Dream come true

One of the simple joys of being a child in the 80s and early 90s was collecting the tomb that was the Argos catalogue every autumn and taking it home to circle all the things you’d like for Christmas from the toy section. One of the things I circled was an illuminated globe and ‘Father Christmas’ was kind enough to grant me my wish! That globe became one of my prized possessions as a child. I remember flicking the switch to turn it on, studying the continents and oceans on it, memorising their names and neighbours. One of these places on my globe and in my very first atlas that fascinated me was Easter Island, Rapa Nui, a tiny dot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  

Leaving Santiago, it’s a five hour flight across the Pacific to reach the island. Arriving at the airport to music, floral garlands, palm trees and sunshine I felt I’d left South America behind. The initial feeling reminded me of Fiji and as my next few days passed, the island is definitely more Polynesian, even though it remains a territory of Chile. 

Why come? The moai. Large, carved, stone statues that litter the island made by the first settlers on Rapa Nui. First platforms were built then the statues were carved from a huge quarry on the island and somehow moved onto the platforms - there are still questions on how this was achieved. They were erected for the first explorers on the island and important chiefs when they died. The bodies were burnt behind the platforms and once they were ash, the eyes would be added (made from coral and obsidian) and this would be the living face of the person’s ancestor.

I learnt so much about the history of the first people here and although it may sound strange, there were similarities with Orkney in how the people lived and constructed their homes. There were also signs of Peruvian influences too as well as cultural similarities to Māori and Polynesian people. DNA testing and other research has shown that the Rapa Nui people have the biggest connection to people in Tonga. 

So, after five days of moai, history, hiking to the highest point, sunrises and sunsets it is time to leave already. Who knew that seven year old me would one day visit the dot in the ocean she found on her illuminated globe? Dreams can come true!