Rapa Nui News Logo Apparel

Just in time for the holidays ....

Are you a regular Rapa Nui News reader? Then let the whole world know by wearing one of these shirts with the RNN logo.
























They are available at the Tiki Chris CafePress store (www.cafepress.com/tikichris), range in price from $13.99 to $29.99, and are a great way to spread the word about Rapa Nui News.

Click here for more details and to purchase your own RNN apparel.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #24

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

globeandmail.com:
The entrance is guarded by a stone Japanese warrior and two sculpted wooden faces that resemble Easter Island figures, whom Ms. Gringorten dubs "Fred and Barney."

Inside Line:
Well, it turns out Cadillac has grown a pair worthy of Easter Island.

Belfast Telgraph:
The petroglyphs at Lipona on Hiva Oa are more alarming than the Easter Island statues. There is one of a turtle and a man mating.

More New7Wonders articles

Public to choose the new seven wonders of the world
CNN International - Nov 24, 2006

It’s election time again
Baltimore Sun, United States - Nov 25, 2006

Time for new seven wonders of the world
Providence Journal, RI - Nov 26, 2006

Vote for the new "Seven Wonders of the World"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, United States - Nov 26, 2006

New Wonders
commercialappeal.com (subscription), TN - Nov 26, 2006

candidates for wonders of world list
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - Nov 26, 2006

The world's 'new' wonders
Deseret News, UT - Nov 26, 2006

What are the seven new wonders?
San Jose Mercury News, USA - Nov 26, 2006

wonders at a glance
San Jose Mercury News, USA - Nov 26, 2006

It's a wonder
Reading Eagle, PA - Nov 26, 2006

The wonderful 21
Reading Eagle, PA - Nov 26, 2006

Public may vote for new Wonders of World candidates online
NewsOK.com (subscription), OK - Nov 26, 2006

Explora's owner wants to open hotel on Rapa Nui

CHILE’S ADVENTURE-LUXURY HOTEL TYCOON PLANS NEXT PROJECT IN EASTER ISLAND
SOURCE: EL SABADO
By Ashley Steinberg (editor@santiagotimes.cl)
Santiago Times
November 26, 2006

Pedro Ibanez owns two successful hotels, the Exploras, in remote areas in the south and north of Chile, and now he’s set his sights on a place even further away: Easter Island. But he has faced one big problem: non-native residents are prohibited from owning property there.

Click here to read the complete article.

Moai spotting in Florida

Our enchanted tiki boom
The South Seas tradition thrives in Florida's tropical setting, bringing exotic island getaways to the mainland.
Sandra Carr - Special to the Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
Posted November 26, 2006

Down the road from the Mai-Kai, the Jetsetter, built in Lake Worth in 1947, is a diner-turned-Space-Age-pad with mod furnishings and a tiki bar that serves 100 exotic drinks. Three tall Easter Island-type Moai Tiki gods keep customers company in the garden ... a tall Moai statue greets guests at the front entrance of the Aku Tiki Inn, and Tiki god plaques decorate room doors.

Click here to read the complete article.

Tales of reed vessel trip to Rapa Nui thrilled middle schoolers

Chatham School District News
TownOnline.com
Friday, November 24, 2006

Mr. Phil Buck of Buck Expeditions thrilled middle schoolers with exquisite tales of climbing mountain peaks in North and South America, being host to a flesh-eating Amazonian parasite, and sailing a reed vessel from South America to Easter Island (twice!).

Click here to read the complete article.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #23

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

Chicago Tribune:
What really gets people going isn't so much service going out. Technology falters, we all pretty much understand, and the means by which packets of information flow into and out of our computers remain as mysterious as the Easter Island statues.

SI.com:
Or not. Big is in, ponderous is popular, and somehow the natives on Easter Island moved those big stone statues.

Rapa Nui question posed by Jared Diamond

Cutting down the last tree
IQdoka's blog
Progressive U
Wed, 11/22/2006 – 2:29pm

There is this interesting question posed in Collapse by Jared Diamond in the section where he addresses the history of Easter Island. Evidently Easter Island had a unique environment that was damaged beyond recovery by its inhabitants, leading to their own virtual demise.

Click here to read the complete blog post.

