Perhaps it's fitting that riddles still exist on the most remote inhabited island on Earth: a Chilean territory in the South Pacific, 3,700 kilometers to the west of the South American continent.

Yet I hoped for answers. I wanted to not only see the sites, but understand them. How did a people with no wheels move massive statues weighing up to 100 tons as far as 18 kilometers across the island?

It had been a challenge to plan the trip to the island. Little independent information is available online about Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as the locals call it. However, I did manage to arrange one thing in advance of my arrival: an outing with James Grant-Peterkin, author of the book "A Companion To Easter Island."

His tour took us around the 163-square-kilometer island, introducing us to the moai statues. Although they are often referred to as heads, they are in fact whole-body carvings made by descendants of the first Polynesian settlers hundreds of years ago. No one is sure what they represent or why they were toppled in the century after the first European explorers arrived in 1721.

Fewer than 50 of the statues have been re-erected by archaeologists, and the most impressive of these are at a site where 15 huge moai stand on a long platform. With their backs to the sea, they make the spot a favorite place to watch the sunrise.

Just down the road is the National Park of Rano Raraku, the quarry where the moai were carved. A path winds among 400 statues, which are completed to varying degrees. Whatever their reason, there is no doubt that workers stopped making them earlier than they had planned.

Most of the moai are buried up to the neck, giving the impression that they are nothing more than heads. One, lying on its back, measures a massive 21 meters in length. Another has a picture of a European sailing ship scratched onto its belly. One depicts the moai kneeling, the only one known to have legs.

While on the island, I also toured by myself. As I wandered around, getting lost on the bumpy roads, I learned that the island has much more to offer than just moai. I saw volcanic craters, explored a lava tube, and swam off a sandy beach. The beach was one of the few places with trees, and the palms had to be imported from overseas.

Just who is responsible for the deforestation of the island is another matter of debate. Some believe the first settlers cleared too much for farming, and inadvertently brought about the end of their civilization. Others blame the moai, believing the trees were cut to make sleds to move them. The reality is that no one knows for sure.

My trip was almost over and I had found no answers. So I returned to the Rano Raraku quarry for one last look. There, alone among the moai, I said goodbye to a fascinating place and its lost culture. It seems that the stone lips will never give up their secrets, but they are still one of the world's most remarkable sights.