The Moai and landscapes of Easter Island.
A story in four chapters.
I don’t know when I first became aware of Easter Island, or Rapa Nui.
I can’t help but think I saw my first moai on a National Geographic magazine cover. One of my aunts gave us an annual subscription every year for Christmas, and before I even considered that traveling to see these sights on my own was a possibility, I traveled in the pages of the magazine.
The time I spent on Easter Island was magical. I didn’t expect to be as excited before my trip, or as full of wonder during, from my first encounter with the moai to the morning of my last morning spent in a cafe overlooking the ocean.
—February 16-20, 2023.
1.
The Birdman cult and an introduction to the moai.
Patricia leis me at the airport. “You are alone?” she asks. I had accidentally reserved a cabin for two and so she had brought two lei with her. I tell her I must have forgot to change the booking to one. She shrugs and leis me again.
2.
Sunrise at Ahu Tongariki to sunset at Ahu Tahai.
I don’t get much sleep.
3.
Hiking the northwest coast.
Heki’i’s mom drives us to the trailhead, dropping us off in the dark.
4.
Connecting the dots.
It’s overcast when Yoyo picks me up.