More New7Wonders articles

Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal are candidates for new ...
Canoe.ca, Canada - Nov 18, 2006

candidates for new Wonders of World list
Canoe.ca, Canada - Nov 18, 2006

candidates for new Wonders of World list
Vancouver Sun (subscription), Canada - Nov 18, 2006

Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal are candidates for new ...
Vancouver Sun (subscription), Canada - Nov 18, 2006

Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal are candidates for new ...
Montreal Gazette (subscription), Canada - Nov 18, 2006

candidates for new Wonders of World list
Montreal Gazette (subscription), Canada - Nov 18, 2006

Cast your ballot for new seven wonders
Chicago Sun-Times, United States - Nov 18, 2006

Finalists vie to be listed among top structures
Centre Daily Times, PA - Nov 19, 2006

Modern-day marvels
Centre Daily Times, PA - Nov 19, 2006

Million Votes Cast So Far For New Seven Wonders
Hartford Courant, United States - Nov 19, 2006

Vote for the new seven wonders of the world
Bradenton Herald, United States - Nov 19, 2006

Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty candidates for new Seven Wonders
Times Daily (subscription), AL - Nov 19, 2006

Seven new wonders
Biloxi Sun Herald, USA - Nov 19, 2006

Seven new wonders
SunHerald.com, MS - Nov 19, 2006

The next seven wonders? It's your vote
Pioneer Press, MN - Nov 19, 2006

Vote for modern seven wonders of the world
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH - Nov 19, 2006

World will pick modern marvels
OCRegister, CA - Nov 19, 2006

The [new] seven wonders
Canada.com, Canada - Nov 19, 2006

candidates for new Wonders of World list
Mainichi Daily News, Japan - Nov 20, 2006

World gets new Seven Wonders
Binghamton University Pipe Dream, USA - Nov 21, 2006

Rapa Nui in "scary enviro-end bestseller"

Doom-sayers need dispassionate eye
List of calamities we're told to fear is long
By Brian Flemming
Daily News
Tuesday, November 21, 2006

It would be a worldwide re-enactment of the end of Easter Island's civilization so exquisitely described by scientist Jared Diamond in Collapse, his scary enviro-end bestseller.

Click here to read the complete article.

Original Rapanui "took essential natural resources for granted"

The moral of Easter Island
The human species stands on the threshold of collapse, but we can avoid disaster if we're smart enough to act now
Shelley Willson, Special to the Sun
Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Have you ever heard the true story of Easter Island in the South Pacific?
It's a hair-raising tale of people and nature, disaster and survival that the human species must learn from to avoid making the same mistakes on a global scale.

Click here to read the complete article.

Norwegian Coastal Voyage offers pre/post-cruise programs to Rapa Nui

Norwegian Coastal Voyage Makes More Cabins On Antarctica Sailings Available For North American Sales
Travel Video Television News
Nov 20, 06 10:35 am

Four- and five -day pre- and post-cruise programs are offered to Iguazu Falls on the Argentina-Brazil border; Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean; Machu Picchu in the Andes of Peru; and the archaeological village of San Pedro de Atacama in the Atacama Desert, the world's driest desert.

Click here to read the complete article.

More New7Wonders articles

Defining the new seven wonders of the world
Vancouver Sun
Nov 17, 2006
Click here for article.

candidates for new Wonders of World list
Vancouver Sun
Nov 17, 2006
Click here for article.

Defining the new seven wonders of the world
Montreal Gazette
Nov 17, 2006
Click here for article.

And the 21 nominees are
Alberta Daily Herald Tribune
Nov 17, 2006
Click here for article.

Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal are candidates for new ...
Munster Times
Nov 18, 2006
Click here for article.

Are these the next SEVEN WONDERS of the world?
Waterloo Record
Nov 18, 2006
Click here for article.

Liberty, Taj Mahal candidates for new seven wonders
Bloomington Pantagraph
Nov 18, 2006
Click here for article.

candidates vie for new world wonders
San Mateo Daily Journal
Nov 18, 2006
Click here for article.

Michigan children's park to feature moai

Park plan may take world view
By Rick Wilson
Grand Rapids Press
Friday, November 17, 2006

While most of the plan is years away from implementation, projects with more immediate prospects include a commitment from the local Rotary Club to raise $2 million for an international children's park to include likenesses of international landmarks such as the Swiss Alps, the Great Wall of China and the famous monolithic stone heads of Easter Island. Sabine said Rotary officials have identified anonymous donors who put the group well on its way to the fund-raising goal.

Click here to read the complete article.

Super Mario Land "world" set on Rapa Nui

Super Mario Land
The perfect launch title for the Game Boy
by Willy105
IGN.com
November 18, 2006

The third world looks like it's all set on Easter Island, and so on an so forth. The sound also doesn't dissopoint. The sound is all digitized. The songs are as catchy as what you'll expect from a Mario title. In all, it's exellent.

Click here to read the complete review.

