Rapa Nui News

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Tiki Farm to market "Mr. Rapa Nui Mini Grills"

Mr. Rapa Nui Mini Grill
posted by MakeDaMug
Tiki Central
Posted: 2006-18-03; 12:45 pm

Very shortly, we will start taking pre-orders for a Spring 2007 arrival of a truckload of our brand new "Mr. Rapa Nui Mini Grills"! We are taking pre-orders as our warehouse is not that big and these little fellows are quite massive... in a little kind of way.

Click here for complete post.

Rapa Nui among world's most remote destinations

World's Most Remote Travel Destinations
Sophia Banay
Forbes.com
12.19.06, 12:01 AM ET

This Polynesian island is volcanic, with lush green fields and an endless panorama of blue sky.

Click here for complete article.

Rapanui students to take Entrance Exams on own soil

240,000 CHILE STUDENTS FACE DAY OF RECKONING
Record Number of High-School Students Sit University Entrance Exams
SOURCE: LA TERCERA, EL MERCURIO, LA NACIÓN
By Cate Setterfield (editor@santiagotimes.cl)
Santiago Times
December 19, 2006

This will also be the first year that pupils on Easter Island can take the test on their own soil, while students on Juan Fernández island will be able to do so in 2007. Moreover, advanced photo-scanning technology will mean that the multiple-choice tests will be marked quickly, so students will not have to wait long for their results.

Click here for complete article.

Pan American trip's final stop is Rapa Nui

Machu Picchu and beyond
By Clair Weaver
News.com.au
Dec 18, 2006

A wild and unspoilt place, dotted with volcanoes and grassy fields, we feel like true adventurers a long way from civilisation.

Click here for complete article.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Book review of Collapse by Jared Diamond

Book Review: Jared Diamond's Collapse - Fodder for Thought
Pramod
Desicritics.org
December 18, 2006

I should also warn you, that some of the chapters are so fascinating and engrossing that you will find yourself looking up airfares to exotic locations like Easter Islands and Iceland, even before you finish the book!

Click here for complete review.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Trip to Rapa Nui yields more questions than answers

Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island, yields more questions than answers
By Betsa Marsh, Travel Arts Syndicate
Photos by Betsa Marsh, Travel Arts Syndicate
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sunday, December 17, 2006

Travelers are encouraged to arrive on this little Chilean outpost with their own pet theories about the prehistoric stone colossi that tower over mortals. Because there is no airtight archaeological proof, chances are they'll go home with their own Easter Island "truthiness."

Click here for complete article.

Rapa Nui on top of list for around-the-world dancer

Boogie Boy: Dancin' fool shakes his thang in 39 countries
By Andrea Sachs: THE WASHINGTON POST
Winston-Salem Journal
Friday, December 15, 2006

Antarctica is the kind of place where it's very difficult to go to, and it costs a lot of money, and it takes a lot of time. It was somewhere I figured I'd never have an opportunity to go to, so that was at the top of my list. Also, Easter Island and the South Pacific, Micronesia, the Galapagos Islands.

Click here for complete article.

More about Kiwa hirsuta, the furry crab

Here’s one report that lifts the gloom
Nashua Telegraph (subscription), NH - Dec 13, 2006

World briefs - Dec 13, 2006
The South African Star (subscription), South Africa - Dec 14, 2006

Census reveals extremes of life in the oceans
Block Island Times, USA - Dec 14, 2006

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Entel PCS provides service to Rapa Nui

ERICSSON: Ericsson brings first HSPA network in Latin America to ENTEL PCS
Press Release
Kauppalehti Online
13.12.2006 16:52

Entel PCS is the mobile subsidiary of the Entel group, a telecommunications leader in Chile. Since its creation in 1998, the company has been a competitive force in the area of mobile telephony, providing quality service, innovation and wide geographical coverage from areas such as Antarctica and Easter Island. Entel PCS was the first operator in Latin America to introduce GSM and GPRS services. Entel PCS currently has more than 4.8 million subscribers.

