Happy Easter!

 Happy Easter! 

But I'd rather talk about Easter Island if you don't mind. 

Particularly the Moai, the giant statues everyone knows them for. Most people probably wouldn't know Easter Island for anything beyond that, but there is a lot more than that to know about them. In case you don't know what they are, here's a picture from the Easter Island Travel link below to remind you. 

One part is that another name for the Easter Islands is Rapa Nui. 

The Moai, those statues you've probably heard of, are made of three parts, which is something you probably didn't know. They've got one giant piece of rock that is the head and body of the statue, then a second piece for a red hairpiece/topknot, and white for their eyes. A picture of all three parts together is below, from the Travel Chile Link below. 

These Moai kept watch over the island with their backs to the sea, and were decorated with red and white designs. Over the course of a few hundred years, over 800 Moai were created and moved around the island to keep guard over the people, starting with softer stone and ending with more detailed basalt figures. 

Before you get too hung up on the word, yes, they moved the Moai around despite them being one piece of stone that probably weighed as much as a bus. How? They used ropes to pull one side, then the other, until they managed to walk it to it's station. You've probably done that with a large box, lifting one corner and turning it forward, then the other. 

Is this enough fun stuff to convince you that these statues are cool, that this island is cool, and that you'll have something fun to say next time someone brings up Easter Island, the least of which could be that the island is also known as Rapa Nui. 

I'll see you again soon, I hope you liked this, and I hope you had a great day. 

Sources:

Easter Island Travel-- Moai (I will note for this one, it's got alot of information, and I trust it to know what it's talking about mostly. If you're curious, this is the first one I'd suggest for most questions. 

Smart History-- Easter Island Moai

BBC-- How Giant Easter Island Heads walked

Travel Chile-- Five Fun Facts about the Moai

Easter Island Travel-- Rapa Nui: 10 Fascinating Facts