Tales of the South Pacific

[hafa]

Originally Posted by Siberian Sea

I'm an ex-pat American who has lived for years down here and and think that perhaps the "change" you talk about was more with you and not with the islands.

QFT. I've lived in and traveled throughout Micronesia for 22+ years and have seen vast hordes of outsiders come with all kinds of expectations and leave under clouds of bitter disillusion. My perspective is firmly entrenched on the inside looking out and what I see is vastly different from what the OP describes.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by hafa

QFT. I've lived in and traveled throughout Micronesia for 22+ years and have seen vast hordes of outsiders come with all kinds of expectations and leave under clouds of bitter disillusion. My perspective is firmly entrenched on the inside looking out and what I see is vastly different from what the OP describes.

I've not been to Northern Marianas, only Guam. So I can't say. But it is hard to argue that Suva, Honiara, or Moresby are better than 20 or 40 years ago. Certainly they are not safer, nor more beautiful.

[redhead]

In 1976 I moved to San Francisco from Upstate NY. They told me "Ah, the magic is gone, you shoulda been here 10 years ago."

In 1980 I moved to NY City. They told me "Ah, the city's a sewer, you shoulda been here 20 years ago."

In 1981 I moved to Puerto Rico. They told me "Ah, the crime here is terrible, it's not like it used to be."

In 1986 I moved to Long Is. NY and was told "Blah, blah, blah"

In 2013 I moved to Washington state to work on my cruising boat and have been told - AND I quote - "If we sail up one more fjord, to look at one more bear, or one more glacier, I'm gonna puke". (Referring to the trip to Alaska)

Other than establishing that I truly have wanderlust, I have always found that where I am, when I am there is the best place to be in the best time. I don't have a patina of ennui covering my eyeballs. I have stayed at this dock for 2.5 years fixing up this damn boat and still get excited when the eagles come in to steal the baby seagulls. A seal swims by and I still take a picture.

Boredom, to me, is never seeing another new thing in my life.

[hafa]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

For twenty years I have cruised the South Pacific, and to some extent, the North Pacific, as well as Asia. I've boated Hawai'i, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands Vanuatu, FP, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Palau, FSM, and Solomon Islands.

Originally Posted by Tetepare

I've not been to Northern Marianas, only Guam. So I can't say. But it is hard to argue that Suva, Honiara, or Moresby are better than 20 or 40 years ago. Certainly they are not safer, nor more beautiful.

In the original post referenced above, you mention the North Pacific, as well as Asia, Marshall Islands, Palau and the FSM.

The inclusion of several locations in and around Micronesia clearly indicates that our region is subject to your commentary, therefore, my previous response. Suva, Honiara, and [port] Moresby are not in Micronesia and are therefore outside the scope of my response.

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by Madwand

Wow, that was f×××××ng depressing. I read about a quarter of it and now I want to sell my boat and sit in a rocking chair on my porch instead of doing the cruising I have planned for a decade. Thanks.

I enjoyed the read.....found it in quite interesting.

[MarkusK]

What the OP and others are lamenting about is change. Or progress. Here are some examples of how we deal with it:

We lived on the West Island section of Montreal for 19 years. We saw a forest that we used to walk through with our dog become a new residential development of large houses on tiny lots. That and congestion in general prompted us to move 1 hour away.

I have been cycling a favorite bike loop for over 15 years. Sure the scenery has changed. More houses. More people. But it remains a favorite because of what doesn't change: the farm fields, the provincial park, the river. I once saw a bird of prey with a freshly caught fish in it's talons. I was so close that I could see the water spraying as it shook itself in flight! I will keep coming back.

One of our favorite vacation destinations in Bar Harbor, ME. Yes, it has changed . A lot. Stores , restaurants, B+B's, etc. But the core, Acadia National Park and the Gulf of Maine and the locals, remain. 28 years we have been going...love it.

And wherever we sail to, it will be new to us and therefore exciting...never mind what it was 10...20...30 years ago.

[double u]

youall that are lamenting change-for-the-worse over the last say 30 years: how have YOU changed? youall for the better???

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by double u

youall that are lamenting change-for-the-worse over the last say 30 years: how have YOU changed? youall for the better???

Well, I got older.

The anchor got heavier.

I can't party till 3am and get to work at 8am.

I now believe just about nothing that I'm told by the media or the government. When I was younger I believed most school teachers were idiots. Now that I've had a kid of my own it's been confirmed.

But I still wear the same size clothes I did at 20 YO.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

But I still wear the same size clothes I did at 20 YO.