Rapa Nui Honeymoon

A Honeymoon in Isla de Pascua
by Benjamin Sandoval (Contributor)
Photograph by Fiona Gorospe-Sandoval
Manila Bulletin Online
Saturday, November 18, 2006

Six months into the preparations of getting married I came up with an ambitious idea - a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon to visit one of the most mysterious and hard-to-reach places on earth. This place I have dreamt of visiting for almost a decade is known as Isla de Pascua or more commonly called Easter Island.
















Click here to read the complete article.

More New7Wonders articles

Seven Wonders of New York City
Posted by Jen Chung
Gothamist
Nov 15, 2006
Click here for article.

candidates for new Wonders of World list
By Associated Press
Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription)
Nov 15, 2006
Click here for article.

New seven wonders list
Gold Coast Bulletin
Nov 15, 2006
Click here for article.

Public to choose the new seven wonders of the world
CNN
Nov 16, 2006
Click here for article.

Contest to name new seven wonders
Daily Times
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal are candidates for new seven wonders of the world
Santa Fe New Mexican
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

Opera House a finalist in search for new wonders
Border Mail
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

Are these the new seven wonders of the world?
South African Star
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

'New Seven Wonders of the World'
Hamilton Spectator
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

Vote: 'New 7 Wonders of the World'
CNN International
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

Are these the new seven wonders of the world?
Independent Online
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

More than 20 million people vote for new seven wonders of the world
Turkish Daily News
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

The 21 candidates
Mail Tribune
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

The new seven wonders
Mail Tribune
Friday, November 17, 2006
Click here for article.

How to post comments

Last week, during a social gathering, a few folks had some really kind (unsolicited) things to say about this and the other blogs that I administrate. That was cool to hear! Thanks.

What was also mentioned was that at least one reader wasn't sure how to leave comments on the blogs. The reader said he had tried and was unable to do so. Other folks have mentioned the same problem to me in the past.

Of course, I'm all for more comments and hate to think that readers eager to communicate are giving up in frustration. So, here are a few steps,which should explain how to leave comments on this blog:

1. Click on the word "comments" in the white field directly below the post you want to comment on (if there are no comments for the post, there will be a "0" in front of the word "comments." If there are already comments for this post, there will not be a "0" but a number reflecting how many times people have commented on the post).

2. Upon clicking, you will be directed to a new page. At the upper right side of this page, you should see the words "Leave your comment" with a blank field beneath it. The blank field is where you can type your comment.

3. Beneath the comment field are three identity options:

- Blogger username:
Your display name will appear, along with a link to your profile and your photo (if you have one).
- Other:
You can enter your name and a link to your website, without having to have a Blogger account.
- Anonymous:
No identifying information is displayed. The comment is credited to "Anonymous" without a link.

After choosing an identity, click "PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT" to have it published or "PREVIEW" to see what your comment will look like.

If you click "PREVIEW" you must then click "edit comment" or "publish this comment" to continue.

That's it! However, please note that your comment will not appear immediately on the blog. All comments must be approved by me before appearing. I'm usually pretty speedy with most comments appearing well within 24 hours of being submitted.

Click here for more help.

Thanks,
Tiki Chris

Tucan Travel announces strong interest in 4-day Rapa Nui tour

New independent options and a new look are making Tucan Travel’s 07/08 Brochure shine
Source = Tucan Travel
e-Travel Blackboard
Thursday, 16 November 2006

Tucan Travel also announces strong interest in several of their new Independent Travel options, including their innovative 4 day Easter Island tour. Easter Island is one of the most famous yet least visited archaeological sites in the world. It is known for its Moai statues, which were carved from compressed volcanic ash around 1,000 AD by Polynesian colonizers.

Click here to read the complete release.

Edward Albee on Rapa Nui

'Virginia Woolf' author takes trip inside mind
By COLIN HICKEY Staff Writer
Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel
Wednesday, November 15, 2006

"Easter Island," he [Edward Albee] said, "is of a silence and of a beauty above any other place I have ever experienced."

Click here for the complete article.

New Zealand performance garden features moai

Silver accolades for Manukau’s Performance Garden
Press Release: Manukau City Council
Scoop.co.nz
Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 11:45 am

Man-made features such as the concrete stage and large sculptural drums provide a striking contrast to the planting, as do three awe-inspiring sculptures inspired by the ‘Moai’ of Easter Island, carved by Fatu Feu’u and Isabelle Staron-Tutugoro.

Click here for the complete release.

More New7Wonders articles

21 nominees touch religious, political life
By Elaine Engeler and Alexander G. Higgins
Associated Press
Journal Gazette
Posted on Tue, Nov. 14, 2006
Click here for article.

