2012-12-17

【Aiden in English】

        Today was my first day exploring South America after connecting a series of flights for more than 23 hours. As soon as I stepped off the plane on Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean—the Navel of the World—I knew this would be an extremely hot trip (not including Antarctica).  

        When I woke to the rooster's morning chorus of "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO", I was surprised that breakfast time had already started at my hotel, Explora Rapa Nui. We walked to the restaurant after getting dressed and putting on our shoes. My mom ordered a well-done fried egg, but she didn't like a raw yolk at all. I had an omelet with cheese, tasty ham, and fresh mushrooms. It was an excellent meal for a king.

        As I accompanied our morning tour guides, no one else was with us. I thought the tour I mentioned to my mom was popular. But oh, how wrong I was. No one came to join us. So, at 9:30 am, we left our hotel to see the Moai in Rapa Nui National Park, designated as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) heritage site.

        Moai means "the Living Face" in Polynesian, and the stone statues are carved and shaped to resemble human figures. Some Moai appeared unique, while others bore a resemblance to one another. I learned that approximately 1,000 years ago, different Rapa Nui tribes inhabited Easter Island. Each tribe carved its respective leader differently from the other tribes. There were supposed to be 15 Moai at Ahu Tongariki, the most popular sport in the world. But when I counted, it had 17. One was lying down, and another was apart from a group of 15 Moai standing on a platform next to each other. All had some resemblance facing inland. The one standing apart from the others had a unique name, Traveler. He had a long journey to Japan to raise funds for the restoration of the Moai.

        Between 1250 and 1500, when the Rapa Nui native people were still carving the Moai statues, a severe earthquake struck the area, knocking over all the Moai. Since some weighed over a ton, the Rapa Nui couldn't lift them without exceptional help. So, the Traveler sailed to Japan and toured the country for monetary collection. With Japanese support, 15 Moai could be restored to their original position. I asked the tour guide why the one lying down was not lifted at the same time. According to his legendary explanation, the islanders had to carry them down from the Quarry to their Ahu, or the platform at the seaside, where the Moai stood after the Moai were made. Each Moai represented an ancestor of a new king or the current king. It was believed that every Moai had its energy. If the stone statue fell during transportation, a new one would be sculpted, and the fallen one would be left there. No one touched the hard stone for bad luck.

        On the way to the beaches, we stopped by Ahu Te Pito Kura, also known as the navel of the world, where the largest Moai ever transported was located. It was 10 meters long and weighed over 82 tons. I followed our guide to a magnetic rock that made for a compass. It's said that this was one of the three rocks that the first king brought to Easter Island. When they came near each other, they formed a portal in another dimension and became the center of the Earth. However, the 2^nd was lost over the centuries, and the 3^rd was missed in the Pacific Ocean. What a fascinating story I had just heard!

        We passed by Ovahe Beach, which had no sand. In winter, the intense waves sucked out the sand into the ocean. In summer, it spits the sand out from the sea. When we visited, it was too early for the sand to return to the shore. It's a pretty odd and mysterious phenomenon if you ask me. Then, we headed for Anakena, the only beach suitable for swimming on Easter Island. Once we arrived, I jumped out of the car and ran into turquoise shallows without a second thought. The water seemed so cold that it set my teeth shivering. I immediately popped out as fast as my tired legs would carry me to the shore. I stood gasping for breath and heaving for air. I'd rather spend the rest of my time playing in the white sand under the sunshine.

        For lunch, I ate at the hotel. The green vegetable salad seemed so bitter that I needed to dump salt onto my tongue and wash it down with gulps of water. Other than that, everything looked good. The roasted tuna became my great favorite. With black pepper, salt, and rice, it tasted delicious!

        When the time came to meet our afternoon tour guide, I noticed a big difference in the size of our group. There were four times as many tourists as one hour before! As I arrived at Rano Raraku or Quarry, my eyes widened. In front of my eyes, an enormous crater was displayed with Moai along the sides. The tour guide, a Rapa Nui native lady, must have seen a look of amazement on my face. The next moment, she said, "Let's climb that." Before I knew it, I stared in disbelief at the large hole. "Am I supposed to climb that tall edge?" I asked myself. When my mom called for me to move, I bolted toward her and ran up the steepest slope until I was out of energy. A large stone statue was shown off in front. It didn't draw my attention until I was shocked to hear about a particular piece of information. This rock was a Moai! It was approximately 21 meters high. However, it lay along the hill and blended in with its surroundings, which almost fooled me early on.

