KIRIBATI 29th December 2011
Posted by Michael Lewis on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday eve, and we are around our friend's place getting some internet access. Still a bit slow, but not too bad.
We had an easy 6 day trip for the 720 miles from Funafuti to Tarawa, slowing down on the last day so that we would arrive at dawn instead of the middle of the night.
Easy entry into the lagoon, then anchored off Betio (pronounced Beso) and cleared customs immigration, & health, & chased down quarantine the next day.
Did some shopping, internet cafe - the usual things and after a few days we moved along the lagoon to Bairiki island to get a bit more protection as our bows had been pitching under the water! There is a lot of fetch across the lagoon so quite choppy. Filled up some jerrycans with fuel at the service station & met a lady who offered to show us around, & later offered us Xmas lunch with her family. Much appreciated. She is of course our new best friend in Kiribati, taking us shopping, touring war relics, letting us use her computer & internet,and generally being very helpful.
The day after Xmas we visited a big dancing celebration, teams of 40 - 100 odd people all dressed up in traditional costumes, singing, playing large communal drums, & dancing, trying to outdo each other with enthusiasm. It was electrifying, noisy, beautiful,emotional - lovely to see that traditional Pacific culture is alive & well in Kiribati, & it has been a highlight of our time here.
Moved the boat yet again further into the lagoon, better protected, but half a mile dinghy ride to get ashore. Have to watch the tide or it is a long walk in shallow water carrying the dinghy. Today's speciality was seeing 7 outrigger canoes sailing in the lagoon to go fishing. One came past us later with a free fish for our lunch - lovely. Also had a small fish swim up our engine cooling water inlet & stop the water flow - had to have a quick swim over the side & push a flexible rod up the pie to clear the blockage. Hope to get permission to visit some northern islands on our way to the Marshall Islands.
More later,
Love from Mike & Gay
We had an easy 6 day trip for the 720 miles from Funafuti to Tarawa, slowing down on the last day so that we would arrive at dawn instead of the middle of the night.
Easy entry into the lagoon, then anchored off Betio (pronounced Beso) and cleared customs immigration, & health, & chased down quarantine the next day.
Did some shopping, internet cafe - the usual things and after a few days we moved along the lagoon to Bairiki island to get a bit more protection as our bows had been pitching under the water! There is a lot of fetch across the lagoon so quite choppy. Filled up some jerrycans with fuel at the service station & met a lady who offered to show us around, & later offered us Xmas lunch with her family. Much appreciated. She is of course our new best friend in Kiribati, taking us shopping, touring war relics, letting us use her computer & internet,and generally being very helpful.
The day after Xmas we visited a big dancing celebration, teams of 40 - 100 odd people all dressed up in traditional costumes, singing, playing large communal drums, & dancing, trying to outdo each other with enthusiasm. It was electrifying, noisy, beautiful,emotional - lovely to see that traditional Pacific culture is alive & well in Kiribati, & it has been a highlight of our time here.
Moved the boat yet again further into the lagoon, better protected, but half a mile dinghy ride to get ashore. Have to watch the tide or it is a long walk in shallow water carrying the dinghy. Today's speciality was seeing 7 outrigger canoes sailing in the lagoon to go fishing. One came past us later with a free fish for our lunch - lovely. Also had a small fish swim up our engine cooling water inlet & stop the water flow - had to have a quick swim over the side & push a flexible rod up the pie to clear the blockage. Hope to get permission to visit some northern islands on our way to the Marshall Islands.
More later,
Love from Mike & Gay