Is Lady Liberty worthy of new world wonder?
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Newsday.com
November 14, 2006, 12:07 PM EST
Click here for article.

Kiyomizudera nominated as new wonder of the world
Daily Yomiuri Online
Nov. 15, 2006
Click here for article.

Vote for the new 7 wonders of the world
By ELIANE ENGELER & ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS
Philadelphia Daily News
Posted on Tue, Nov. 14, 2006
Click here for article.

Explora's deluxe adventure hotel on Rapa Nui

Explora fantastic adventure destination with Explora
Source = e-Travel Blackboard: J.C
e-Travel Blackboard
Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Adventure hotel company Explora gives guests a chance to experience outdoor life in the comfort of a deluxe hotel location. They have released two new locations for their deluxe adventure hotels in the exotic locations of Bolivia and Easter Island, giving visitors the chance to explore South America’s spectacular remote regions.

Click here to read the complete release.

Descriptions of the New7Wonders candidates, including Rapa Nui

Contest to name new seven world wonders 2006/11
By ELIANE ENGELER and ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS, Associated Press Writers
Pioneer Times Journal
Mon Nov 13, 2:56 PM ET

Hundreds of massive stone busts, or Moais, are all that remains from the prehistoric Rapanui culture that crafted them between 400 and 1,000 years ago to represent deceased ancestors.

Click here to read the complete article.

Smithsonian's "Bring a Friend and Save" applies to Rapa Nui

TRAVEL DEALS
Lexington Herald-Leader
Posted on Sun, Nov. 12, 2006

Smithsonian Journeys offers a $250 savings to travelers who entice a friend to join them on one of the company's trips to exotic regions such as Patagonia, the Arctic, Easter Island and the Galapagos.

Click here to read the complete article.

Plan to build and improve roads on Rapa Nui

CHILE TRIES TO BOOST TOURISM AT ISLAND HOTSPOTS
SOURCE: LA TERCERA
By Charles Sanchez (editor@santiagotimes.cl)
Santiago Times
November 12, 2006

On Easter Island, US$ 2.4 million will be spent improving the road network, to allow tourists to travel from the capital Hanga Roa to some of the more isolated island spots. “Just over four kilometres of road will be put down in the new project” said Manuel Alvarez, the MOP Region V director.

Click here to read the complete article.

A brief survey

Click here to take a quick (one page, eight easy questions) survey about this blog and others administered by Tiki Chris.

Shetland Islands artist inspired by moai

Cost of failing to plan future
Rosalind Griffiths
Photo: Lorna Sandison
Shetland Today
10 November 2006










Jeff Tungatt working on his carving "The Heid" inspired by the Easter Island statues.

Click here for the complete article.

Taipei Museum sheds light on roots of Rapanui's language

Peinan archeological site gives prehistoric insight
TaiwanHeadlines
Source:Taiwan Journal(2006/11/10 16:32:00)

... the NMP [National Museum of Prehistory] also takes every opportunity to present links to today's population, and offer a window on the Austronesian-speaking peoples that cover a large part of the earth's surface from Madagascar off the coast of Africa to Easter Island in the eastern Pacific, and from New Zealand in the south to Hawaii and Taiwan in the north.

Click here to read the complete article.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #22

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or they are just downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

InsideBayArea.com:
Now, while extremely interesting and captivating, I really am not convinced that we were visited by Mork and E.T., or "Killer Klowns from Outer Space," many eons ago. This premise was presented by author Erich von Daniken in his book "Chariot of the Gods?". He cites the gazing men of Easter Island, the Nazca lines of Peru, the large number of pyramids and the mortarless, precisely cut, large-stoned buildings of the Incas as proof.

Times Online:
The expression on my face during Perfect Day: The Funeral (Five), rounding off a trilogy of comedy-dramas featuring a group of university friends, was stonier than an Easter Island statue.

Belmond, Iowa couple to speak about sailing (including a visit to Rapa Nui)

COUPLE WILL TELL SAILING STORY
Belmond Independent
11/09/2006

[Charlie Cook and Monica Halverson's] journey took eight months and included stops along the way at the Galapagos, Easter Island, Pitcairn Island (home of the Bounty mutineer descendents), the Marquesas, Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu ... Charlie and Monica will be sharing highlights from this experience in a presentation at the Belmond Public Library Thursday, November 16 from 7-9 p.m. This presentation is free and open to the public. Reservations are encouraged and can be made with the library.

Click here to read the complete article.

