there used to be a canoe ramp here
Paro fell nose down, the body cracked. But his pukao is nearby
Te Pito Kura is a small site near Anakena Beach on the northern shoreline.
On the Ahu once stood a single moai.
But
it was a giant of 10 meters tall and a weight of 80 tons. His nearby pukao is also huge and weighs an impressive 12 tons.
Called
Paro, the giant had to "walk" the 10 km from the Rano Raraku quarry to Te Pito Kura, a great feat indeed.
Paro was
the last moai seen standing by Europeans in 1838, later reports do not mention any moai standing.
The platform is intact but
Pano is resting with his nose in the ground and his neck broken. But someday he surely will be repaired and restored to full glory.
He is in no hurry, after all he has been waiting for almost 2 centuries.
The story goes that a mourning widow had Paro
created as a living memory of her deceased husband. She must have loved him very much but also been pretty wealthy.
Near
the site is an interesting polished rock that is said to increase female fertility.
the shoreline near the site