        We trekked along a small trail to the crater's summit and then sloped down toward its center. The view turned out spectacular! There was a clear blue lake surrounded by trees. The ground looked red. The red soil not only generated a lot of dust but also helped to raise the temperature. Here, it was brutally hot. As I descended from the crater, I tripped twice, fell once, and got scratched a dozen times. The dirt made the steep walk easy to fall on, and the sharp edges of the tree branches made me feel itchy.

        At the end of our sightseeing, we enjoyed the cold and sweet fruit juice that the tour guide brought from our hotel. After three prolonged droughts, I started toward the green van. Soon, I returned to the hotel in no time.

【紅霞譯】

        今天在經歷23小時連續轉乘飛機之後，出遊南美的第一天終於到來了。一走進位於太平洋號稱“地球肚臍”的智利拉帕努伊“復活節島”時，我立刻意識到，如若排除南極不計，這將是一趟戰高溫斗酷暑的旅行。

        清晨，屋外公雞喔喔叫個不停，把我從睡夢中吵醒，才知早餐臨近，我們梳理打扮，穿好行裝，立刻趕往拉帕努伊探險酒店餐廳。媽媽要來一份炸熟的荷包蛋，她一點都不喜歡吃生蛋黃；我點了奶酪火腿蘑菇煎蛋，味道鮮美得足以供奉國王。

        我緊隨上午導遊其後，發現除我們之外，沒有任何人將與我們同行，本以為要去的景點非常流行，一定會有很多遊客前往，我真看走了眼。九點半鐘，我們動身朝拉帕努伊國家公園進發，那裡因摩艾“活臉譜”石像而引人注目，被世界科教文組織列為《世界遺產名錄》。

        摩艾在波里尼西亞“多島”語的意思是“活臉譜”，巨人石像刻得跟現代人形一樣，只是摩艾與摩艾之間模樣有所不同。據說大約1,000年前拉帕努伊有很多土著部落，每個部落都有各自敬拜的酋長首領。阿胡·通加里基“東風平台”有15個摩艾，是當今世界上最大的巨石雕像群，可我仔細清點過，一共有17個才對，第16個躺在地上，最後一個名叫“旅行家”的摩艾則站在遠處，後者之所以被稱作“旅行家”，是因為它曾遠渡重洋，隻身到日本遊說募集資金，為摩艾石像修復工程做出了重大貢獻。

        追溯到公元1250至1500年間，拉帕努伊土著部落正熱衷打造自己的摩艾石像，地震嚴重破壞了島民生活，震塌了島上所有石像。不少石像重達一噸以上，當地人根本無法讓石像重新矗立起來。於是，“旅行家”週遊日本諸地，不僅喚起了民眾對瀕危文物的廣泛關注，同時還贏得了株式會社的經濟贊助。正由於日本企業家鼎力出資，才讓15個摩艾石像再度獲得新生。我問起為什麼沒有扶起躺在地上的那個摩艾石像？導遊根據民間傳說解釋道，當島民將刻好的石像從火山採石場運往海邊祭壇的過程中，一旦石像不幸倒地，人們不許將它扶起，而只能重新打造另外一個。拉帕努伊人認為，每一個首領都有自己超自然的力量，任何人都無法改變這種神威，否則定會天誅地滅。

        在去海濱的路上途經蒂皮托庫拉“世界肚臍”，我們看到拉帕努伊上被運出採石場的最高摩艾石像，它全長10米，重量超過82噸。我跟隨導遊來到一塊用作指定方向的磁石旁，聽他講述古老傳說：拉帕努伊首位酋長曾從家鄉帶來三塊這樣的圓形石頭，當三塊岩石拼在一起，會變成地標──地球中心。遺憾地，這是唯一倖存的岩石，另外兩塊不是幾百年前便不知去向，就是早已葬身茫茫太平洋之中，故事聽起來多麼不可思議！

