The biggest collection of standing moai on the island is Tongariki, along a bend in the eastern shore. They were, for a very long time, knocked down. They were further damaged by the 1960 tsunami, triggered by the largest earthquake ever recorded. In November of 1988, the governor of Easter Island told a Japanese television crew, no strangers to tsunamis, that “if we had a crane, we could save the moai statues.” By 1993, a crew of Japanese and Chilean archeologists and engineers had restored two moai. By 1995, the entire site was restored. It’s funny to stand there, as the wild horses roam around, contemplating the mysteries of the ancient islanders when you also know that this photo op is all thanks to a guy who worked at a crane company called Tadano and was watching a particular TV show in 1988.

The biggest collection of standing moai on the island is Tongariki, along a bend in the eastern shore. They were, for a very long time, knocked down. They were further damaged by the 1960 tsunami, triggered by the largest earthquake ever recorded.

In November of 1988, the governor of Easter Island told a Japanese television crew, no strangers to tsunamis, that “if we had a crane, we could save the moai statues.” By 1993, a crew of Japanese and Chilean archeologists and engineers had restored two moai. By 1995, the entire site was restored.

It’s funny to stand there, as the wild horses roam around, contemplating the mysteries of the ancient islanders when you also know that this photo op is all thanks to a guy who worked at a crane company called Tadano and was watching a particular TV show in 1988.