Memorable encounters with locals

[Inkubus]

We dropped anchor in Anaho Bay/Nuku Hiva/Marquesas. Alone I walked to Haatuatua Bay, which seemed to be the end of the world. A wide and shallow beach encircled by sharp mountains. Nothing there. Only two wild horses walked along the shore. I sat down and just relaxed. Then a man on a horse came to me. He was a Marqusian. He asked me where I came from, and so we had a nice talk. The he said to me, he would live here with his wife and his baby. I looked around, nothing. He pointed in one direction and invited me to join. We walked around 200 m a little path into the countryside. And there was his home. With a bonfire burning. It was actually no house, it was more a tinroof with a improvised kitchen, a wooden desk and a bed underneath and completly open to three sides. There was his wife, a french woman that came here as a tourist and fell in love with this Marquesian and chose this lifestyle over her Pariesian lifestyle. She said she that was happy to meet an European because she was homesicke right now. And there was the baby lying on the bed protected by a mosquitonet from Nono. The clash of the contrasts was overwhelming. They invited me for lunch, and we talked and discussed until sunset.

Do you have stories, too, that you want to share with us?

[Tetepare]

I had malaria and salmonella, so laid down to die on Rendova. Some time later I found that I was still alive, there was a dog licking my face, and three kids looking at me.

The kids took me to their village, where I begged for a Coke. Given that there was no power on the island, there were no refrigerators nor Coke. They gave me a coconut.

[Cheechako]

In the Sea of Cortez in the 80's my inlaws were sailing with us for a visit. We went ashore one evening and my Brother in Law insisted on buying some shark the local fishermen had laying on the beach. He insisted, although they were trying to tell him No. When we got back to the boat we cooked the shark steaks. They were the consistency of Jello! Obviously the wrong kind of shark! That's what they were trying to tell him I guess.
They also were cleaning a big turtle on the beach. They had beheaded it. I was standing there watching the head. The turtle was still blinking it's eyes the whole time. I felt bad for it. Evidently their metabolism is so slow it takes a long time for them to lose life.

[barnakiel]

After a long passage from Panama, we landed on Mangareva, where we were welcomed by a French speaking Vietnamese. My partner concluded this was not how she had imagined Polynesians ... ;-)

Another memorable one: a quad riding expat on Aitutaki sharing some limited supplies with us and telling us how he and his wives would sit in the corner of their hut during the hurricane. They would mix a bowl of liquor and coconut water and get completely wiped out.

Cooks were also memorable for another reason: that's where my girlfriend was offered a wreath of flowers by an accidental passer-by. These people rock! I am lucky she resolved to sail on!

b.

[Cheechako]

All alone in an anchorage in the afternoon, a ~ 50 ft rusty old shrimper came in and anchored nearby. Too close for my comfort with his rusty steel sides and flopper stoppers askew on either side, but there wasnt a lot of room in that anchorage. My wife had just used up some old bananas baking some banana bread. I dingied over to say high and try to find out if they were staying the night or just resting. After some passing the time of day, they had one loaf of bread from us and we had a 5 gallon bucket of prawns and a couple small bottom fish from them!

[pbmaise]

Looking at me the child, perhaps 2, realized I wasn't a local and spoke the only word of English she knew.

Mommy

[pbmaise]

My host, who was absorbed spearfishing, finally noticed I was a bit disconcerted about the six sharks making a circle around me. He took off a fin, slapped it on the water. They dispersed.

How simple was that?

He advised me to simply treat them like dogs.

[pbmaise]

Patience.

It was a Sunday. All the children were dressed with flowers and wearing their Sunday best.

Not a single child had every an opportunity to practice what they were being taught.

So patiently I interacted.

Each child waited patiently to say "Hello, my name is ......
What is your name?"

To which I patiently replied several dozen times "My name is Philip, nice to meet you. How are you? "

"I am fine. How are you? "

"I am fine too. It was lovely to meet you. "

"Nice to meet you too. "

and so on and so on.

I think I was at it nearly 30 minutes. Not a child asked for anything. There were no stores on the island and money to them had no value.