        歐瓦赫“隱藏的寶石”海灘的沙子隨季節的變化而變化，冬季海浪把白沙活生生地吞嗜入海，直到夏季才把捲走的白沙退還回來，可我們來得時節稍早，海浪尚未來得及把全部白沙完璧歸趙，你說大自然邪乎不邪乎？接着，我們直奔拉帕努伊唯一可以游泳的白沙灘海濱。車子剛剛停穩，我便迫不及待跳入藍綠色海洋之中。天哪，海水刺骨，凍得牙齒上下不停地打架，我趕緊蹦出水面，拖着疲憊的身軀，三步並作兩步逃往沙灘。我張開大口喘着氣，好半天都緩不過勁來。說真格的，我情願待在岸邊沐浴陽光。

        午餐時分，我們返回酒店下榻。綠色沙拉苦不堪言，我恨不能拿起鹽罐直接往舌頭上灑，然後再用清水漱口，除此之外一切安好，燒烤的金槍魚味道真棒，再拌上少許黑胡椒、咸鹽和米飯，噴香誘人美不勝收！

        轉眼功夫就到了與下午導遊會合的時候，我立馬注意到眼前遊人驟增，大概是上午的四倍。我們驅車來到拉諾·拉拉庫“槽型火山口”採石場，眼前出現的景觀叫我瞠目結舌，偌大死火山口脊背上布滿了各式各樣的摩艾石像。導遊阿姨是當地土著，一定看到我滿臉驚喜便趁機對我說一起爬上去，我茫然地站在原地不知所措，“能行嗎？”我下意識地揣度自己，一點信心也沒有。恰在這時，媽媽帶頭前行，我箭步如飛，一口氣跑過最陡峭的山坡，累得呼哧帶喘精疲力竭，這時身邊出現一塊巨石，沒想到竟是全島最大的摩艾石像，這位身高21米的傢伙正仰面躺在半山腰亂石叢中，讓我難辨廬山真面目。

        我們沿着相反方向徒步走過一小段山路，很快爬上火山湖正面。湖水湛藍，山林青翠，土壤火紅，出落得自然秀美！被太陽烘焦的地面塵土飛揚，不時捲起滾滾熱浪，令人倍感酷暑難熬。下火山口的時候，我差點絆倒兩回、摔跤一次、被灌木叢刮了不止半打乎，斜坡上浮塵滑得要命，讓我很難站穩腳跟；身邊樹杈末梢又特別尖利，我不得不高度警惕，否則皮膚被刺撓得奇癢無比。

        觀光結束後，導遊給我們每人送上從酒店帶來清涼爽口的水果飲料，久旱逢甘霖，我連喝三杯，隨即登上綠色麵包車，一溜煙跑回酒店。

【後語】

        在美國的小學裡，一年要寫多少作文？文字表達究竟如何培養？這一直是我好奇的話題。

        從一年級到四年級，每回春秋兩季的家長會上，我總向不同的老師提出同樣的問題。我關心的既不是人人熱衷的數學，也不是個個倦怠的詞彙，而是那些考試成績里難以反映、卻極易被忽略的寫作能力。

        四年來我漸漸發覺，班主任的心境，決定了學童的作文水平。年紀稍長的老師，更擅長啟發娃兒觀察事物的好奇心，調動情感，拓展想象——她們願意花時間去發掘興趣，更有心情去放飛夢想。這似乎與教學經驗並無太大關係。娃兒二、三年級時的班主任，便屬於這樣的老師。而年紀較輕的老師，往往忙於戀愛、成家、拉扯自己的小不點，能照着大綱教完20來個學童寫作，已算莫大的造化了。一年級和四年級的老師，恰好處在這般光景。

        若有一天你發現，娃兒雖博覽群書，遊歷山川，體驗過五味生活，觀察過自然萬象，卻依然下筆空泛、言之無物，你我都不必大驚小怪——寫作的門徑，貴在練習。惟有長期堅持，才會有話可說，有物可寫，筆下生花。

