Tales of the South Pacific

[TJ D]

Thanks for sharing that, Jim. I think that it's really easy to lose sight of the fact that people are generally good.

Our interactions with people, both in the developed and less-developed world have been nearly universally just fine.



TJ

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by 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.

I just saw this. Do me a favor and walk over to the Kava bar and tell Milton his pal from NY says hello. Then ask him to dance the Bilikiki, and make sure he has a tea leaf in his belt! And tell him Telekom service still sucks!


If you get a chance, go to Lokuru and check out the black sand. The people are wonderful. I always wanted to climb the mountain on Rendova. And do yourself a favor- grab your snorkel gear and go to Tetepare.

[OldManMirage]

Huh, well, where do I start ?

Not trying to dredge up an old thread, but I came across this one doing a search for "Tikopia." I'd just read about in a book.

So, a couple of observations:

1) We definitely change as we get older. Our perspective changes, our attitude change, we change. No doubt about it. I am definitely jaded on a lot of my own life. I both use and lament the internet all at once ! I loathe television and yet struggle to find something to watch. I hate my cellphone but it is indispensable for my business. That's the world and ya gotta live in it.

2) As we change, so does the world around us. Hard to stop the wheel in the sky from turning. But that won't stop me from going cruising. If I could I'd go right now but reality says 5-6 years still. Could be by then there will be a few more places irrevocably changed but I can't help it. I just won't spend anymore time there than I have to.

The South Pacific is still my dream destination. Will I make it ? I have no idea. Will I try ? Yes indeed. I may only get as far as the Caribbean. Heck I may only make it the Keys ! But God willing I'll go as far as I can. And really, for me - and probably others - its not the destination. Its the journey that matters most.

[gamayun]

After Robert F. Scott discovered a Norwegian flag planted at the South Pole by Roald Amundsen, he wrote in his diary, “Great God! This is an awful place.”*

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by Madwand

You have a problem with America sending a citizen of Tonga BACK to Tonga? How exactly is this "policy" wrong? You think America should deal with Tonga' s garbage? You think they came here and learned violence?

Just to be clear, America did not send any criminals to Tonga who didn't come from Tonga, as you seem to be implying.

Personally I think the biggest criminals that the USA sent to the South Pacific were missionaries...They completely changed those once beautiful people to what we have now, they are at the core still lovely but as an Elder in the Marshall Islands explained...our language never had words for shame or guilt until the missionaries arrived. Imagine dressing women in polyester dresses with multi layered under clothes that have to be dried inside a building so they can't be seen in tropical climates. No body buggered up those local people better than USA missionaries.

[OldManMirage]

I would agree that Westerm influence has certainly had a huge impact around the globe. But I'm pretty sure that most missionary work that changed the Southern Pacific area probably came more from Europe than the USA. Just what little I know and have read - granted I'm no historian, but I'm very interested in this area - the timeline suggests it was a too early for the USA to have much influence. We were still busy setting up a government and fighting a Civil War and what not. Although the Mormans certainly got around a lot. I think they had missionaries out in the middle 1800's. And they were certainly quite prudish by today's standards.

Makes me wonder - what would or what do cultures like this think of someone like Miley Cyrus and her antics ? Wonder if they've ever been exposed ? I'm no prude but even I don't bother watching trashy tv like that.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by OldManMirage

I would agree that Westerm influence has certainly had a huge impact around the globe. But I'm pretty sure that most missionary work that changed the Southern Pacific area probably came more from Europe than the USA. Just what little I know and have read - granted I'm no historian, but I'm very interested in this area - the timeline suggests it was a too early for the USA to have much influence. We were still busy setting up a government and fighting a Civil War and what not. Although the Mormans certainly got around a lot. I think they had missionaries out in the middle 1800's. And they were certainly quite prudish by today's standards.

Makes me wonder - what would or what do cultures like this think of someone like Miley Cyrus and her antics ? Wonder if they've ever been exposed ? I'm no prude but even I don't bother watching trashy tv like that.

Actually the first missionaries came from Calfornia in the mid 1850's..took a very unique culture and warped it in no time at all. Fortunately there were a few things they couldn't change no matter how hard they tried.

[Paul L]

What a whine. Your rant sounds likr
the old surfer saying "you should have been here yesterday". To state that "I see little difference between Niafu and Tortola, or Pago and St. Thomas" just negates most of the rest of your post for me. The South Pacific is a wonderful place to sail. It is a far more challenging, enjoyable and less crowded place than the Eastern Caribbean. Maybe if you sailed between the stops instead of flying you might enjoy it more. Maybe not. Others find it a fascinating area cruise.

[robert sailor]

The older I get the faster I was...we all rehash memories and embellish them, it's part of human nature. I think the real key is that...you can only be a virgin once. Even if you went back to the exact same place several times in the same time frame you will see a big difference. It simply is never the same. That doesn't make it bad, it's just different. The South Pacific is still drop dead gorgeous in many areas and especially if you get off the beaten path where you can't simply fly in.

