NEW YEAR'S DAY - 2020
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is a true faraway destination. It is the most western of the Polynesian Islands and lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is over 2300 miles off the coast of Chile, to which it belongs, and 2500 miles from Tahiti. The nearest inhabited island is Pitcairn Island, (population 50) 1289 miles away. While its claim to fame is the over 900 carved statues, called moai, my amazement is how Polynesians, around 500 AD, found the place at all! It's only 64 square miles in size! I rented a car and just drove around the island, listening to the radio, stopping and staying at the archeological sites as I pleased. It was sort of like Hawaii, but not quite. The music was sort of Polynesian, but not quite. There were a few tourists, but not many. It was as I imagine Hawaii was 75 years ago. The photo above is of two sites in the Rapa Nui National Park, which is also a UNESCO World Heritag...