Easter Island - The land of the Moai

12th November 2014

The Silver Shadow today arrived at Easter Island or Isla de Pascua, a small island in the Pacific administered by Chile despite lying some 2300 miles from her shores. Sometimes called the navel of the world, we have travelled some 1200 miles from Pitcairn Island to get here.

On arrival we were greeted by on the the Silversea expedition vessel, Silver Explorer already lying at anchor and we manoeuvred ourselves into the anchorage position near to her, the town of Hanga Roa having no port (although an airport runs right through it hosting daily flights from the Chilean mainland and a weekly cargo plane).

Easter Island is an open-air archaeological museum most famous for the monolithic statues or Moai, dotted around the island.  Settled since the 4th Century, the Polynesian settlers lived in a hierarchical society governed by a King and remained isolated for a long period but the society was marred by violent conflicts.

The Moai themselves formed the basis of a cult of the ancestors and accompanying religious rites. At Ahu Akiva, the seven moai on a platform are thought to represent explorers sent on a reconnaissance mission and therefore face the sea.  Other moai face inland and are thought to protect those they oversee.  Nearly 900 have been created, averaging at 23 feet tall (7 metres) although the largest stands at 69 feet (21 metres) and weighs about 150 tons!  How they were moved from the quarry at the Ranu Raraku volcano remains a mystery.

Some mistake the red round structure atop each head as a hat.  It is in fact a top knot of hair.  Recent DNA tests have shown the ancient people had red hair.

It’s no wonder this wonderful place was installed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.

Pitcairn Island - a little bit of the UK in the Pacific

Today (9th November 2014), the Silver Shadow called on  Pitcairn Island a small island in the middle of the Pacific - approximately half way between Peru and New Zealand and home to the descendants of HMS Bounty, Fletcher Christian and eight of the Bounty mutineers and accompanying Tahitian women, who settled on the small volcanic island in 1790 after its discovery by the British in 1767.  Now an Overseas Territory of the UK it became an British Colony in 1838.  The Governor is the British High Commissioner in New Zealand from where it is administered.

A rugged island (with what looked like a recent landslip) it reaches almost 1000 feet above sea level and investigations indicate that the island has been inhabited by Polynesians some 400 years before the Brits stuck their flag in it and declared it part of the British Empire, as often happened in the 18th and 19th Centuries!  The island was briefly abandoned in 1856 before some islanders returned and it has been inhabited ever since.  The population currently stands around 50, although the peak was in the 1930s when 233 people called it home.

Current residents make their living from fishing, farming, selling local handicrafts to passing ships and postage stamps.  Most of the islanders are members of the Seven Day Adventist Church so there is no making or consumption of liquor.

As we found today when we couldn’t land because of unfavourable sea and wind conditions, Pitcairn has no port or natural harbour, so imported supplies are taken by longboat from larger ships anchored in Bounty Bay.

The history of the Bounty made famous in books and films, centres on the mutiny aboard the Royal Naval Ship HMS Bounty on 28th April 1789, led by Fletcher Christian against Lieutenant William Bligh motivated by Bligh’s alleged harsh treatment and their desire to stay in the South Pacific.  Having set Bligh adrift in a small boat with a loyal crew, the mutineers settled on Pitcairn and burned Bounty to avoid detection.

In an amazing feat of seamanship Bligh managed to sail his boat for 47 days to Timor without navigational charts or compass using only a quadrant and pocket watch (thankfully our own ship is fitted with the latest GPS equipment but interestingly charts are still used on the bridge).  Finally returning to Britain in 15th March 1790, Bligh was able to report the mutiny to the Admiralty, which I often pass when working in London.

The British sent HMS Pandora to capture the mutineers, arriving in Tahiti on 23rd March 1791. Unfortunately Pandora ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef in August of that year with the loss of 31 crew and 4 prisoners.  The surviving 10 prisoners were eventually tried in a Naval Court in England with 3 being sentenced to hang, 3 pardoned and 4 acquitted.

It was rather sad we couldn’t land on Pitcairn today but was lovely to visit this remote area of the world.  Perhaps it’s excuse to take another cruise in this area because it would be disappointing to miss the history and beauty of this part of the world, despite its remoteness and I can think of no better way than exploring this area than sailing on the Silversea Silver Shadow in 6* luxury.