Click here for complete press release.

Pinochet related tale mentions Rapa Nui

The Man Who Brought the Spanish Inquisition to Chile
THE MAN WHO BROUGHT THE SPANISH INQUISITION TO CHILE: AUGUSTO PINOCHET, DONALD RUMSFELD, AND TORTURE
By Nick Gier
New West Unfiltered
12-12-06

Our guide on Easter Island was a son of Orlando Letelier, former Chilean ambassador to the U. S., whose car was blown up by DINA agents in Washington, D.C., on September 26, 1976.

Click here for complete article.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #28

Monday, December 11, 2006

More about the furry crab

Census of seas reveals amazing forms of life
CNN - Dec 10, 2006

A shrimp from 50 million BC and other miracles of the sea
Independent, UK - Dec 11, 2006

Jurassic 'shrimp' alive and well
ABC Science Online, Australia - Dec 11, 2006

500 species found in marine life census
Mongabay.com - Dec 11, 2006

Discovered: the self-boiling shrimp and 500 other extreme sea ...
Times Online, UK - Dec 11, 2006

500 species found in census of marine life
Photos of newly discovered marine species
Photography: Ifremer/A. Fifis © 2006
mongabay.com
December 10, 2006

Near Easter Island, Census researchers discovered a crab so unusual it warranted a whole new family designation, Kiwaidae.

Click here for complete article.

Marine scientists seek to unlock mysteries of the deep
Online Athens (subscription), GA - Dec 11, 2006

Survey reveals wonders of deep
Long Beach Press-Telegram, CA - Dec 11, 2006

Sea census stirs up new marine life
Houston Chronicle, United States - Dec 11, 2006

Report shows age of discovery far from over
EiTB, Spain - Dec 11, 2006

Ocean census finds new critters at home
Denver Post, CO - Dec 11, 2006

Marine census delves into deep sea mysteries
The Spokesman Review, WA - Dec 11, 2006

Unlocking mysteries of the sea
Bradenton Herald, United States - Dec 11, 2006

Census finds new marine mysteries
Indianapolis Star, United States - Dec 11, 2006

Ocean census continues to surprise scientists with marine life
Rutland Herald, VT - Dec 11, 2006

Scientists seek to unlock mysteries of the deep
Seattle Times, United States - Dec 11, 2006

Sunday, December 10, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #27

New type of furry crab found near Rapanui

Scientist marvel at sea life miles deep
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID - AP SCIENCE WRITER
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Sunday, December 10, 2006 · Last updated 9:02 a.m. PT

A new type of crab with a furry appearance, near Easter Island. It was so unusual it warranted a whole new family designation, Kiwaidae, named for Kiwa, the Polynesian goddess of shellfish. Its furry appearance justified its species name, hirsuta, meaning hairy.

Click here for complete article.

Extreme Life, Marine Style, highlights 2006 Ocean Census
Frontiers of marine science stretched by Census experts
Terry Collins
EurekAlert
Public release date: 10-Dec-2006

Near Easter Island, Census researchers discovered a crab so unusual it warranted a whole new family designation, Kiwaidae. Beyond adding a new family to the wealth of known biodiversity, its discovery added a new genus, Kiwa, named for the mythological Polynesian goddess of shellfish. Its furry or hairy appearance justified its species name, hirsuta.

Click here for complete article.

Life thrives at searing sea vent
MARINE creatures are thriving by a record hot volcanic vent in the Atlantic and in dark waters under thick Antarctic ice, boosting theories that planets other than earth are suitable for life, scientists said today.
From correspondents in Oslo
Article from: Reuters
December 11, 2006 03:24am

And a furry crab, also dubbed a Yeti crab, was found off Easter Island.

Click here for complete article.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #26

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:

Australian:
But my first success as a verbal cartoonist was more incisive, when in the early 1970s I discovered that Easter Island was covered in Malcolm Frasers.