Likely that too will change, I never thought I'd be fat, yet here I am

[thruska]

Originally Posted by TJ D

Well, I never said that we were living in utopia. Of course there are lots of problems.

But, it's also the natural order of things for a fairly large portion of the population as they get older to become very, very pessimistic. As far as I can tell from my reading, it has always been so.

But the GLOBAL stats do not really support this. This means nothing to the guy dodging bullets on the south side of Chicago, or the Syrian family who died trying to flee ISIS, naturally. But, if you look at the big picture, my opinion has nothing to do with it. By most metrics, things are getting better in the world.

We still have a hell of a long way to go, but the idea that everything's going to hell is also really not something that can be supported without a lot of qualification.

TJ

Flee isis, fleeing Washington, fleeing California, fleeing Mexico, lots of fleeing TJ.
Turn off your tv. Look into alternate news sources. Surprise yourself.
Ah but of course it ain't doomsday yet.....

[hsi88]

It's 10pm and I just stepped outside. Two neighbors have the garage doors open, and I'm certain the door to the house is not locked. Mine isn't; I don't know who might stop by while I'm typing or upstairs. I can assure you, we have more guns on my street than all the urchins in Rochester combined. Yes, that would number in the thousands. It's a short street, and our homes are smallish, so sorry, we can't hit the 100K mark, sorry. But I'm sure we could grub up 100,000 rounds of ammo- those old guys just horde the stuff and keep loading more.

I live in southern PA and live in a nice neighborhood. My neighbors are not armed to the teeth. Most don't even own guns. Rednecks in the mountains have that need to protect themselves from whatever, but not me and not my neighbors. We too leave our doors open. I open my garage doors on the weekend and sometimes don't close them until Sunday night. Used to waterfowl hunt so have some guns, but they are certainly not handy. I don't live in fear. I used to work down town DC off 14th street, at night!! Never felt the need to arm myself. Sure, its not SE at 3:00 AM, but fear was not part of the equation none the less. When I finally sail to other countries, I have no plans to arm myself. Seems like WAY more trouble than its worth. I think where you live, where you sail, and some common sense goes a lot further than thousands in guns and ammo. I don't want to live in a world where half the patrons in a restaurant have a sidearm. Most are not trained and certainly a lot of them are a little crazy. It does NOT make me feel safer, just the opposite. IMHO

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Likely that too will change, I never thought I'd be fat, yet here I am

You're not fat, you're arctically prepared.


Back on topic, I recall when I started in the Pacific I'd ask where to buy something. The answer might be "the government shop" or "Sia's shop" or "the Chinese shop." Now there's not one Chinese shop, they're ALL Chinese shops.

In many places in the Pacific the Chinese own all the outlets. They collude to put the locals out of business. Samoa, Tonga, to an increasing extent Solomons and PNG- the local shops are Chinese, not locals. And not just the shops. The Chinese rebuilt the International Dateline Hotel on NUK, and within two years the place was falling apart. The Chinese hotel in Honiara is more like a prison than a hotel. Crap construction, cheap materials and Chinese labor. I have no beef with the Chinese people as individuals, but as a whole where they entrench they take over and offer lesser goods at higher prices.

Then there's the illegal beche de mer trade. All Chinese mafia run. And they buy off the governments to get the goods out. And the fishing boats too- only PNG has enforced (some) fishing boundaries by blowing up offending boats. The rest of the subject countries let them go free after a US$5000 payoff. Many of these boats are caught with shark fins, but the fins go missing and so do the boats and crews.

[teneicm]

As someone who is currently sitting in a boat off Munda, munching on a kingfish we caught yesterday, I can tell you that the South Pacific is still an amazing place to experience. It may not be the place it was 30 years ago (I wouldn't know, wasn't there then), but it is still worth the time and effort to get there and explore. Probably the fishing was better back in the day, and the reefs less damaged, and the locals less 'westernized' and, and and.... but if you don't know what you're missing you'll still be awe struck by the cultures, wildlife, and experiences you'll have here.


I think that viewing the past as better to the present is something that most folks do as they age. Many adopt an attitude that all change is for the worse. I see it in my folks and I'm sure I'll succumb to it as well- but I hope someone slaps me and tells me to stop my kvetching and to get out there and not let my rose colored glasses prevent me from enjoying myself.


Tetepare, c'mon back and hit the Reef islands NW on Ndendo for a bit. Still pretty rustic and remote there. I'll bet not much has changed there in 30 years!

[hafa]

Originally Posted by teneicm

I think that viewing the past as better to the present is something that most folks do as they age...

