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<\/a><\/p>\nThe current runway on the island has an interesting back story.\u00a0 Back during the Space Shuttle days, NASA needed emergency runways in several worldwide locations, and one of them was here.\u00a0 This runway was built by NASA in 1987 and is two miles long.\u00a0 Fortunately for the residents of Easter Island, this new runway enabled wide body jets to land, enhancing tourism dramatically.\u00a0 Interestingly, our plane was a huge 787 Dreamliner, and the flight appeared to be full.<\/p>\n
One more shot as we made our final approach.<\/p>\n Despite the huge runway, the terminal itself is quite small, and you walk off the plane onto the tarmac.\u00a0 The sign as you enter the terminal lists the name of the island in Spanish, Isla de Pascua.<\/p>\n The resort we were staying at, Explora<\/a><\/strong>, had staff greeting us as we exited the terminal.\u00a0 We were whisked to our hotel and advised that our first excursion was in 10 minutes.\u00a0 Explora is an all-inclusive resort so everything is covered, including expert guided tours of the island’s most important sights.\u00a0 It wasn’t cheap, but it was worth every penny and then some!<\/p>\n First, a little bit about Easter Island, known as Rapa Nui to its indigenous Polynesian inhabitants.\u00a0 It is one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth, a tiny volcanic island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean roughly 2,300 miles west of Chile and over 1,000 miles from the nearest neighboring island. This Chilean territory, discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday in 1722 (hence its name), features a dramatic, windswept landscape dotted with nearly 1,000 monumental stone statues called “moai”.\u00a0 These towering human figures were carved from volcanic rock by the Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500 AD to represent ancestral spirits of the islands tribal leaders. The statues, mostly facing inland, have sparked fascination and debate regarding their exact purpose and the methods used to transport them throughout the island. This UNESCO World Heritage site is protected within Rapa Nui National Park.<\/p>\n We jumped into the deep end of the Top Five “must see” spots with our first excursion, Ahu Tongariki, the most famous site on the island.\u00a0 These 15 moai sit on a platform called an “ahu”.\u00a0 What a stunning sight for somebody who has always dreamed of visiting!\u00a0 I was absolutely geeking out!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n