Easter Island
The third leg of our trip was Easter Island. Will and I have been fascinated by the stone heads on the island (a.k.a. Moai) since we played Mario Brothers on Nintendo. In my humble opinion, I think Will sees a small resemblance between himself and the heads.
The island is located in the middle of the South Pacific and is nicknamed "The Navel of the World". It has a rich and uncertain history. We learned that the island was founded and inhibited by Polynesians around the 13th century. Over several centuries, they erected over 800 known stone figures, depleted all of their natural resources and fought civil wars. By 1800, the Rapa Nui population was decimated by disease and invasion. Their contribution to the world were these monolithic figures that were used for spiritual and educational purposes.
Will and I had a blast for five days. We played on the beach in the shadows of Moai. Will learned how to drive stick and manged not to hit any stationary objects - that doesn't include moving livestock. Fresh tuna empanadas and cervezas were the daily theme. The highlight of the visit was horseback riding in the pouring rain and avoiding the charging bulls.
See photos.
Read more about our experience on our blog.