Back in Hanga Roa, I took a side trip to Hanga Kio’e (Mouse Bay), a small bay thought to be a former royal residence. Legend says that an old widow entered the cove with a mouse in her mouth, in mourning of her dead husband whose remains were buried here. Two Moai built in the late 17th century stand here, one complete but without his pukao and the other in ruins, only his back was placed back on the ahu. It is a quiet and contemplative place with few visitors frequenting.
Hiking along the coastline, I arrived at the ceremonial complex of Tahai. It is one of the oldest settlements. It was a practical location due to easy sea access for fishing and fresh water. Nearby was a long and narrow oval foundation that used to be a house and a cave used for shelter where as many as 200 people once lived.
Three ahus are placed near the coast being:
- Ahu Vai Uri, the longest platform with five restored Moai carved in different styles. A sixth statue lies on the ground near the ahu.
- Ahu Tahai, is an eroded, singular statue with a thick neck and torso.
- Ahu Ko Te Riku, that was fully restored complete with pukao and the only one on the island with coral eyes and red scoria pupils (see postcard image).
About 160ft (50m) from the ahu is the tomb of William Mulloy and his wife. William was a well renowned anthropologist who came to the island in 1955 and spent the next three decades studying the island, promoting its culture and working tirelessly to restore many of the popular sites.
Meandering along the rest of the coastline, I reflected on the Rapanui people, their Moai worship and Birdman Cult. Their rise and fall as a culture were driven by overpopulation, overharvesting, deforestation and hastened by the Polynesian rats. Arrival of the Europeans, missionaries and the Peruvian slave traders compounded their demise. What little was left of them was further devastated by the introduction of smallpox and other foreign diseases for which they had no natural immunity.
Fast forward to the 20th century and the Rapanui culture is seeing a revival through traditional dances, music, symbolic tattoos, festivals, tourism and ongoing restoration of the Moai statues. Locals are engaged by archaeologists to assist on their projects and subsequently trained in excavation techniques and conservation methods. They are taught long-term preservation, so they may protect their precious artifacts into the future.
Although it was one of the finalists, maybe one day we will see the Moai make the New 7 Wonders of the World list.
For now, I bid you farewell or as they say in Rapanui, lorana (goodbye).
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