Easter Island is the second of our bucket list ports for this cruise. It’s not easy getting here. We left Arica 5 days ago and when we leave here it will be 5 more days to Tahiti. Well, I guess you can fly. There’s one flight a day and 3 on Sunday.
There’s no large dock. We had to arrive by tender. We did our research and knew that sometimes the seas are so rough this port can be cancelled. So we booked a Holland America tour in the morning knowing that their tours leave the ship before other passengers.
Our tour was called and we were to be on the first tender to leave the ship. The seas were very rough with a 2 to 3 foot rise and fall between the platform and the tender. There were 2 men on the platform and 2 men on the tender helping us get into the tender. Only one person was allowed on the platform and one person on the stairs down to the platform at a time. It was my turn to go down the stairs (Benn was next behind me) and the lady on the platform fell getting into the tender. Everything stopped. I went back up the stairs and they called a medical team to check her out. I thought for sure they would just stop everything and we weren’t going to make it to Easter Island. The lady said she was fine and continued on with the tour. I’m sure she’ll feel it tomorrow. They sent that tender off and the captain repositioned the ship to try to make it better. Didn’t work but we did make it to shore on the second tender.
We met our guide and were were off quickly for the tour. She is a descendant of the 150 native inhabitants left when the population fell to its lowest. She took us to 4 stops on the island.
First stop near the small port area. It had 3 platforms. All the moai that are standing are restored. At one time they were all toppled. All moai face inland. We could see our ship in the background.
Our next stop was a site with 15 moai. They were all toppled by a tsunami and have been restored. From the back it looks like they’re sitting on their butts on a wall.
All different shapes and sizes.
This one never made it to the platform.
Extra topknots
Next we went to the quarry where the moai were carved. There are about 300 still there.
Our final stop was Anakena beach. The moai in the first picture below was the first raised back to its platform (or ahu) by the traditional method with the islanders using wooden levers. Our driver’s great grandfather was part of this group.
Getting back on the ship was easier than in the morning but they still had 4 men helping each person off the tender. At about 4pm, the captain stopped letting passengers go ashore. It was taking 45 minutes to load each tender. Normally it take 15 minutes. There were too many people already on shore that needed to get back before sunset. There were people that didn’t make it to Easter Island. Glad we did our research!
Silver Girl Adventures 
Easter Island evokes so many thoughts. It is so beautiful and abounds with mystery. I so glad you were able to get there. Unique! Great pictures!
What an amazing adventure. So many ancestors turned to stone. So difficult to make that trip. Glad the two of you made it back and forth to/from the tender without injury. The sea would have been too rough for me but you guys are old pros at this. Thanks for the wonderful pictures.