Approximately 600 moais were carved from the volcanic rock of this cone - all similar yet unique in their features, form and size. I was particularly fascinated to see several moais still lying in situ, attached to the original rock. Some of the moais are buried in the ground up to their necks. I climbed to the very highest point of Rano Raraku and on the inside of the cone in the crater is a beautiful lake but also about 70-80 moais buried, or fallen on the inside slopes. At Ahu Tongariki just near Rano Raraku there is a huge ahu where Japanese archaeologists have re-erected 15 moais.
Easter Island is definitely a fascinating place to visit.
There are more unanswered questions about the Easter Islanders than answers. The amount of time taken to carve a single moai must have been phenomenal and then they had to be moved many kilometers to the ahus. Then it was on to Tahiti, Auckland, New Zealand and finally Sydney, Australia. I spent a very relaxing 5 weeks in Australia with my family and friends and then flew back into Santiago, Chile mid-January. I hope my computer equipment continues to perform reliably.