Tom´s Diner

Easter Island, Isla de Pascua, Rapa Nui, call it what you will, it is magical. When you say Easter Island everyone thinks ´heads´ but there is so much more to it and so much that is just not known.

I´ve been on two half-day and a full day tour and I think I´ve heard every possible theory plus some complete nonsense. Why would the Moai (heads) be moved face down when that makes them more vulnerable to facial damage? Who came up with this idea of stone hen-houses to store the chickens at night? and why, if they have no natural predators? That´s the problem with archeologists, if they don´t know they theorise (what you and I call "making it up"). However, the restoration is impressive.

Like most of you, I know nothing about Easter Island before coming here apart from "didn´t they use up all the tree so they died out when they had nothing left to burn" which, of course, is nonsense. It´s true the island was deforested but the local inhabitants were decimated first by internal wars when the island became overpopulated, then by Peruvian "traders" looking for slaves and finally by smallpox.

If you want to know more go here.

Genetic testing has shown that the Rapa Nui are decendants of the Polynesians and, probably, originally Asian. In one small victory for the native people, no-one who does not have Rapa Nui blood can own property on the island. That´s one of the reasons there are no five star resorts or huge tourist centres - I hope it always remains like this (obviously Chilean companies find a local partner but I think that the partner has to be the majority shareholder).

The people are laid back and friendly - I was sitting in a sandwich bar stuffing my face and this old guy came in (actually onto the terrace) to join his friend (who was either mad or buzzed), saw me and insisted on coming over to greet me with a kiss. It sounds weird but it was innocent. Then the owner of the sandwich bar told me his grandfather was English. He´d come here in 1947, knocked up one of the local women and disappeared - typical! One problem is how expensive everything is - we´re talking British prices (almost) three pounds for a sandwich, one pound fifty for a bottle of water. Ok, everything has to be imported but how the hell do the locals manage to live?

If you´re ever in this part of the world you should visit, just bring lots of money and plenty of digicamera memory.