Most folks do; it's a pitfall I've thus far avoided. I'd much rather be cruising today rather than 75 years ago. Anyone who believes that the S. Pacific was better in the "good old days" need only read Jack London.

[Jim Cate]

G'Day all,

I'd like to post a letter I received from our friends, Danny and Mo Clarke on the yacht "Sam", currently cruising in the Solomons. Danny agreed to copying his work here for your perusal. I think it shows that good experiences are still to be had in the South Pacific.

****

Roderick Bay - Solomon Islands
Daniel Clarke <yachtsam@icloud.com> 25 May at 7:18 AM
To
Danny Clarke
Message body
RODERICK BAY

Situated in the aptly named Sandfly Passage, Roderick Bay is an extended family village, ably guided by the chief John. We were met by his son Joseph in a dugout canoe and guided to a mooring. It was Easter week, which meant that Chief John was away and all the children were home for a week of holiday. In John’s absence his wife Lillian was our hostess and his brother Nathaniel took over the chief duties. After a few days of who’s who confusion – the look-alike brothers, sisters, cousins, plus four Davids and three Johns, I asked Nathaniel to draw a family tree. Aided by several children it was hilarious as names were forgotten, siblings omitted and relationships mixed up.

The dwellings in the village were of a traditional design and construction, known as leaf houses. Rough posts set in the earth, a plank floor about a metre off the ground and thatched walls and roof. The largest building was a shelter, great as a socialising centre and a play area for the children.

Lillian organised a potluck dinner which was really a meal swap. The shelter was decorated with beautiful bright flowers, drinking coconuts were garlanded with hibiscus and our food presented in woven baskets. We were astounded by the effort. Most days someone would paddle out with something to trade although the item they most sought was cash. We enjoyed buying fruit and vegetables. We were not keen to buy carvings but saw it as a contribution to the village.

Even before they go to school the kids learn to paddle a canoe. Despite or because of this my paddleboard was a great success. They would load three or four on and disappear out into the bay. I showed them how to surf off the beach and we all had a lot of laughs as they clowned around. It was a great week to be there with all the kids on holiday. We also took our petanque ashore every afternoon. Even the grown ups got involved in the games.

Chief John had set aside the nearby reef as a conservation area. Every day we went for a snorkel. The anemones and anemone fish were amazing. Less so was a large area that had been destroyed by the crown of thorns starfish. We counted 40 in one clump.

We took the dinghy up the bay so Lillian could show us her garden. Barefoot and swinging a machete, this diminutive woman proudly took us on a tour. About an acre in size and set on a hillside, the garden was rampant with tropical growth. The dependent children help in the garden until they are married, when they are given a section for themselves.

On Easter Sunday we left at 6:00am and went to “The big village over the hill”, a 20-minute walk along a muddy bush track. The church (Pentecost) was a capacious stone building decorated with hanging greenery. The priest was also of a goodly size. He was accompanied by 30 white robed assistants, 20 children waving candles and incense, plus a choir.

I was able to take lots of photos, my favourite being the rows of bare feet peeping out from under the robes as the officials knelt at the altar. When it was all over everyone went outside and the choirs from the five districts had a sing off. Then we went back to Roderick Bay. A couple of hours later we returned for lunch.

The placid waters of the bay and the distant mountains framed an incredible spectacle. Accompanied by loud and rousing music a crew of 40 children snaked their way up and down the field. As they marched they waved whisks over the food (fish and pudding) that was laid out on lines of banana leaves. Nearby a group of women sat amongst a huge pile of food that they unwrapped, cut into individual pieces and put into baskets. Other helpers then took the baskets to the field. When it was all ready everyone went and chose a spot then crouched down and collected a serving. We took our lunch into the shade under the trees.

After that the children performed several dances. The choreography was modern, the music was religious and when they weren’t concentrating on the moves the children had big smiles. Then everyone gathered under the trees and the leaders of each district gave a summary of the congregation’s attendance, its merits and faults. One man exhorted everyone to “pull up” and to not forget their traditions. I assumed he meant Christian traditions, not pre-missionary traditions.

We returned to Roderick Bay and that evening had another pot luck. Before we went back to Sam everyone shook our hands and said goodbye.

Mo and Danny

*****

This experience is so much like the times we had thirty years ago, cruising in the SP, that I feel the sad negativity of the OP should be viewed with some question. Perhaps some venues have deteriorated... maybe even worse... but the SP magic is still there for those who seek it.

Jim, with thanks to Danny and Mo