Guardian Unlimited:
Labour will spend £25bn on a political talisman, a totem pole they all know has little intrinsic worth. But it needs no practical use because it is an icon of self-belief, a symbol of high cultural value in the politics of these islands. Think of Easter Island and the history of its destruction, recounted by Jared Diamond in his book Collapse.

BusinessWeek:
He's not sure where he wants to go yet, perhaps skiing in South America and then to Easter Island or the Galapagos. But one thing is already decided. The Hancocks will travel bespoke.

Orlando Sentinel:
There's also the failed Easter Island enviro-parable Rapa Nui, which Kevin Costner's pal Kevin Reynolds made and nobody saw. NOBODY. A real career-killer for Reynolds, Esai Morales and Jason Scott Lee.

ninemsn:
Some asked him to consider stepping down. The visits and calls continued last week. "But he was like an Easter Island statue. Stone deaf," says an insider.

San Francisco's "plastic-fronded hangout" has "Easter Island nature gods"

In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room
Matthew Stafford
Examiner
Dec 7, 2006 3:00 AM

Hawaii West — As befits its monicker, this unprepossessing North Beach hideaway is as laid back as an Oahu trade wind. The ambience is pleasantly run-down and noncommittal: a few Easter Island nature gods here, a swatch of leopard skin there, random netting, a Christmas light or two.

Click here for complete article.

Ersatz moai at ITU conference

ITU 06 diary - Wi-fi on 'the beach', what's hot in mobile search and a long tail with legs
Day 3...
By Jo Best
silicon.com
Published: Thursday 7 December 2006

The ITU conference has its own 'coffee break area', modelled on a Pacific Rim beach, complete with fake palm trees and ersatz Easter Island heads. I settle down there on a green plastic bush - a green plastic bush with excellent wi-fi, naturally - before heading off to a session on user generated content, or UGC, if you'd rather.

Click here for complete article.

Letter questions rat theory

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
John Flenley/Paul Bahn (with response by Dr. Terry Hunt)
American Scientist Online
Viewed December 7, 2006

We find it difficult to take seriously the article "Rethinking the Fall of Easter Island" (September-October) in which Terry L. Hunt concludes that rats, not humans, were the main cause of the island's deforestation. We strongly believe that the archaeological and botanical data do point clearly to a scenario of human overexploitation of resources.

Click here to read the letter and a response.

Moai damaged and new penalty system

MINISTER’S FATHER THROWS STONES ON CHILE'S EASTER ISLAND
SOURCES: EL MERCURIO, LA TERCERA
By Laurel Bernstein (editor@santiagotimes.cl)
Santiago Times
(December 7, 2006)

On Easter Island last week, Enrique Schmidt, father of Minister Rommy Schmidt, was demonstrating to his traveling partner how the moais were constructed when he threw a 14 centimeter rock at one of the statues. The display left two small scuff marks on the ancient sculpture and a stain on the reputation of his political daughter ...

... Schmidt had planned to return to Santiago that day, but is now enjoying an extended vacation on the island because a local judge barred him from leaving until his case is settled. Judge Óscar Vargas is planning a trial on Thursday that will be completed that day. Penalties for the crime include jail sentences of 541 days to five years and fines from US$1700 to US$6900.

Click here for complete article.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

New book invents Rapanui legend of "Death-in-the-Water"

Book Review: Hunters of the Dark Sea by Mel Odom
Written by Katie McNeill
Blog Critics
Published December 06, 2006

On the Brown-Eyed Sue in another part of the Pacific Ocean Professor Bullock and his daughter Katharine are searching for something that the natives of Easter Island call "Death-in-the-Water." The natives claim that it has the mask of a whale, but is not actually a whale.

Click here to read the complete review.

Santa Fe's El Museo Cultural to host Rapa Nui film and exhibition

In brief, 12/06/2006
Staff and wire reports
Santa Fe New Mexican
December 6, 2006

... "Petroglyphs of Rapanui" is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Gran Salon in El Museo Cultural, 1615B Paseo de Peralta ... running parallel to the Santa Fe Film Festival, which is showing the film Being RapaNui, funded partly by a grant from National Geographic All Roads Film Project.

