We explored the cliffs and a cave below the cabana where we stayed. The cave was across the street, a minute walk from our front door, and it has ancient drawings on the roof. Spending time with the kids messing around the cliff and cave reminded me of many afternoons on our Airstream trip around […]

Our guide led us on a tour of the remains and history of the Birdman cult. This unique religion emerged on Rapa Nui in about the 1600s and lasted into the 1800s.  In this religion, warriors and priests retreated annually to the edge of a crater. Warriors competed in an annual competition to retrieve an […]

We made the rounds at the volcanic crater where islanders quarried the stone for Moai. I presume they tried all sorts of rock over the centuries, and they determined this volcano to produce the best stone for the job. They would carve the stones at the quarry, transport them miles overland, and then erect them. […]

A visit to the largest ahu (altar) on Rapa Nui with fifteen Moai. Had the place to ourselves for the most part. Tourism is slowly returning to Rapa Nui after the pandemic.

Rapa Nui requires tourists to hire a guide to access the park. At first I thought this would be a drag, though hiring a private guide provided for a richer experience. We had a fantastic guide. She was knowledgeable, well-spoken, and great with children. She led us on a tour of the popular sites on […]

We arrived over two hours before our scheduled departure time for Rapa Nui. Armed with passports, vaccine cards, Pase Mobilidads (vaccine validations), PCR negative test results within 48 hours, and our Delta Skymiles American Express, we strolled to the line to get our boarding passes.  At the first line, a lady told us in Spanish […]