What happens if you touch a moai?

Touching a Moai is not only forbidden but will land you in major trouble. Visitors are forbidden from touching the Moai and breaking the law carries a hefty fine. Most recently a Finnish tourist was fined $17,000 US for touching a Moai and breaking its earlobe as a souvenir.

What caused the downfall of Rapa Nui?

Around 1200 A.D., their growing numbers and an obsession with building moai led to increased pressure on the environment. By the end of the 17th century, the Rapanui had deforested the island, triggering war, famine and cultural collapse.

Why were Rapa Nui cannibals?

With no trees to anchor the soil, fertile land eroded away resulting in poor crop yields, while a lack of wood meant islanders couldn’t build canoes to access fish or move statues. This led to internecine warfare and, ultimately, cannibalism.

What happened to the people on Easter Island Rapa Nui )?

In this story, made popular by geographer Jared Diamond’s bestselling book Collapse, the Indigenous people of the island, the Rapanui, so destroyed their environment that, by around 1600, their society fell into a downward spiral of warfare, cannibalism, and population decline.

Can you visit Rapa Nui?

Though flying to Rapa Nui isn’t hard, per se, it is a long journey. After all, it’s one of the world’s most remote, inhabited islands. The only airline that flies here is LATAM, a Chilean airline headquartered in Santiago. That means travelers must necessarily fly through Chile.

Is there Internet on Easter Island?

WiFi is only available in the main town of Hanga Roa at hotels and Internet cafes (most restaurants don’t offer WiFi) but even then, the connection can be patchy. In 2016, the Chilean government implemented its WiFi ChileGob program on the island, a public service project that provides free WiFi in public places.

What do archeologist think killed the original inhabitants of Easter Island?

Island tradition claims that around 1680, after peacefully coexisting for many years, one of the island’s two main groups, known as the Short-Ears, rebelled against the Long-Ears, burning many of them to death on a pyre constructed along an ancient ditch at Poike, on the island’s far northeastern coast.

Why are there no trees on Easter Island?

When it rains on the island, also known as Rapa Nui, the water rapidly drains through the porous volcanic soil, leaving the grass dry again. That’s one reason why the island at the end of the world has stayed almost entirely bare, with no trees or shrubs.

Why is Easter Island so mysterious?

The Easter Island mystery is mainly due to its isolation. This made the Rapa Nui culture and history have not been completely unraveled and made the Easter Island myths and legends very relevant. They been transmitted orally by the natives and collected by ancient visitants.

Do natives still live on Easter Island?

i], Spanish: [ˈrapa ˈnu. i]) are the Polynesian peoples indigenous to Easter Island. The easternmost Polynesian culture, the descendants of the original people of Easter Island make up about 60% of the current Easter Island population and have a significant portion of their population residing in mainland Chile.

Is it worth going to Easter Island?

If the moai and unique history of the island is intriguing and you want to prioritize Easter Island over perhaps another highlight of Chile, then you should make the effort. The natural beauty, stunning moai, and modern Polynesian culture are very much worth the trip.