Although the renowned island of the Rapa Nui people is mostly known all over the world for its iconic Moai alongside a rich history that spanned thousands of years, there are other remarkable things about the remote island that are worthy of praise. For one, Easter Island also has a vibrant modern society that has experienced dramatic changes in a mere lifetime.
A tour guide on the island once mentioned how his 87-year-old great-grandmother grew up in a cave as a child. And for a lot of the inhabitants of Easter Island, the very first time they witnessed an airplane flying above them was perhaps one of the most dramatic moments of their lives.
The Hoa Hakananai’a
Surprisingly, among the most popular of all the Moai is no longer standing at Easter Island as we speak. Called Hoa Hakananai’a by the Rapa Nui, the iconic statue is currently on exhibit at the British Museum of London. Back in November of 1868, an exhibition team from the British vessel HMS Topaze recovered the stone figure from ‘Orongo, Easter Island.
Following an extensive voyage, the Hoa Hakananai’a ultimately arrived in England in August of 1969. Although it was not as large as the typical colossal Moai found on the island, the Hoa Hakananai’a is generally considered the model layout for the Moai on Easter Island and is considered by all a work of art.
A Cure for Leprosy
Aside from the several already strange theories that were already mentioned earlier, there is also a bizarre theory involving the Moai which was created by Dr. Anneliese Pontius, a Harvard Medical school psychiatry professor. Pontius theorized that the purpose behind the construction of the Moai was so that the early inhabitants of Easter Island could gain the power to cure leprosy.
The moment they saw the malformations on the body of leprosy victims, particularly on their faces, hands, fingers, and arms, the natives felt a strong inclination to build the most flawless specimens they could make. They believed that creating such perfect specimens would aid in reversing the physical damage inflicted by leprosy.
Survival of the Fittest
The world is filled with people who are willing and ready to offer tourists special insights into the Rapa Nui way of life. This man is a perfect example of such an individual. Moi is employed by a company called Ancestral Tours that shows Easter Island visitors the kind of life that the Rapa Nui people followed in order to survive with the island’s scarce resources, whether it was through its waters or lands.
In his water-based exhibitions, Moi guides tourists on a snorkeling adventure at Ovahe Beach. Once they succeeded in catching a fish carried by the waves of the sea, Moi would then prepare it as a meal in front of the tourists and a line of statues who stand by in the background like a squad of soldiers.
The Capital City
These days, Easter Island has more than its fair share of island dwellers who actually do not hail from such parts. Nine out of ten of the island’s populace reside in its capital Hanga Roa which, quite frankly speaking, doesn’t have much going in.
Hanga Roa possesses a pretty undeveloped infrastructure, with just a single bank and a handful of private enterprises. Its government strictly regulates the construction of buildings and structures in the capital because of its strong emphasis on tourism on the island. Nonetheless, there are other various parts of Easter Island that tourists would surely enjoy staying on.