Click here to read the complete article.

Taiwan forum for language group that includes Rapanui

Austronesian forum to take place in Dec.
Source: CNA
China Post
Wednesday, December 06, 2006

The 2006 Austronesian Forum, sponsored by the Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples, will take place Dec. 12-13 at National Pingtung University of Education's Minsheng campus in southern Taiwan, with nearly 400 people participating ... The Austronesian peoples share many common cultural roots, with their territory stretching from Easter Island to Madagascar and from New Zealand to the northern tip of Taiwan, covering nearly one-third of the globe and representing a population of nearly 300 million.

Click here to read the complete article.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Monday, December 04, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #25

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:

Lake County News-Chronicle:
When we enter our Exalted Shack Master in a summer parade, across all corners of the North, in Canada and occasionally the Tapati Rapa Nui Festival on Easter Island, it is done in the spirit of representing all deer camps across Lake County, from the nominal to the forlorn.

Whittier Daily News:
Director/designer Douglas Fitch put a campy twist on the classic Grimm Brothers' fairy tale with forest critters right out of "Where the Wild Things Are;" a wicked witch who is a Viennese version of Dame Edna; a Sandman who glides around the stage in a giant salt-cellar sculpted like an Easter Island head; and a Dew Fairy transformed into a singing Christmas tree. No matter, it's a gemutlich holiday confection and an ideal way to introduce youngsters to opera. Performances continue through Dec. 17.

Sydney Morning Herald:
"You have Queensland developing a new coal-fired power station and expanding its Gladstone port [for coal exports] … I think these things are going to look like Easter Island statues - stranded."

Catholic Online:
Of these moral duties we will speak another time. Let us conclude with a memory from a film. There are two big stories about icebergs in the movies. The one is that of the Titanic, which we know well. … The other is narrated in a Kevin Kostner film of several years back, "Rapa Nui." A legend of Easter Island, which is in the Pacific Ocean, tells of an iceberg that, in reality, is a ship and that passes close to the island every century or so. The king or hero can climb aboard and ride toward the kingdom of immortality.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Foto America festival in Rapa Nui

Capturing the Soul of Afghanistan - in Pictures
Daniela Estrada
Inter Press Service News Agency
Nov 30, 2006

Munita's photographic essay is one of the 210 works comprising the "Foto America" festival, which is taking place in every Chilean region, including Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) from Nov. 8 to Dec. 17 ... "Foto América" is a private initiative spearheaded by Chilean photographer Roberto Edwards, and inspired by other Latin American biennial festivals such as "Fotoseptiembre" in Mexico, "Mira Foto" in Perú and "Festival de la Luz" ("Festival of Light") in Argentina.

Click here to read the complete article.

Auckland Museum tells of Polynesian navigation

Following the stars into the unknown
by Angela Gregory
NZ Herald
Saturday December 2, 2006

The exhibition tells how Hawaii, Rapanui (Easter Island) and New Zealand were the last places to be discovered because getting to them involved overcoming enormous physical and technological challenges.

Click here to read the complete article.

Rapa Nui among treasured destinations in peril

World treasures meet the enemy: It's us
By Alfred Borcover - Special to the Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Published December 3, 2006

While visitors commune with the moais they rarely learn about the serious problems confronting Easter Island and its 4,000 residents.

Click here to read the complete article.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

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.

Monday, November 27, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #24

Sunday, November 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.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

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.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #23

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.

Tuesday, November 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.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

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.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

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.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

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

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

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.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

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.

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.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

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.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

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.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #22

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.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

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.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

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.

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Sunday, November 05, 2006

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.

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Saturday, November 04, 2006

"Monolithic" pop culture references #21

Friday, November 03, 2006

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.

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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.

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Thursday, November 02, 2006

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."

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