From Patagonia, we went to Easter Island. As soon as the plane touched down, the entire cabin cheered in excitement – we finally arrived at the mythical Easter Island. Couples were locked in warm embrace. We all walked out of the airport with flower rings around our necks given by the locals. Welcome to Rapa Nui! ("Rapa Nui" is the spoken dialect on the island, but it is also the name of the island itself. It sure is confusing, isn't it?)

Easter Island sits 3,000 km off the coast of continental Chile. The island is best known to the world for their Moai, human figures carved from rocks. They represented their ancestors and powerful leaders in the past. How the Polynesians managed to erect hundreds of these gigantic statues is anyone's guess, but I still like to believe that they were the handiwork of aliens.

Everywhere on Easter Island I felt loved. Locals embraced us like long lost friends. However boring our lives may have seemed, they were eager to learn about us and made us feel special. They really were great people, and they way they took pride in their ancestry touched my heart. Every time they came before Moai, they would bow solemnly to pay the utmost respect to their religion. In contrast, people in our world spray paint all over temples and churches. It is a shame.

We had a guide who brought us on different excursions every day. One day we ventured dark caves in search of traces of ancient civilization. Another day, he brought my brother and me on a mountain biking trip (and that was the end of the white t-shirt I was wearing). Another day, we hiked along the shore of the island to a hidden beach, where he had prepared a secret picnic and snorkelling equipment. Clearly he was a very nice guy with thoughtful ideas, and it didn't surprise me that he was married to a former Ms Chile. They have since lived a quiet, happy life on the island with their daughter. Every story of Easter Island has a happy ending.

Though that is not always the case. Next time I will share a not-so-happy tale about Easter Island.

By Gerald Yeung

Chile Part II – Easter Island 1