Journals from the week ending October 11, 1996
The Statues of Easter Island
by Michelle Lanteigne
10/5/96, aboard ship...The statues on Easter Island are called moai. The moai all look very similar; they have long ears and square shaped heads. They have big stomachs and their backs are curved in order to help distribute the weight of the statue properly. Their arms rest across their stomachs and meet in the center of their stomachs at the navel. The makers of the moai placed coral on the statue to represent the eyes. The red short cylinders, which are often confused as a hat, was placed on the head of finished moai, representing a traditional hairstyle. The sizes of the moai differ, the largest being four meters in diameter and twenty-five meters tall. The statues are made from the abundant lava rock from a large mountain on the island, referred to as the quarry. Many unfinished moai still rest on the mountain embedded in the hardened stone. The moai were carved from the mountain and then transported to their new resting places. The moai were placed on the burial site of important members of the community. Most of the moai face inland in order to absorb all evil from the island through their eyes and then vent it out towards the ocean.
A Beautiful Island
by Joshua Rogan
10/5/96, aboard ship...When we caught our first glimpse of Easter Island, the land looked bare. However, the closer we came the more we could see. When we pulled into a small bay, I was quickly taken by the grassy hills of light green, the enormous cliffs that drop to the sea, and the small patches of trees that were scattered in few places. The water is blue like the sky on a clear day. Mountains that had appeared small from sea soared into the sky once we were on the island. The shore line is very rocky and littered with lava rock. Easter Island is full of life. The people who live there were very pleasant and gave so much to the crew of the Concordia. Their lives seemed filled with joy and love for their island. Most of the population lives in Hanga Roa, the town. They people get fresh water from the center of an old volcano. Their food comes from gardens and fruit plants on the island like banana trees. The island of Rapa Nui is a place that is like no other.
Teenagers of Easter Island
by Jon Justice
10/5/96, aboard ship...Easter Island is inhabited by Polynesians and people from Chile. The people who live here who are my age have fun in a couple of different ways. Many of them have dirt bikes and ride them all around the island. Other people have horses and ride them everywhere. A lot of the guys surf in the huge waves on the southern half of the island and every night there is a disco to go to. The most popular night is Saturday night and the disco opens at midnight and people dance until five in the morning. Soccer is also very popular and they have many good teams which were playing throughout the day during our time in Hanga Roa.
Ocean Challenge / e-mail: ocean@oceanchallenge.com / Class Afloat '96-'97
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