Rapa Nui interesting destination for visitors to Chile

Chile targets three million tourists by 2010
Chile expects to receive three million foreign tourist by 2010 revealed the country’s head of Tourism Promotion currently in London for the International Tourist Fair.
Source: Mercosur
MercoPress
Tuesday, 07 November

Addressing an English audience Moll said that the destinations which most interest foreign tourists are Easter Island, Patagonia and lately the wineries’ tours.

Click here to read the complete article.

Australian tours to Latin America expands to Rapa Nui

THE IMAGINATIVE TRAVELLER INTRODUCES NEW STAND ALONE LATIN AMERICA BROCHURE FOR 2007/08
Source = The Imaginative Traveller
e-Travel Blackboard
Wednesday, November 08, 2006

The operator has added the option for passengers to extend their stay in South America. The 5-day ‘Easter Island Extension’, (AU$575 per person twin share or AU$715 single), can be added onto any tour and passengers will have the chance to experience all this isolated island has to offer.

Click here to read the complete press release.

German travel article about Rapa Nui

A visit to Easter Island or the mysterious Navel of the World
By Horst Heinz Grimm
dpa German Press Agency
The Raw Story
Published: Monday November 6, 2006

In the apparently endless expanse of the Pacific Ocean lies the island of Rapa Nui ­ more commonly known as Easter Island. The original inhabitants called the island, Te pito o te henua, Navel of the World.

Click here to read the complete article.

Jared Diamond, deforestation, and Rapa Nui

To lose a forest
By Cielito C. GoñoInquirer
Published on page A15 of the November 6, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Last updated 00:44am (Mla time) 11/06/2006

In his book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,” Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist Jared Diamond looked at environmental and socio-economic structural factors to explain how societies—such as the Easter islanders, the American Southwest Anasazi, the Mayans and Greenland’s Norse settlers—disappeared.

Click here to read the complete article.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #21

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or they are just downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

BBC News, Newswire.co.nz, MI6 News:
Daniel Craig had a face "like an Easter Island statue" and makes "a terrific debut [as James Bond]", it added.

NZ Herald:
Accused benefit fraudster hid $1m in home and garden ... a garden with more than $50,000 worth of plants, including rare palms, and pathways leading past marble seats and faux Easter Island heads.

Rapa Nui to be part of Walla Walla College lecture

Inside WWC for Nov. 2
a campus newsletter from college relations
By: Kristi Spurgeon
Walla Walla College (http://as.wwc.edu/)
November 2, 2006

Walla College Engineering Professor Jon Cole will present “Portraits of Community: Interconnecting Civilizations and Resources,” at the college's annual Distinguished Faculty Lecture, held Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m., in the Fine Arts Center Auditorium.The lecture will focus on communities on Easter Island, and among the Anasazi and Mayan cultures, which demonstrate through archaeology the effects of overuse of creation’s resources. Cole will examine these issues in a way that will lead us toward a positive future.

Click here to read the complete newsletter.

Suburban Chicago tiki bar decor features moai casts

Tiki Terrace has authentic feel and taste of Hawaii
BY THOMAS WITOM Dining
Chicago Sun-Times
November 3, 2006

The decor includes grass and bamboo accents, and casts of large enigmatic sculptures of stone heads, or "moai," associated with Easter Island. The waitress wears a floral-patterned outfit with a large flower affixed to her hair, and recorded Hawaiian plays in the background.

Click here to read the complete review.

Click here to visit the Tiki Terrace website.















Photograph from the Tiki Terrace website.

Rapa Nui's World Heritage "at risk" score

World heritage sites under threat
SOME of the world’s most iconic heritage sites are in trouble.
Irish Examiner
03 November 2006

Easter Island scored 69 out of 100, Budapest received 71 and the palace at Versailles 77, putting it within touching distance of the top sites.

Click here to read the complete article.

Writer/adventurer "just back" from Rapa Nui to speak in Louisville, KY

World traveler to share adventures
Linda Stahl
Courier-Journal
Thursday, November 2, 2006

Jon Bowermaster is a National Geographic writer and adventurer who ... will be in Louisville next week to give a slide and video show and discuss his latest project, Oceans 8 -- an endeavor to kayak around the world one continent at a time ...

"I'm just back from the South Pacific on two different assignments," he explained. "The first was to the Marquesas Islands, and then I rode a 300-foot ship from Tahiti to Easter Island."

Click here to read the complete article.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #20

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

Matangi Tonga:
Too many things are not even tried in Tonga simply because of timidity, stubbornness and tradition. Should Tonga stay on its current course and be like Easter Island, totally isolated from the rest of the world?

NewsWithViews.com:
To ignore our realities condemns them to the same consequences that befell the civilization and children of Easter Island. It’s that simple and that brutal.