Photos, Nov. 2015 by Dave Hoekstra unless noted.
RAPA NUI, CHILE–Some have fallen and some stand tall, which is the story of mankind.
Any pilgrimage to Easter Island, a.k.a. Rapa Nui, must begin at the Rano Raraku quarry where almost all the majestic moai (carvings) were made. Visitors can see nearly 400 of the island’s 887 moais in various stages of artistic endeavor on a healthy hike through Rano Raraku.
Some moai look out towards the ocean, others are horizontal on the ground. I saw one moai tucked in the crevice of a volcanic cliff. Scattered across the [...]
Feb. 14, 2012
VALPARAISO, Chile—-There is a love of stuff and stuff of love. This was found to be true on my recent visit to “La Sebastiana,” the playful house of Chilean poet and writer Pablo Neruda.
The Nobel Prize winning author died in the autumn of 1973 and his five-story home which overlooks the Pacific Ocean has turned into a highly stimulating museum. “La Sebastiana” gets its name from Sebastian Collado, a Spaniard who built the home as a place to live after his children were married. One vision was to construct the third floor as a bird cage. Collado died before his dream was realized. Life can turn that way.
A mutual poet friend connected [...]
