Edward Albee tackled that "tiny speck of South Pacific lava" called Easter Island in the New York Times recently. In addition to a slew of fantastic photographs, Albees article is filled with wonder and youthful enthusiasm (despite his almost 80 years), a sort of open rumination on one of history's mysteries, a culture "which grew, fell into decadence and vanished." He encourages an extended stay (no less than a five day stay is acceptable, he says) to fully experience this island settled over 1,300 years ago by wayward Polynesians who originally named it Rapa Nui. It should come as no surprise that Albee, a thrice lauded Pulitzer prize winner, tells his story well. He describes the view from Rano Kau, one of three massive volcanoes which formed the island:
"The interior lake is very large, and the view from the rim (where the petroglyphs are) straight down to the ocean is thrilling. Watch out for the wind, though. It can be fierce up there. It occurred to me that if I wasn't careful I was in danger of plunging down the craggy cliffs into the ocean, but I was, and so I didn't. Aside from the petroglyphs you'll also find the ancient town of Orongo — round stone houses from a millennium ago."
Albee refers often to Shawn McLaughlin's "The Complete Guide to Easter Island" to flesh out the history of the island, and finishes up with a warning not to dawdle, and this quotation from McLaughlin's book:
"What really makes Easter Island unique among the ancient places of the world is its preservation of the lifecycle of Neolithic ritual. Most realms of antiquity, like Pompeii or Machu Picchu, are frozen in time or represent the final manifestation of a culture, its zenith. But on Easter Island you can see the birth, life, and death of the ancient culture — the womb of the moai in the statue quarry, the stately triumph of the moai on their platforms, and the solemn (some might say pitiful) decadence of their fall from grace ... the moai lying deaf, dumb, and blind in the volcanic dust whence they came."
