Northern Chile - Easter Island
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European sailors visiting the island found that the natives
could not explain the construction and transport of the great moai megaliths,
the largest of which exceeds sixty feet in height. Nor could they decipher
the rongo rongo tablets whose hieroglyphic script appears to be a forgotten
form of written language. Somewhere in the past - a past which seems to
have seesawed from ancestor worship, monument building and population
growth, to deforestation and food shortages, feuding and in some cases
even cannibalism - the old knowledge had been lost. It is the mystery
of these disappeared artisans, and the awesome presence of their works,
which continues to draw scientists and seekers from across the globe.
Today, Rapa Nui National Park protects most of the island's
archaeological sites, and the native todomiro forests that once graced
the island are being replanted. Opportunities for hiking, mountain biking,
and horseback riding abound on the island, while a rich marine ecosystem
of corals and colorful tropical fish makes Easter Island a prime destination
for scuba diving and snorkeling.
Visit-Chile.org has also provided
a photo
gallery of over 90 of the most stunning scenic photos
ever published anywhere. |
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