Come Dine with Me? Lunch on Silver Shadow

The quality of food is always a great reason to take a cruise and Silversea excels itself each and every meal time.  Their association with Relais and Chateaux shows through in the dishes that always meet and exceed expectations.  With a full a la carte offering at every mealtime there'll always be something to tantalise your tastebuds.

I thought as a quick post I'd share my lunch with you.  It's making me hungry just reviewing the pictures.  

Firstly a nice cold soft drink: 

I think this day had an English theme so firstly I had Omelette Arnold Bennett:

Then penne pasta:

Then good old fish and chips:

And finally dessert, Lemon Meringue:

As you can see even what could be thought to be fairly mainstream dishes are given the full gastronomic treatment and taste as good as they look.

Crossing the Equator - King Neptune Arrives

It's always great fun onboard when crossing the equator as ships present a King Neptune ceremony on the premise that it has upset the great king that permission has not been sought for the ship to pass and it is necessary for the uninitiated - i.e. those whose this sailing is their first passage across the equator at sea - suffer some unusual punishment for annoying the great King.

It is quite a jolly affair with the crew getting an opportunity to dress up, the band to play some music by the pool deck and for some unfortunate passengers (but mostly new crew - on the Silver Shadow, two cadets were targeted, although one of them escaped and the other hunted down when they missed their cue!) to get thoroughly gunged by the respective players.

Overseen by the Judge, his trusty companions of mermaids, pirates, hairdresser and doctor, each do King Neptune's bidding over each victim as they are accused of various crimes.

Various food stuffs are poured over the person and at least one person on the guise of having been blindfolded then allowed to feel a good looking chap then gets to kiss a wet fish.  I've heard stories that on some vessels the food is rotten and people are covered in paint and all sorts of dreadful rubbish.  Thankfully not on a cruise line!

When all is said and done, King Neptune permits the vessel to pass and each passenger and member of crew is installed as a trusty shellbacks and recognised by Neptune himself as true mariners.  I'm gathering quite a collection of certificates...

Christmas Island - More Pacific Goodness!

Today Silver Shadow arrived at  and anchored off Christmas Island or Kiritimati, just 2 degrees north of the equator and part of the Republic of Kiribati.  Like Fanning Island yesterday, it is a coral atoll in the Pacific and at 150 square miles has the largest land area of any coral atoll in the world.

Sadly, I guess due to the remoteness of these islands, they were subject to nuclear tests back in the 1950s and 60s by the United Kingdom and United States and locals, as well as servicemen are said to have suffered from exposure to the radiation in the blasts.

Thankfully, nowadays the island is a wildlife sanctuary.  A much better use of such a beautiful location!

Fanning Island, Kiribati - A remote paradise

After nearly three days sailing from Honolulu, the Silver Shadow has arrived at Fanning Island in Kiribati and I must say it is absolutely beautiful.  An absolute remote paradise.

Situated about 185 miles north of the equator and around 7 miles in diameter, Fanning Island is a coral atoll with a lagoon that is almost entirely surrounded by the atoll.  The colour changing of blues where the ocean meets the atoll and lagoon is amazing.

It is an island of spectacular natural beauty and inhabited but around 2000 residents who have no electricity nor indoor plumbing, so it doesn't get much closer to being the often dreamt of tropical desert island.

As we cannot navigate into the lagoon at English Harbour and there appears to be no port area, we are being tendered ashore as the ship stays off-shore.  Tomorrow we arrive at Christmas Island.

Personal Review of Silver Shadow - My Favourite Aspect

One aspect of cruising that I think is overlooked is the general ambience of the ship and on Silver Shadow there's one area that I absolutely adore - the onboard art collection.

All ships of course have their own art - normally in the gallery with an art auction listed in the daily programme.  Silver Shadow chooses to put its art front and centre, with all the public areas containing and impressive selection of different art from paintings, etchings and ceramics.  

I'm no great art expert and would not profess to know any more than the old adage "I know what I like" but with the Shadow's collection of modern art and sculpture including Dali and Miro, the selection is very much to my taste and adds much to the onboard experience.  Even the art above my bed "Self portrait with Guillaume" by Paul Cezanne, shows the attention to providing something above and beyond.

One of course must remember to stop once in a while and admire what is displayed.  It is easy to rush past a multi-thousand dollar sculpture on the way to lunch or dinner, so making the time to slow down and take some time is important not to forget.

 I just wish I had a budget to invest for my own home.