Photo Gallery - November 2003
Second Half!
Pictures can be clicked to see a large
version of the image.
Some
of the huts at Keuea village. We spent a wonderful week at Keuea and enjoyed it
very much as the people were extra friendly and even held a big party to welcome
all the cruisers.
One
of the best things about Keuea was the kids. The boat kids and the local kids
ended up playing together a lot more then we have usually seen. This might be
because there were so many kids there and in groups kids often find it easier to
play then when there is only one visiting kid.
This
man is husking drinking nuts. There was hardly a moment when we were ashore (we
meaning all of the yachties as there was between 5 and 7 boats here where even
one boat was unheard of at this village) when the villagers weren't offering us
bananas, other fruits and especially drinking nuts.
A
grou of women at Keuea shooting the breeze in the sand.
Here
you can see Tom from "Roxanne" opening a drinking nut (which has
already been husked) for Jonah and Jack.
Jill
was wonderful to us while we were at Butaritari. She was at the tail end of a 2
year Peace Corps contract at Keuea and was going to take some time off and visit
New Zealand after she leaves Butaritari. Jill was fluent in Gilbertese (the
local language) and made our visit to Butaritari even more of a pleasure then it
otherwise would have been.
This
open central area was right in front of Jill's hut and was the meeting area for
all the cruiser's and was also the children's playground.
The
Maneaba (maan-ee-abba) is the village meeting house, location for village events
like weddings and is the largest structure in a Gilbertese village.
The
kids playing on the beach at Keuea. At low tide the water here was incredibly
hot, most likley because it is very shallow out almost a mile (as in 3ft deep)
and the equatorial sun is mercilessly hot. I never did get a thermometer to
measure it but I estimate it was easily 95F.
The
boat kids and the village kids play "limbo".
Jonah
never really did care about the rules and just stoops to go under. He had a
wonderful time playing in the village the whole week we were at Keuea. Boat
kids are (from left): Oliver and Rebecca (Athanor), Jill (Peace Corps, not a
boat kid), Tristan and Jack (Roxanne), Jessica (Infidien) Jonah in yellow shirt
bent over.
The
"Welcome To Keuea" celebration ceremony begins. At left is the Master
of Ceremonies representing the village headman, at right is Jill from the Peace
Corps who acted as our guide, friend and interpreter for the evening's
festivities. Seated to her left is the village headman. Photo courtesy of "Infidien".
A
group of children at the "Welcome to Keuea" celebration. Photo
courtesy of "Infidien".
Once
we were each issued flower headdresses several of the village elders gave brief
speeches welcoming us to their island and village. From left are Eddie of "Athanor",
Jim and Jenette of "Dancer" and Kate and Jordan. Photo courtesy of
"White Hawk".
Kate,
Jordan and Jonah wearing our headdresses (a gift of the villagers) at the
"Welcome to Keuea" celebration. Photo courtesy of "Infidien".
Part
of the row of visiting cruisers who as a group were the guests of honor. From
left are Jessica and her mom Patty from "Infidien" and Lynette and
John from "White Hawk". Photo courtesy of "White Hawk".
After
the welcoming speeches an impressive array of local foods are laid out in front
of us and covered with cloths. Photo courtesy of "Infidien".
The
crew of "Infidien". From left Rick, Jessica and Patty. Photo courtesy
of "White Hawk".
Once
the initial welcoming speeches were concluded, we were instructed to dig
in. Photo courtesy of "Infidien".
Some
of the loical villagers performing their traditional dances for us. Coconuts in
the foreground are for drinking. Photo courtesy of "Infidien".
This
dance was performed only by the men. Photo courtesy of "Infidien".
Another
shot of the villagers doing one of their traditional dances. Photo courtesy of
"Infidien".
A
typical South Seas scene. The outside (ocean side) coast of Butaritari just
across from Keuea village. Photo courtesy of "White Hawk".
Two
girls at the Keuea village. Photo courtesy of "White Hawk".
A
trio of young men from Keuea in their sailing canoe. Photo courtesy of
"White Hawk".
One
of many coconut crabs from Butaritari. The Kueua villagers not only gave us
crabs on several occasions, but took several cruisers on a crab hunting
expedition. Photo courtesy of "White Hawk".
Jordan
and Jonah in the Queen Jane's sailing dinghy at Butaritari.
Jonah
at the helm of the dinghy.
Kate
hosted a kids sing-a-long on the Queen Jane one day at Butaritari. From
left is Becka of "Athanor", Jessica of "Infidien" and Jonah.
At
the sing-a-long. From left are Ollie of "Athanor", Tristan of
"Roxanne" and Kate.
Special treat, listen to "Star Spangled
Banner" sung by Kate and the Kids!
Two
days before we left Keuea village, an invasion force of Chinese fisherman
arrived in two ships and quickly launched over 35 of these little red fishing
skiffs. They then proceeded to transfer all manner of gear and equipment to a
stretch of beach about a mile South of the village. Later we learned they were
here to fish for Grouper in the lagoon with the permission of the central
government at Tarawa (no doubt in exchange for a small cash fee paid to one of
the government beurocrats there).
On
the day before we left the villagers presented each of the boat kids with a
shell necklace Really the kids were the primary reason we were all given such a
warm welcome here. None of the villagers had ever seen any white children,
though they most had seen european adults. The boat kids really had a wonderful
time with the local children and both groups of kids really got a lot out of
it.
Calalin
Island sits at the entrance to the pass into Majuro lagoon, (the capital of the
Marshall Islands). We left Butaritari with a 10k breeze which died after 4 or 5
hours leaving us to motorsail the remaining 48 hours.
This
picture shows some of the incredibly massive breakers formed when the huge but
gentle swells from the North encountered the shallow waters on either side of
the pass.
Another
view of the massive swells breaking on the shallows to the East of the pass. The
other side of the pass looked exactly the same only there is no little island
there, just reef.
This
view is just inside the pass and shows the massive swells which did not break
(the water was not quite shallow enough) so they just roll on through.
Debbie
and Jeff of "Sailor's Run" at the Thanksgiving dinner held at the
Outrigger Resort Hotel. We arrived at Majuro the day before Thanksgiving and
several of the crews from American boats took advantage of the air conditioned
comfort of the Outrigger's restaurant to celebrate Thanksgiving. We first met
Debbie and Jeff in 2001 in the Marquesas Islands after coming across from Mexico
and met them again in Tarawa in October.
Lynn
from "Roxanne" and Debbie at the dinner.
Tom
of "Roxanne" and Dorothy of "Dirty Dotty". We met Tom and
Lynn at Butaritari just a few weeks ago and their two boys Tristan and Jack
spent lots of time playing with Jonah while we were there.
The
kids end of the table with Jack, Jonah and Tristan playing while the adults
talked and ate. Jonah had a huge turkey leg for dinner, Jack had a nice
selection of items from the buffet and Tristan had bread and white rice. Kids
are funny!
Mark
of "Dirty Dotty" and Jim of "Navi-Gator". Jim (who sailed to
Majuro from Vanuatu on Navi-Gator) is in Majuro boat-sitting his parents boat
while they are back home in the US visiting the rest of the family.
Dorothy
and Kate in animated conversation.
The
buffet at the Outrigger Resort. For us this was first class living and a rare
treat. Just being in an air-conditioned room was incredible enough, but a buffet
with 4 different kinds of salad, turkey and all the fixins was almost too much
to believe after the last few months.
Jonah
sleeps peacefully the morning after Thanksgiving.
