RAPA NUI
AN INTRIGUING lAND
b y r ay C h at e l i n
raPa nui iS a Place wHere tHe 21St
century iS SoMewHat out of Place
and wHere, it SeeMS at tiMeS, tHere
are aS Many PeoPle ridinG HorSeS
down tHe Main StreetS of tHe
iSland'S only town,
HanGa roa,
aS tHere are carS and truckS.
52
Fa l l / Wi n t e r 2 0 1 3
W
hat gives this place its charm is that it's
removed from the world's high-tech lifestyles and the smooth tourism mainstream that dominates most Pacific
islands. Its residents have a culture
that's somewhere between Chilean and
Polynesian and their daily lifestyle offers only a reluctant nod to
the current century.
located at the southern end of Polynesia about 3,822 kilometres from its nearest major Polynesian neighbour, Tahiti, and
some 3,540 kilometres from the Chilean mainland and measuring
just 166 square kilometres in size, Rapa Nui is one of the most
remote destinations in the Pacific.
If you seek wide sweeping beaches and stretches of waterfront hotels and beach bars, this place isn't for you.
