Easter Island Gets Its First Taxi !

The article from Easter Island's newspaper is fun, upbeat and optimistic to the point of sounding like propaganda. It describes with pride the advent of taxicabs on Easter Island, one of the most remote places on Earth. Anything that isn't made on the island has to be shipped from at least 2,300 miles away.

Continuing down the page, you can see a snapshot of daily life on Easter Island by the listing of recent accomplishments. A new paved road is called a "marvel." An historical site was seized by the family that used to own it and trespassers are chased off with a spear gun. It seems the family never got the land they were promised in exchange. The canoe race at the annual Tapati Festival was canceled because one of the canoes was destroyed in the ocean. Only one canoe is left on the island.

But the lasting impression one gets is the joy and optimism of the people on the Island. It's uplifting to read.