Easter Island and the Rapa Nui myth
SAILING INTO THE MYSTIC
I have heard so many stories and read so many things about the Easter Island or Rapa Nui Island that for me this place was even more intriguing then the Bermuda Triangle story. Obviously never even dared to dream about seeing this island, most people they don't know where it is let alone dream about it.
One of the perks of my job was not only the free travel but actually to visit more in depth destinations and iconic landmarks. In order to get there you travel only by sea or by air due to the remote position of the island. And it is a fact that Easter Island is one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands. When we were preparing for the arrival of the ship some of my most experienced colleagues expressed concern about the logistic of the operation as it was according to their saying really challenging.
Ship was in anchorage and the debarkation of the guests and crew was made using the tender boats which are also life boats used in case of an emergency. The sea that day was restless and choppy, the concern was if we can actually tender in. All guests on board started to express disquietude about the possibility of land tours being cancelled as the sea was not favorable for tendering. Our shore excursions desk started to get crowded and a few of our guests more adamant. The flow of complaints was almost overwhelming and we did not had any answers for them if we actually going to be able to reach the Easter Island or not. It was all in the hands of the captain and the safety officer to decide if it is safe to tender.
Now, according to National Geographic only one in four ships can actually berth there, but this was not a fact that some of the guests were willing to accept or consider. I cannot express or replicate some of the words I have heard that day, the cussing and the shouting of guests that before Easter Island moment seemed to be throughout that cruise quite friendly, respectful and delicate. All the high education and respect was gone for a sparse group of people and the whole team was dealing with the situation in their best possible way.
That is when the Captain announce over the PA system that they are re-positioning the vessel and try to anchor off on a different side of the island where the sea was more calm. I can't tell who was more happy about the announcement, us the crew or the guests.
We have dispatched our land tours first as that was now the priority and another wave of complaints hit us with no mercy. All the guests who didn't booked a tour with the ship tour operator had to wait until all the tours were disembarked and then they had their chance to go ashore. That is when I saw the hell for the first time. All my colleagues including myself find out new meaning of words, learned new swearing expressions.
I can say that this happening was one of the most challenging situation in all my years working on cruise ships, I have learned so much that day, learned that the limit of psychical endurance can be always altered, learned that under stressful situations I can react quite calmly and find solutions rather then loose my temper. And most important learned that human beings can metamorphose easily if anger is strong.
The tendering operation was quite difficult as the sea was choppy with strong wind. The ride to reach the shore was about 15 minutes. The platform was an improvisation of wood crates and a strip of cement that imitated a pier. In order to avoid the smashing of the tender boat against the pier and risking anybody who was debarking to fall in the cold water they brought another tender boat and brought them side by side to make the link and the passage easier. The bosuns and the driver of these boats did a great job that day and they were commended by everyone. Made the day brighter and our job in dealing with complaints easier.
Now, back to the beautiful Easter Island and the mystical history, I am Romanian, we believe in life after death and ghosts, so you can imagine how drawn I was into their history and the belief that the living had a symbiotic relationship with the dead in which the dead provided everything that the living needed (health, fertility of land and animals, fortune etc.) and the living, through offerings, provided the dead with a better place in the spirit world. When I have started exploring the island and saw the quarry and the Moai statues I was so impressed. It was just like using the time machine and stepping in the past. It was incredible and I felt so lucky to be there. And now I am happy to share this with you.
I have heard so many stories and read so many things about the Easter Island or Rapa Nui Island that for me this place was even more intriguing then the Bermuda Triangle story. Obviously never even dared to dream about seeing this island, most people they don't know where it is let alone dream about it.
One of the perks of my job was not only the free travel but actually to visit more in depth destinations and iconic landmarks. In order to get there you travel only by sea or by air due to the remote position of the island. And it is a fact that Easter Island is one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands. When we were preparing for the arrival of the ship some of my most experienced colleagues expressed concern about the logistic of the operation as it was according to their saying really challenging.
Ship was in anchorage and the debarkation of the guests and crew was made using the tender boats which are also life boats used in case of an emergency. The sea that day was restless and choppy, the concern was if we can actually tender in. All guests on board started to express disquietude about the possibility of land tours being cancelled as the sea was not favorable for tendering. Our shore excursions desk started to get crowded and a few of our guests more adamant. The flow of complaints was almost overwhelming and we did not had any answers for them if we actually going to be able to reach the Easter Island or not. It was all in the hands of the captain and the safety officer to decide if it is safe to tender.
Now, according to National Geographic only one in four ships can actually berth there, but this was not a fact that some of the guests were willing to accept or consider. I cannot express or replicate some of the words I have heard that day, the cussing and the shouting of guests that before Easter Island moment seemed to be throughout that cruise quite friendly, respectful and delicate. All the high education and respect was gone for a sparse group of people and the whole team was dealing with the situation in their best possible way.
That is when the Captain announce over the PA system that they are re-positioning the vessel and try to anchor off on a different side of the island where the sea was more calm. I can't tell who was more happy about the announcement, us the crew or the guests.
We have dispatched our land tours first as that was now the priority and another wave of complaints hit us with no mercy. All the guests who didn't booked a tour with the ship tour operator had to wait until all the tours were disembarked and then they had their chance to go ashore. That is when I saw the hell for the first time. All my colleagues including myself find out new meaning of words, learned new swearing expressions.
I can say that this happening was one of the most challenging situation in all my years working on cruise ships, I have learned so much that day, learned that the limit of psychical endurance can be always altered, learned that under stressful situations I can react quite calmly and find solutions rather then loose my temper. And most important learned that human beings can metamorphose easily if anger is strong.
 |
| Not sure how many would even dare on those waves to ride a boat |
The tendering operation was quite difficult as the sea was choppy with strong wind. The ride to reach the shore was about 15 minutes. The platform was an improvisation of wood crates and a strip of cement that imitated a pier. In order to avoid the smashing of the tender boat against the pier and risking anybody who was debarking to fall in the cold water they brought another tender boat and brought them side by side to make the link and the passage easier. The bosuns and the driver of these boats did a great job that day and they were commended by everyone. Made the day brighter and our job in dealing with complaints easier.
 |
| The picture of the two tender boats together it is not taken by me and belongs to a different cruise line and is meant just to illustrate better the situation. |
 |
| The best example of ambition is the man behind me. He is about 90 years old and refused to accept that he cannot do the whole tour. The duration was about 4 hours on uneven terrain as you can see from the pictures and even though was windy it was very hot. He got help from the guide but he never gave up. |
 |
| The quarry, I did not make it up to the top of quarry as my body and the uniform did not helped me |
Comments
Post a Comment
Have you been here?