        此番南美之行，娃兒每日花少許時間練筆，記錄所見所聞、所思所感。有話則長，無話則短，盡興而寫，隨意而止。一路走，一路看，一路寫，一路成長——留下了遊記、心得、隨筆和日記，收穫了課外教育所期待的珍貴記憶。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2009: 新西蘭天籟之聲(Sounds of Heaven, NZ)

Agricultural Plantation (農業種植園)

Puna Pau，the Sole Source of the Red Scoria to Be Carved for the Pukao 

(無樹高地採石場·唯一出產紅色火山渣石頂結的地方)

More Horses than People on Easter Isalnd

(拉帕努伊上馬比人多 12-16-2012)

Roaming Free-range Mares & Their Foals

(自由放養的母馬及其幼駒 12-16-2012)

Puna Pau, a Cinder Cone at the Distance

(普納帕烏“干泉”採石場·遠處為火山渣錐 12-16-2012)

Poike Volcano, One of the 3 Main Extinct Volcanoes Forming Rapa Nui @ 370 Metres/1,214 Ft above Sea Level as the Island's 2^nd-Highest Point After the Peak of the Extinct Volcano Terevaka 

(波伊克“黎明之地”火山·拉帕努伊的三座主要死火山之一，以海拔370米/1,214英尺居本島第二高峰，僅次於死火山特雷瓦卡“推/拉獨木舟”峰 12-16-2012)

South Coast，Characterized by a "Strikingly, Brutally Rugged" Scenery of Neon Green Grass & Jet-black Volcanic Rock

(南海岸·引人注目、粗獷而又充滿野性、霓虹綠草地和漆黑火山岩的景觀 12-16-2012)

Poike, One of the 3 Main Extinct Volcanoes Forming Rapa Nui @ 370 Meters/1,214 Ft above Sea Level as the Island's 2^nd-Highest Point after the Peak of the Extinct Volcano

(波伊克“夜幕降臨之地”火山·構成拉帕努伊島的三座主要死火山之一，海拔370米/1214英尺成為該島第二高峰 12-16-2012)

Explora Rapa Nui (探索拉帕努伊酒店 12-16-2012)

Bar of Explora Rapa Nui

(探索拉帕努伊酒店·吧檯 12-16-2012)

Ahu Tongariki, the Largest Ceremonial Platform in Polynesia & Featuring a Row of 15 Giant Stone Moai Statues @ Rapa Nui NP

(拉帕努伊國家公園阿胡·通加里基——波利尼西亞最大的祭祀平台，上面排列着15尊巨大的摩艾石像 12-17-2012)

Ahu Tongariki of Rapa Nui NP w/ the Sundown toward the West & the Sunrise against the East @ the Spring Equinox  

(拉帕努伊國家公園阿胡·通加里基——春分時面向西方日落的夕陽背朝東方日出的朝霞)

Ahu Tongariki of Rapa Nui NP, the Main Ctr & Capital of the Hotu-iti Clan 

（拉帕努伊國家公園阿胡·通加里基——霍圖伊蒂“小火土”族的中心與首府 12-17-2012)

Fish Petroglyph @ Ahu Tongariki of Rapa Nui NP

 (拉帕努伊國家公園阿胡·通加里基——魚岩畫 12-17-2012)

Monolithic Figures, Carved by the Rapa Nui People between the 13^th & 16^th Centuries to Represent Deified Ancestors @ Rapa Nui NP

(拉帕努伊國家公園巨石雕像·13—16世紀期間由拉帕努伊人雕刻而成，藉之代表神化的祖先 12-17-2012)

Moai Fallen in Front of Rano Raraku @ Rapa Nui NP 

(拉帕努伊國家公園·第16位摩艾倒在槽型火山口下)

Traveler Moai @ Rapa Nui NP 

(拉帕努伊國家公園·旅行家摩艾)

Tuna Fish @ Papa Vaka Petroglyph of Rapa Nui NP

(拉帕努伊國家公園帕帕·瓦卡“石舟”岩畫石刻——金槍魚)

Sea Turtle @ Papa Vaka Petroglyph of Rapa Nui NP

(拉帕努伊國家公園帕帕·瓦卡岩畫石刻——海龜)

