SYLVIA PATTON - 2019 - 2021 - CALENDAR EXTRAS

Rano Raraku Quarry Heads      So here we are on April 1, 2020,  and we just wish someone would say "April Fool!" And what is happening would disappear, and life as we knew it would return. Sadly, that's not the case, so we must forge onwards adapting to our new reality.       In the spirit of some things remain the same - "Here's the monthly blog!"             The Famous Easter Island Heads Have Hidden Bodies                                                Headline from a Forbes science article in 1987                              ( You can find the article here - along with some cool pics.) https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2017/07/26/famous-easter-island-heads-have-hidden-bodies/#45b42e4f8041  ...

RANO RAU                  RANO RAU is an unusual volcanic crater wetland at the west end of Rapa Nui. Its microclimate creates ideal conditions for flower diversity and the growth of native species naturally. Its sides provide shelter from wind and the salinity of the sea, in addition to keeping it safe from humans, cattle and fire. And it's a visual jewel!  VISITOR CENTER       ORONGO is the ceremonial village located outside the western rim of the crater.  At one time there were 54 stone houses here which were used temporarily each year for the annual religious competition for power on the island. Birds are important on remote islands, and were central to Rapa Nui cultural and religious life. The rim Orongo Village Houses       The three islets of the Birdman Competition The competition occurred in July when all the clans chose their strongest males to com...

                                                                  JANUARY TONGARIKI      Here we are in February! At least you all got your 2020 calendars before your 2019 calendar ran out!       It's a shame Tongariki didn't get more contemplation time as it is the most recognizable image of Rapa Nui. ( I'll refer to what we know as Easter Island by it's local name of Rapa Nui from here on out.)  As I mentioned before, all the moai were damaged in the 1700's. Tongariki is the largest grouping of restored moai, 15 in all. They are all different sizes and shapes; no two are alike, which also can be said of the 900+ which have been discovered to date! The ahu, or base for the moai, was also well restored. It's most impressive!  Up close and personal! Backside ...

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...

        We saw a number of polar bears on this trip. This one was on a large ice floe, and we watched it for quite a while as it wandered around peering over the edges of the floe. Finally it dove in and swam off to check out a floating oil barrel. No lunch here!         Check out where his/her eyes are!          What the ......?      One giant leap . . .             Just made it!         Ciao!    See you next year!

     I captured this image on a foggy day, floating in a zodiac on totally flat water. As you know by now, I love the abstract shapes of icebergs, and can look at them interminably.  I always see a vertebra when I look at this, what do you see?      You may recognize it, but not remember where you saw it.  You saw it in July's blog, as an "also ran" for the month of July! If you refer back to that post you will see other "also ran" images, and a fuller description of that wonderful place.  I encourage you to go back to July's post and have another look!      I have just returned from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Patagonia. It was a wonderful adventure,  and I hope to share some images from it with you.  Rick and I are now working on  next year's calendar, as I write this.  Here's a teaser for what's to come! Add caption See you next month!

                                             FRAM FJORD - ELLESMERE ISLAND Moving through the fjords via zodiac is a wonderful experience. Mountains on either side, and often in front also.  Mesmerizing colors and shapes of icebergs float by, changing as they do so. Doesn't get much better than that for me. I love the colors and shapes, the intricate designs, the wind in your face. This blog will be a short one, as it is the eve of another adventure for me. Tomorrow I begin a journey as far south as I was north at this time last year. I'm going to Patagonia! Starting at Santiago Chile and going all around the Horn to Ushuaia, Argentina, then finishing in Buenos Aires! If you want to know how I'm going, just check out the photo from this Arctic trip! Not only am I going on the same ship, but I will also have the same room! And I will probably spend a lot of ...