time (Monday through Friday, 08.00 - 13.00) and the lines can be long, especially at the end of the month.

One of the most peculiar things on the island is the banks (CONAF and almost all businesses). They are very picky when it comes to the condition of dollar bills. Banknotes are not considered valid if they are torn, wet, damaged markings, or even if they are old and frayed. These bills can be saved for some other purpose. However, when you borrow dollars on your own (or exchange money before visiting the island), you must keep this in mind.

Unlike continental, 19% VAT is not charged on Easter Island.

Clubs and nightlife

The island's nightlife is less active than in major cities, and the main attraction is definitely the Polynesian dance shows. Kari Kari on the main street, Wai Te Mihi near the cemetery and Te Ra "ai restaurant outside Hanga Roa have their own specialties throughout the year (except for the holiday period and Tapati, when dancers participate in festival events). Discos, Toroko and piriti are places where you could easily fit into the crowd of locals.

How to get back

LAN Airlines has scheduled flights to and from (daily), Lima (currently discontinued) and Tahiti (weekly). If you are departing from a foreign airport, there will be a small cash exit fee.!

Anything to add?

Easter Islands amaze, surprise and delight. Dormant volcanoes, sparse vegetation, endless ocean and stone statues on the coast from pressed volcanic ash in the form of a human head with a body to the waist and a height of about 20 meters. Some have redstone caps on their heads.

Easter Islands are considered the only place in Polynesia, whose inhabitants had their own written language. Most modern scholars argue that the letter of local residents originated on this island and was not delivered from anywhere.

How did it happen that the people, which for many millennia no one knew, did not know, did not hear, had such a developed civilization that they could create their own chronicles, as well as statues of such quality that they did not fall apart under the hot tropical sun and could survive to this day. The mystery of Easter Island has yet to be fully revealed.

How exactly Easter Island appeared is still not fully understood. Scientists put forward different hypotheses - one more incredible than the other. For example, according to one version, Easter Island is a part of Lemuria, which was the ancestral home of all mankind, and for various reasons was flooded with water. Another hypothesis says that this island is all that remains of the famous Atlantis. Both versions can be confirmed by the myths of the islanders about the god Uvok, whom people angered so much that he split the earth with his fiery staff.

Tourists often ask questions about where Easter Island is located, how to get there and by whom it is inhabited. In any case, Easter Island now belongs to Chile and is considered the most remote inhabited island in the world from the continent. Pitcairn Island, the closest place where people live, is just over two thousand kilometers from it, and three and a half kilometers to the mainland coast of Chile.

The Dutch traveler Jacobson Roggeven discovered and discovered the sights of Easter Island in 1722. Since this event took place on Easter Sunday, it didn't take long to think about what to name the island. Although they still call it differently. For example, James Cook called him Teapi or Vaihu. Locals call it Rapa Nui (Great Rapa) - the name of Polynesian origin, as it was called by sailors from Tahiti.

Earlier, speaking about the island, the natives mentioned the names, translated from Rapanui meaning - "The Navel of the Earth" or "Eyes looking into the sky."

Easter Island itself is shaped like a right-angled triangle with sides of 16, 18 and 24 km. In the corner of each there are extinct volcanoes that always attract the attention of tourists. Therefore, it is not surprising that the island itself is of volcanic origin.

Vegetation is extremely scarce here. The rainforest, which used to cover the entire Easter Island, has disappeared from the face of the earth due to irrational human activity, and at the moment (according to botanists) there are no more than 30 plant species on the island.

There are suggestions that several centuries ago (in the 16th and 17th centuries) the island was inhabited by 10 to 15 thousand people. Due to constant wars among themselves, flourishing cannibalism, as well as the ecological catastrophe that befell the island, even before the arrival of the first Europeans, the population dropped to three thousand. There is also a version that the island was inhabited in several stages by two different cultures. One culture was from Polynesia, the other from South America, possibly Peru.

After Easter Island was discovered, some of the locals fell into slavery and were taken to Peru, some died due to new diseases and epidemics. When the territory fell under Chilean rule in 1888, it turned out that Easter Island was inhabited by only 178 inhabitants. According to the latest census, by 2012 the number of inhabitants of the island had increased, and at that time the island was inhabited by almost 6 thousand inhabitants.

Stone statues

Easter Island gained its fame primarily due to the ancient, mysterious statues made of stone of volcanic origin, in which, as the natives believe, is the supernatural power of their ancestors. Peculiar idols are another mystery of Easter Island.

