South Pacific
After a brief absence, our journey picks back up on the small nation of Palau, an archipelago of over 200 small islands in the far Western Pacific Ocean. Numerous volcanic explosions many eons ago pushed coral larvae up and out of the Earth's core, forming a massive limestone reef - and the erosion since then has given Palau's islands their distinctive mushroom shape. As most of the 200 islands are quite rocky with palms and mangroves draping over the waters' edge, it takes us a bit to find a nice beach, but we're sure to enjoy it once we get there. Later on in the day, we get out our snorkels and explore the many coral reefs that surround the island - making sure to avoid the sharks that call the waters home.
We get back on our cruise ship and spend the next couple of weeks making stops at various South Pacific islands, none of which however are as beautiful as Bora Bora. The small atoll was formed by a massive volcanic explosion some three million years ago, and has been slowly sinking back into the ocean ever since. The waters that surround much of the islands are extremely shallow, giving the the locals the opportunity to build structures directly on the water - which is where we'll be staying tonight. Our thatched hut on stilts provides us an up close view of the many bent palm trees and pristine coral reefs that surround the island, and we take a moment to enjoy the island as the sun begins to set.
We board the cruise ship once again and 1,500 miles later, we reach Pitcairn Island. Pitcairn's history goes back to 1789, where Fletcher Christian staged a mutiny against the William Bligh, captain of the British navy ship HMS Bounty. Christian and a small number of other mutineers settled on Pitcairn - making Adamstown their main settlement. To this day, nearly all of the 56 inhabitants of Adamstown are descendants of the original mutineers, and a number of them will be greeting us when our cruise ship reaches the island, which is traditional when a ship reaches the small port. After a small dinner in the square, we take a look around the island - not much seems to have changed since 1789. Not a single car or vehicle can be found on the entire island, making Adamstown seem very much stuck in time. Despite fighting flying cockroaches and spiders for the majority of our stay in our one bedroom shack, we take a liking to Adamstown's charm, with it's unique assortment of pines and palms along with the pounding waves that never cease to stop.
Our final stop in our journey across the Pacific is Chile's Easter Island. After getting off our cruise ship, we check out some of the Moai that dot the island as we make our way to Anakena Beach. Rano Raraku is one of the best locations to do so, and it gives us the opportunity to get up and close with some of the Moai - but not too close, as touching the Moai is strictly prohibited.
We finally reach Anakena Beach. Anakena is one of two beaches that Easter Island has to offer - the rest of the island is quite rocky and barren, making it a popular tourist destination. We're surrounded by wild horses, endless palm trees, and the sound of crashing waves once we get to the beach, and Moai statues face inwards towards the island to greet us once we get there. The Rapa Nui people purposely placed the Moai facing inland while they were being constructed some 600-800 years ago - to show that they were protecting and honoring the people of Easter Island. The mysterious Moai statues offer more questions than answers: how were they built, how were they set up, and how did the Rapa Nui people move the statues across the island? No one really knows for certain, so we just sit back and admire their greatness. After checking out the Moai, we spend the rest of our day lounging around in our inner tubes, taking in the natural beauty of the island. Easter Island is truly a one of a kind destination, and it makes for a fitting end to our South Pacific journey.
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-korver
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