"Mystery" a Easter Island Travel Page by melosh

This small island with an uncertain history lying in a large expanse of Pacific Ocean retains a feel of mystery and separation from modern history. Although this is a place of interest for international tourism, at the time of my visit (October 2008) it did not seem overwhelmed by the tourists. There are certainly more restaurants and places to stay then would be supported by the local population alone, but these businesses maintain a low profile. Overall there seems to be both a relaxed attitude about life and even a relaxed attitude about community regulation of construction. You will find some ugly, but practical, concrete block houses spoiling some of the romantic vistas you go to photograph. Overall, the place feels more like a small town on a small island, than a polished international tourist resort.

For a small segment of its visitors, this may soon change. There is a large resort hotel under construction that seems to be coming from another world. It sure looks like it will be nice, if you like that kind of place.

I experienced a stimulating sense of mystery and the excitement of exploration while visiting the island. I think this was based on the internet research I did before arrival that left me convinced that the explanations of the mysteries of the Maoi, the un-deciphered written language and the bird cultures remained unproven. I intend no disrespect to the archeologists or others who put forth their theories explaining what we find on Easter Island, but I feel that at least, the theories have a higher component of speculation then those for with less historic isolation. This feeling was heightened by an official airline provided "guide" that featured a commentary (speculation?) on Buddhist influence that seemed bogus and was the first I had read on the subject.

You can hike, bike, get a horse, hire a taxi, rent a car or motor bike, or take a tour. I was told by a biker that bike rentals were relatively expensive compared to bike rentals in other places he had traveled, but the key word is "relatively". I saw north shore, south shore, total island tours offered. With lots of places to stop, the tours seemed an efficient way to see the island. One warning: I did overhear some guides presenting as gospel some of the speculation about the mysteries of the island.

I was in the mood to hike. Because the vistas are open it was relatively easy with a compass and map to take shortcuts off the roads and climbing a few stone walls or barbed wire fences to just head out. Off the roads the walking was at times a little difficult because of scattered volcanic rocks. There is not much vehicular traffic on the roads, so walking on the roads is not bad, but hitchhiking may be frustrating. Whether you walk or ride, carry some water.