The idols of Easter Island were made over three centuries - from 1200 to 1500. (there is an earlier date - the fourth century, but few adhere to this version), after that their production abruptly ceased. Researchers say that everything looks as if people developed their skills for centuries, putting on the conveyor the production and transportation of Moai made of stone - and suddenly, in an instant, everything was thrown and left, leaving blank sculptures, tools that can still be found in found workshops, and throwing ready-made Moai to wallow along the roads along which they were lowered to the coast.

The idols of Easter Island are about 20 meters high and represent a human head (some are wearing a red stone hat) with a torso. At the same time, the Moai look inland.

The question of how the sculptures appeared here arose immediately, as soon as James Cook and his team visited the Easter Islands and for the first time saw huge Moai made of stone on the coast, and next to them - natives who did not have any tools, or even their own dwellings and clothing.

It is worth noting that this mystery is still unsolved, and there are several versions about how they arose.

1. Huge statues of Easter Island were created by representatives of ancient civilizations. If we adhere to the theory that the island of Rapa Nui is either the remnants of Lemuria or Atlantis, then it is hardly surprising that the ancient masters, who were at an extremely high level of development, had the opportunity to create masterpieces of this level.
2. Aliens. There are people who adhere to this version, while it was even mentioned in Erich Deniken's film "Memories of the Future."
3. The statues were created by local inhabitants. In the crater of one of the volcanoes, the researchers found traces of a workshop in which Moai were carved with stone axes and chisels. To confirm this version, the world famous researcher Thor Heyerdahl conducted an experiment in the middle of the 20th century - he persuaded local residents to make a statue. In just a couple of days, they managed to carve a small figure out of stone, extremely reminiscent of an ancient sculpture. After that, they transported it to the coast, swinging ropes and alternately pushing forward, first one, then the second shoulder.

The traveler could not fully solve the riddle of the statues, since this method was suitable only for small statues, and how the Moai weighing 50 tons were moved remained a mystery. He also could not understand how the colossus was put on hats, each of which weighed about two tons.

How the colossus were transported. Versions

Locals are still convinced that the Moai moved independently. According to one hypothesis, they were forced to move by local priests, according to another, they were revived by a witch who lived near the volcano. And the statues ceased to be hewed out for a banal reason - the stonemasons, secretly from the witch, ate the lobster and did not treat the witch. She got angry and in anger overturned all the Moai, which at that time managed to reach the coast.

There is another version put forward by scientists. During special studies, it was discovered that while the Polynesians appeared on Easter Island, there was a real jungle here - a huge number of trees, bushes and grasses grew, including palm trees, which are now completely gone. These trees were about 25 meters high, and their diameter was about 180 cm.

It was the long trunks of these palms, completely devoid of branches, that were ideal for making huge pies out of them and transporting Moai to their destination. They also used wooden beams to move the Moai to the shore.

Writing

In addition to statues, Easter Island is also known for the fact that it is the only island in Polynesia whose inhabitants had their own written language. On special wooden tablets (kohau rongorongo) they wrote down various legends, myths and songs with hieroglyphs. Some records have survived to this day - these are 20 tablets and 11 texts (some records are repeated).

A total of 14 thousand hieroglyphs were found on the existing tablets, each of which has from 2 to 2.3 thousand images.

Planks were made by the ancient inhabitants of the dark shiny toromiro tree, after which they carved images of lizards, toads, turtles, stars, spirals, etc. on them, you can even recognize a person with wings.

Absolutely all researchers agree that this writing arose exactly here - despite the fact that it is hieroglyphic, it still differs significantly from classical signs. At the same time, the language in which records were kept in former times differs significantly from the modern spoken language of local residents. Therefore, when scientists tried to decipher the records with the help of the natives, they failed.

Researchers have fought for a long time to unravel the hieroglyphs, some even managed to partially unravel them, until the American scientist Stephen Fisher accidentally made a discovery. Having decided only to collect complete information about the unknown writing to anyone, he was able to read what was written and get to the truth.

It turned out that most of the records tell about the creation of all things. It turned out that the tablets that have come down to us are not equivalent in terms of information value - 15 of them contain 85% of all texts of the ancient language, plus one is a calendar.

Absolutely all of the surviving tablets could not be deciphered, since some of them are so unique that they cannot be deciphered yet. Therefore, the studies of the ancient civilization are definitely not yet completed, and the history of Easter Island will still be fully revealed.