A sample of my forthcoming book.

Ancient Tattoo Revival.

I watched the tiny subtropical island of Rapa Nui come into sight from the plane window. I could see boats anchored off-shore as there is no harbour on the island. I looked carefully for the boat on which I’d be leaving this island to crew for 24 days on our voyage to Tahiti.

We flew over the SV Traveledge which was bobbing around, her sails down, anchored in a bay area off the rocky coastline with just a few other boats . The plane descended to land skimming close to Hanga Roa onto the tiny runway. As my plane landed, a violent storm was arriving too. This meant that the professional crew from eXXpedition were not able to visit land whilst anchored off shore.

The wind reached 50 knots that night which ship-wrecked the two boats either side of EXXpedition’s vessel SV Traveledge. During the storm that night, the skipper, Anna, was forced by the extreme conditions, to move the boat to safety. She stood on the bow of the boat as the wind howled through the rigging, cutting the anchor chain off with an angle grinder in order to move to a more sheltered bay. She succeeded, the boat avoiding the grim fate (including a tragic fatality) which befell the neighbouring boats.  

We left the plane down a well worn set of steps onto an open tarmacked area adjacent to a wooden hut with a grass roof, which served as the terminal for both arrivals and departures. Immediately inside the hut was our baggage, my hostel shuttle driver was waiting with a colourful flower garland for me. I donned it around my neck and happily sat on my rucksack while he waited for more passengers.

Checking-in to the hostel was easy, it was a cheap place compared with others at £60 per night. It can be an expensive island as roughly 70% of food and goods are imported from the mainland. Rapa Nui is Chilean by government. I had treated myself to good accommodation in Santiago so now was time to get used to some more basic living. I planned to explore as much as I could while on the island so I just needed somewhere to store luggage and rest.

I dumped my bags in the room and walked into Hanga Roa guessing where to go as there weren’t many roads on the island. I just wanted to see the ocean and eat something before sleeping. I had to catch a glimpse of where I had arrived. It felt like a moment of reflection for all the hard work I’d put in and committing to opportunities I’d been given. My path had never been simple or easy but my determination and drive had carried me through to the first moment in my life where I could stop and feel proud of myself. It was a realisation that actually choked me up; I had to go that far to realise my potential and what I can achieve with my passion.

When I’m travelling watching landscapes roll past a car, train or plane window I remember that young, content, child-self watching the road through our bus window, all those years past, when our family lived freely and on a constant adventure.

I had been researching the Moai and wanted to find a historian to learn local knowledge and accurate history about these wonders of the world. Resources online were limited and wifi was new to Rapa Nui so the best information was to be found on foot trying to find a recommended historian and anyone tattooing on the island. I had made no prior contacts so I didn’t want to waste any time before getting out there and meeting the locals, despite not sleeping on the plane.

I was now running on excitement about my geographical location and the opportunity to spot a Moai head before I could bear to lay mine on a pillow for a long, overdue sleep.