Today I sat by the coast again to do some journaling. I sat in the same bench, and the same doggo I met yesterday came to check on me today. The stray dogs here remind me of the ones in Costa Rica, as they don’t want food. They just want love, affection, and to protect you. They are very sweet. However, the dogs here are massive! They are not little tiny stray mutts; these doggos are all labs, great danes, and german shepherds. I love it.
My doggo friend came to sit with me as I was lurking around the tide pools, too. He truly smells like roadkill. I convinced him to get in the water. He was making my eyes water he smelled so foul, and all he wanted to do was sit right at my feet. A few men came by to grab some minnows from a tide pool across the way from me, and the dog would not let them come near me. They laughed because they knew there was no chance they were visiting any of the other tide pools with the dog around. They are very protective of the people they choose to protect. I admire that about them. Even though the island is safe and the people here are very nice, it is comforting to know that, as a solo female traveler, someone always has my back.
I again walked along the rocky coast admiring the Moai looking down on me. I took two hours just listening to the waves and looking at the carved rocks. I also took time to really reflect on the ancient statues. The dye that was used to put color onto them is still visible. STILL. I cannot comprehend how that is possible.
Some parts of me feel like today was a bit wasted. On the other hand, I know that I have plenty of time left on the island. Just by sitting, observing, and talking to the locals that come up to me, I am learning much more than any documentary could tell me. I am thankful that I can communicate with the people here. Every country I have been in so far, the two main languages are english and spanish. Here that is not the case. The two languages are spanish and Rapa Nui. Some of the main tour stations will employ an english-speaker, just so the tourists who come can have a better experience. I am not here for the gimmick tours, though! I am lucky that I have practiced my spanish, and been abroad before, so that the locals will take me seriously.
It is a bit difficult to be taken seriously when you are a solo traveler that is blonde haired and blue eyed. I know it sounds very superficial, but it is true. I have been here almost a week and haven’t seen a single other light hair and light eyed person yet. After 6 months of traveling through Central and South America, I am used to that by now!
This morning I also FINALLY found a good supermarket. The island does not really grow it’s own produce, livestock, or timber. Everything here is imported. Individual homes will have chickens and a garden, but for the tourist population, you must go to a grocery store. However, there are not many! I found only three on the map, and one was a convenient store (ie batteries, small drinks, and potato chips), the second one is almost always closed, and the third one was my jackpot! Although it was only two aisles of food and one aisle of refrigeration, it has just enough that I can figure out some meals in my hostel haha!
The island does not produce their own goods based on ancient principles. The ancient tribes did not produce more than what they needed to feed their people. The rocky terrain made it very hard to grow crops. Also, the island did not have much of the fruits and vegetables that we would think would grow on an island. They did not have tuber vegetables or tropical fruit such as pineapple and coconuts, until the Spanish and Dutch came to the island. The trees that grew here were almost completely used up for trinkets, canoes, homes, and as firewood.
Over the centuries, those traditions have not changed. Everything here is packed and imported from continental Chile. One thing that should be noted is the lack of plastic on the island. Sure my packaged food comes in packaging. BUT there are not plastic bags or plastic wrap on the island. That’s right, no shopping bags, no ziplocs, no storage containers, and no leftover wrap. It does make it hard to take food with me on my long hikes, but I am very happy that even with a system of imports the island can be almost entirely waste-free. That is a huge feat that they don’t see as a “mission accomplished.” That is their way of life. I wish the rest of the world could see how easy it truly is.
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| Even on the most remote island in the world, there are still mountains of fishing nets and garbage that washes ashore. We need to do better! There is a committee that cleans up the beach every morning to prevent the wildlife from being harmed even more. :( |
Speaking of keeping things waste-free and our oceans clean, I was able to see two GIANT sea turtles today!!! This is the season when the turtles come on shore to lay their eggs. You must be wondering “how do they lay and bury their eggs when it is all lava stones?” because I was wondering the same thing. They lay their eggs the same as they always would. They find a sheltered place to leave their eggs, and will put smaller rocks on top of them to shield them from dogs, birds, and the sun. A male and female came into the bay, looking for a place to call their own. They were the biggest turtles I have ever seen, and I am happy that I came during the “non-tourist” season to see these beautiful creatures!
The island accent is very hard to understand. I am not quite sure how to describe it, but it’s fast and mumbled. They also use words differently than any other country. Their “lingo” or “slang” does not consist of made up words, they just change the meaning of words already created. I am not sure if that is a cultural thing, or the fact that the island still speaks in Rapa Nui, or what, but it is quite strange. The people can hear me speaking fluent Spanish, then they get confused why I am not understanding a simple sentence! It’s kind of funny and kind of frustrating also. It is also more of the women that I cannot understand. The men seem to talk more eloquently and with less of an accent. I am sure that has to do with societal influences (ie when girls stop going to school, what language girls learn first, and who has more contact with tourists and other Spanish speaking peoples).
Update: I figured out the accent just fine. It took some getting used to, but the island people have a harsh Chilean accent. They also speak in broken Spanish more than professionally taught! (This takes away the pressure to have perfect grammar when I am talking to them haha! Perfect for those who know Spanish only as a second language!)
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