by Carolyn
Jack was in flight planning mode, and sadly the botanical garden was closed. It was a quiet morning for reading, and I recommend
A Companion to Easter Island by James Grant-Peterkin. I will paraphrase his excellent observation: when the islanders set up their Moai over 1000 years ago, it was to secure favor from the gods and to be provided security, success and wealth. Ten centuries later, that’s what tourism has brought to Easter Island, which enjoys one of the highest standards of living anywhere in the Pacific.
Another great read is
Easter Island: A Novel by Jennifer Vanderbes. It tells multiple stories and loosely follows historical events/persons, including the work of Katherine Routledge in 1914, the appearance Graf von Spee, vice admiral of Germany's World War I East Asiatic fleet, and Dr. John Flenley, whose work on the Easter Island pollen provided evidence of the extinct palm trees.
We took a walk into town and bought a souvenir, stepped into the cathedral, and found the town square. It features a hibiscus collection, busts of the two signatories to the agreement which united Easter Island with Chile, and free WiFi.
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| Cathedral |
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| Soccer game with world's coolest uniforms |
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| Wifi hotspot...free!! |
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| Easter Island was annexed by Chile in 1888 |
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| Our cottage at Marae Cabanas |
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| Next stop, Tureia! |
Interesting trivia...Easter Island is in the same time zone as New York City. There are only five species of land birds and 14 sea birds.