Indigenous People @ Papa Vaka Petroglyph of Rapa Nui NP

(拉帕努伊國家公園帕帕·瓦卡岩畫石刻——土著)

Typical Landscape on Easter Island w/ Rounded Extinct Volcanoes Covered in Low Vegetation

(復活節島典型景觀·圓形死火山覆蓋着低矮植被)

Paro Moai, the Tallest Moai Transported out of Quarry

(帕羅“祖先之地”摩艾石像·被運出採石場最高的摩艾 12-17-2012)

Ahu Te Pito Kura w/ Symbolic Energy Stones @ Te Pito o te Henua

(世界肚臍——阿胡·特·皮托·庫拉“光之臍平台”的能量石 12-17-2012)

Bay of La Pérouse (拉佩魯茲“多石之地”灣 12-17-2012)

Boulder Beach @ Bay of La Pérouse

(拉佩魯茲灣·鵝卵石海灘)

Ahu Nau Nau in 7 Moais, Some Topped w/ Red Pukao or Hheaddresses Made of Scoria

 (阿胡·瑙瑙“智慧平台”——七位摩艾, 有的石像頂部還戴着紅色的普卡奧“用火山渣製成的頭飾” 12-17-2012)

Ahu Nau Nau w/ the Red Scoria Topknots

(阿胡·瑙瑙平台·紅火山渣石頂結)

Ahu Ature Huki, the 1^st Re-Erected Moai in Modern Times on Anakena Beach

(阿納凱納“蒙面鰹鳥洞穴”沙灘阿胡·阿圖雷·胡基“拽大眼鰺平台”——當今第一座重新豎立的摩艾石像)

Anakena Beach, the 1^st Polynesian Settlers Landed on Easter Island & the Birthplace of Rapa Nui's Culture 

(阿納凱納沙灘·首批波利尼西亞定居者登陸拉帕努伊的地方 | 拉帕努伊文化發源地 12-17-2012)

Anakena Beach, Too Cold To Swim

(阿納凱納沙灘·水溫低到不適於游泳 12-17-2012） 

Palm Grove @ Anakena Beach

(阿納凱納沙灘·棕櫚林 12-17-2012)

Ovahe Beach Seasonally w/ No Sand 

(歐瓦赫“紅天”海灘·季節性無沙海灘 12-17-2012)

Terevaka, the Island's Largest, Tallest, & Youngest Extinct Volcano @ 507 Meters/1,665 Ft 

(特雷瓦卡峰·島上最大、最高且最年輕的死火山：507米/約1,665英尺)

Rano Raraku Quarry

(拉諾·拉拉庫“溝壑山”採石場 12-17-2012)

Monumental Anthropomorphic Sculptures, Representing Deceased Ancestors & Symbolizing Religious & Political Authority @ Rano Raraku Quarry

(拉諾·拉拉庫採石場巨大的擬人化雕塑——用來代表已故的祖先，並象徵宗教和政治權威 12-17-2012)

Many Uncompleted Moai Statues @ Rano Raraku Quarry

(拉諾·拉拉庫採石場——許多未完成的摩艾石像 12-17-2012)

 Largest Moai in 21-m/69-ft @ Rano Raraku Quarry

(拉諾·拉拉庫採石場——最長的摩艾：21米/69英尺 12-17-2012)

Outer Slopes of Rano Raraku w/ Moais in Half-Buried & Still under Construction

（拉諾·拉拉庫採石場——外山坡上半埋的、尚在建設中的摩艾)

Indigenous Guide @ Rano Raraku Quarry

(拉諾·拉拉庫採石場——土著導遊，背景為波伊克火山與巨人石雕群 12-17-2012)

Freshwater Lake @ Rano Raraku

(拉諾·拉拉庫採石場——淡水湖 12-17-2012)

Roasted Tuna for Lunch @ Explora Rapa Nui

(探索拉帕努伊酒店·烤金槍魚午餐 12-17-2012)

Dinner @ Explora Rapa Nui

(拉帕努伊探索酒店·晚餐 12-17-2012)

Library @ Explora Rapa Nui (拉帕努伊探索酒店·閱覽室)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

Chile(出遊智利)

South America(漂流南美洲)

小學四年級(4th Grade)