Welcome song at Tapa Nui airport March 2025

 Welcome song at Tapa Nui airport

In my 20’s when I arrived in Chang Mai my friend and I were the honoured guests at a banquet to celebrate our arrival. In a hall full 1-200 people there was a seated banquet,  children singing on a stage and speeches. We even had to make speeches to thank our gracious hosts and give our thoughts about it time in Chang Mai. 

We experienced this  generous welcome again when we walked for 7 days through the mountains and jungles of the north (Chang Rai on the Burmese’s border)  to accompany him to some of his parishes. 

We traveled between villages staying Fr would say mass, baptise babies, we would sleep one night and set off the next day. As we approached a village,  at around 3 pm, as we toiled up a steep jungle path, we would hear drums and then singing and then see the whole village waking through the jungle to meet us-  what a welcome sight! 

They made our entrance into the village a procession ending at the elders house for a banquet (don’t eat the pork was the warning- it was raw and fermented and dangerous!!) 

This all came back to me as I disembarked from the ATAM plane at Rapa Nui (Easter Island) airport . I could hear music and singing and as I walked towards the palm covered halls used for the airport I was met by a dancer in traditional costume singing and then a band playing wonderful upbeat music and then my hotel rep met me with a garland. Wow you know you are in the pacific when you are met with a garland!! 

I’m sitting now looking out over a turbulent ocean in a fish restaurant on the outside of fresh ( caught today fresh). tuna with an island beer. Watching torrential rain  fall into the ocean with Mori on the hill on the other side of the bay. 

Thank goodness the rain only lasted a day. It does rain almost every day but just a little in the evenings. That might as  i watched the sunset with soggy shoes #i did wonder if I was going to have wet feet for a week as none of my shoes are waterproof and drat I wish I'd brought an umbrella!!