[JPA Cate]

I must have missed this thread when it first came out, and I was a bit surprised that so many people thought Tetepare just wanted to have a gripe. To me, there were a few things that stood out.

One, the fact that when we visit the islands of the South Pacific, not only do we bring the burden of our home societies with us, but we only see the ring around the outside of the islands. I think it is an accurate perception. However, (up on my soapbox now), if you have tried to learn the values of their cultures before you get there, you will be accepted as an outside visitor, with great generosity and friendliness. That was something that kept us going back to places, and we wanted to bring gifts with us. Reciprocal gift giving is a major part of Polynesian cultures. We learned a lot.

It's history, that missionaries did a lot of harm by attacking local values; the sailors introduced diseases to which the locals had no resistance, and so on. AND, now they don't eat each other. The last reported incidence of cannibalism in Vanuatu is claimed to have happened in 1950. There were many sequelae from adopting Christianity. The a capella music in the little coral block church in the Tuamotus was beautiful; and people making song together can be uplifting.

Tetepare, I think, should be given some credit for knowing his limitations, and if he is convinced that he would be bored to tears on a two week passage, well, perhaps he would. Now, that round trip Jim and I took in the 30 footer SF to HI, to find out if we liked ocean passages, we found out that we liked it. It is so stripped down, just you, the boat, the weather, and time for introspection. We were never bored, found the ocean, the birds, the clouds, (and the sextant navigation) all kept us adequately entertained, and there were books of our choice for off watch. When you are watch on watch on a 6 hr. schedule (all we've ever done), you're either doing something or off watch. Soothing and healing, except for moments where you're very busy.

One of the nice things about the South Pacific is that westerners experience those cultures as generous, and it brings out something positive in us. And it has changed, but the new cruiser there will do as we did, you go where your drawn towards, mostly via hearsay, and you will have a good time, unless it isn't "your thing". Some people find they like the cities better than the off the beaten track places.

And that was the last issue I wanted to mention that Tetepare mentioned in his first post: that finding possible anchorages that are not in the cruising guides, and visiting those places having less contact with foreigners can prove to be very fun, and very interesting.

Ann

This is really kind of a post script, but someone mentioned Tikopia. Well, Jared Diamond's book Collapse had a chapter devoted to Tikopia, and for a while, I wanted to go there. Then, I learned, they'd reintroduced pigs to the island, and my desire fell away. Read the book if you want to understand this, or not, as you see fit.

[OldManMirage]

[QUOTE=JPA Cate;2573807]I must have missed this thread when it first came out, and I was a bit surprised that so many people thought Tetepare just wanted to have a gripe. To me, there were a few things that stood out.

One, the fact that when we visit the islands of the South Pacific, not only do we bring the burden of our home societies with us, but we only see the ring around the outside of the islands. I think it is an accurate perception. However, (up on my soapbox now), if you have tried to learn the values of their cultures before you get there, you will be accepted as an outside visitor, with great generosity and friendliness. That was something that kept us going back to places, and we wanted to bring gifts with us. Reciprocal gift giving is a major part of Polynesian cultures. We learned a lot.

It's history, that missionaries did a lot of harm by attacking local values; the sailors introduced diseases to which the locals had no resistance, and so on. AND, now they don't eat each other. The last reported incidence of cannibalism in Vanuatu is claimed to have happened in 1950. There were many sequelae from adopting Christianity. The a capella music in the little coral block church in the Tuamotus was beautiful; and people making song together can be uplifting.

Tetepare, I think, should be given some credit for knowing his limitations, and if he is convinced that he would be bored to tears on a two week passage, well, perhaps he would. Now, that round trip Jim and I took in the 30 footer SF to HI, to find out if we liked ocean passages, we found out that we liked it. It is so stripped down, just you, the boat, the weather, and time for introspection. We were never bored, found the ocean, the birds, the clouds, (and the sextant navigation) all kept us adequately entertained, and there were books of our choice for off watch. When you are watch on watch on a 6 hr. schedule (all we've ever done), you're either doing something or off watch. Soothing and healing, except for moments where you're very busy.

One of the nice things about the South Pacific is that westerners experience those cultures as generous, and it brings out something positive in us. And it has changed, but the new cruiser there will do as we did, you go where your drawn towards, mostly via hearsay, and you will have a good time, unless it isn't "your thing". Some people find they like the cities better than the off the beaten track places.

And that was the last issue I wanted to mention that Tetepare mentioned in his first post: that finding possible anchorages that are not in the cruising guides, and visiting those places having less contact with foreigners can prove to be very fun, and very interesting.

Ann



Ann, I like everything you just said. And that's all I'm going to say !