Stage Management - Part Two
What a difference a day makes. Easter Island, day two…let's have another go at this!
We'll begin by relocating the tour vehicles to the site immediately by the jetty, shall we? So that, even though the double tender transfer is still operating, once safely ashore it's an easy walk up to reach them.
We'll then make the first stop on the tour the closest…coincidentally, the same site as we visited late yesterday afternoon. In the morning sunshine it all looks so different and the features of the moai are clear to see.
The single, restored moai looks magnificent with his topknot, though I think his eyes are a bit creepy!
Our guide this morning, an energetic young woman, takes us across the site to the place where we can see the foundations of an early settler's house. They built it in the shape of an upside down boat, which was interesting. Whilst that shape was great for moving through the water I can't think it made for a good living space. Here, a better photographer would have moved the shot to avoid the shadows. I only noticed them when it was too late to return and try again!
I took quite a few photographs of these chaps, thinking that yes, this is the Easter Island I was hoping to see.
Though actually, we were soon on our way to what had been described as the best place of all.
Our route took us through a lush green landscape too - no resorts and restaurant strips on this side of the Island. In places, small volcanic rocks littered the open spaces and occasionally, we'd pass a small group of tents. This area must be incredibly dark at night and I'll bet the stargazing is terrific when the skies clear.
We arrived at “the quarry”, the place from where the moai had been cut from the tufa. I had been watching the stream of people walking along a pathway high on the hillside, knowing that I'd be ok getting up there but wondering if coming down again might be a struggle. Visiting these sites in a group isn't easy - were we alone, I'd be able to take it in my own time, but when a guide steps out at a pace, it's easy to get left behind and panic.
So when the time came to assess our ability to manage this twenty minute walk up the hillside, I erred on the side of caution, handed my camera to my Hero and asked him to take them for the team!
So whilst I stayed down and watched from the car park, he took photographs of the moai on the hillside, most of which had remarkalby individual faces and character.
Some had fallen over - or perhaps, had never been upright - others stood, half buried in the earth.
Though it wasn't permitted to walk amongst them, it was possible to get closer to each one than to those on the plinths. Somehow, the grass beneath them made for a better backdrop too and following the theme of my thinking today, I'd say they were more effectively staged!
The profiles were so striking.
I was so glad he'd taken so many photos and though I felt sorry I hadn't gone with them, I also had a good view of the site as a whole.
As I watched the group starting to make their way down the steps, returning to the car park, I was pleased I'd not held them up. My Hero, in true heroic style, assured me that I'd have been fine! But I was having a great day, regardless!
By the gateway to the next site, a lone moai stood behind a fence. Known as The Traveller, this chap had spent several years in Japan, in a museum in Osaka, before returning here, bringing with him further funding for restoration to his fellow moai here.
Because, actually, he has a few friends close by…
The fifteen moai here were the perfect end to the morning! It had taken some time and considerable effort, but my word, Easter Island delivered in the end.
THe morning ended as it began, by the landing place where the seven moai we'd seen yesterday from the ship as we'd approached the beach were there to bid us farewell.
There was still one more round of the double tender hokey-cokey to be done of course, and even though we'd now had a little practice, it wasn't getting any easier. But we made it!
I couldn't help but smile when the chefs took their bow after a great deck party that night too. I think this could be the best stage management of all… 😂
Fab - u - lous!
