Fuel Crisis in Tarawa

On November 29th the island literally ran out of fuel. A boat arrives each month to replenish Tarawa’s fuel supply but this time it did not arrive in time.

Service stations started rationing petrol a few days before in anticipation of the crisis and by Friday evening there was no petrol to be had anywhere in South Tarawa--the home of 50,000 people and half the population of this archipelago nation.



Moel General Store

I didn’t really feel the full consequences of the situation until I was in Moel, the largest supermarket, and the power went out. I had already been to another supermarket without power where a young boy tried to help me find products by shadowing me with a lantern. I was in the check-out line at Moel when their power went out which meant we could not purchase anything as they use an electronic scanning system. Luckily I had enough petrol to get home to a house without water, electricity or Internet as all services are powered by fuel.

Empty Road

On the bright side, stores that still add up your purchases with pencil and paper were overcrowded, frozen foods were already defrosted, the streets were empty of buses and cars creating a more dust free, peaceful environment.

Some people I spoke to attribute the crisis to the recent increase in the number of personal vehicles. Now that the road is being converted from pothole ridden coral powder to a smooth tarred road, more and more people are investing in cars.  I just wonder if it might be a good idea for government to start investing more in solar energy. Otherwise the mighty Hercules may need to bring along a friend to help meet the growing demand for fuel here.

Fuel God

 

Give Them Toilets!

I came back to Tarawa just in time for World Toilet Day. I have to admit that this is the first time I have ever even heard of the day. Apparently World Toilet Day has long been observed on the 19^th of November but was just made an official United Nations Day this year.  Can you believe that 2.5 billion people on the planet still do not have access to toilets! More people have mobile phones.

Cutest dancers

 

There were many speeches on this special day in various other places around the world but it looks like the most fun was had in Kiribati where open defecation rates are among the highest.

 

Best song writers

 

Local VIPs attended the celebration in Bairiki Square and talented iKiribati performed dances and others wrote songs to commemorate the day. 

 

 

Some of those interviewed claimed that it is hard to break through the ‘poo taboo’ and get people to talk openly "about faeces and how faecal matter can affect your health." Honestly, who would want to talk about such a subject? Yuck!

 

My view is talk less and focus on speeding up the delivery of  toilets and water that is actually safe to wash your hands with.  Then, no doubt people will change their sanitation practices and Kiribati will be a healthier place for everyone.

 

Feeding the Gods

Nei Rotebenua who
brings good luck and prosperity and
who turns salt water into drinking water.

One of the goals I have set for myself for each trip to Kiribati is to a visit an outer island. Kiribati has 33 islands and only the South Tarawa and Christmas islands are not outer islands. So, that leaves a lot of islands to choose from. On this trip, I chose to go to Marakei—land of women--famous for its food and 4 guardian female gods.

The trip was eventful from the start. At the airport, I was surrounded by people, who were not going to Marakei by the way but were at the airport in hopes of meeting someone who was. When they saw my small backpack, they asked me if I might take gifts to friends and family on the island. I agreed but when I got to the check in I was told that my baggage limit was 18 kilos. I managed to get a bike tire and two plastic buckets full of chicken, sausages, and junk food snacks on board by arguing that as my body weight (they actually make you step on a scale) was comparatively lower than other passengers, I should be entitled to bring more luggage. It worked.

Amelia Rose Earhart

As we waited for our plane to arrive, a very high tech looking aircraft arrived. I must have looked too excited because the person standing next to me told me voluntarily that it was not a Kiribati plane. The door opened and out walked the pilot who was a beautiful young blond woman. I asked the men on the runway who it was and they said, "Amelia Earhart." I was sure that I misunderstood as isn't she dead? The information turns out to be correct. There is a new Amelia who just replicated her name stake’s last flight around the world but this one arrived safely back in the US a few days after touching down in Tarawa and setting a new world record. Congratulations Amelia!

Our plane to Marakei flew low enough for us to see the nearby islands of North Tarawa and Abaiang. The length of the flight is advertised as only taking 12 minutes, the pilot says 20, but  is actually closer to 30 minutes. All in all, an enjoyable flight that ends with a very bumpy landing on a runway that could use a lot of repair.

Visitors to Marakei are supposed to perform the Te Katabwanin, an anticlockwise tour around the island when they arrive. I didn't think that I would be able to accomplish this task before dark when I found out that the distance was 26 kilometers. A friend told me not to worry

My room at the hotel

as I could just walk around the nearest tree 3 times to ward off bad luck until making the official journey the next day. After doing so, I accepted a ride on the back of motorbike to the hotel run by Our Lady of Sacred Heart. I had planned to stay at the island council guesthouse but fellow passengers recommended against it. When I returned to Tarawa I ran into a friend of mine on the street and she said that it is a good that I did not stay at the council guesthouse. Her uncle is the caretaker there and she says that he is a rascal who spent several years in prison in Hawaii for not paying a prostitute. I am grateful that I managed to avoid

My guide

the place.  



The next day I started off early on the Te 

Katabwanin with a sister from the church 

as my guide. I asked why we couldn’t go around clockwise and she told me that those who have tried that died. So, we set off on her motorbike the traditional way. The journey took  about 2 hours and all along the way people called out to us “Katabwanin.”



The main purpose of the Te Katabwanin is to visit the shrines of the four goddesses strategically placed in the west, south, east and north locations of the island and offer them tobacco in order to ensure that you have a nice stay in Marakei. I brought tobacco but was told that they now also accept money. There are many stories about the ghosts of these goddesses who were originally put there to protect Marakei from the invasions from the kings of other nearby islands who wanted Marakei for its women, crabs and special, sweet taro called babai.

Nei Tangaangau

My favorite is the story of Nei Tangaangau, the goddess who provides protection from those who would attack the island.  She is the spirit who guards the island and seems to be doing a good job so far. She is also the one who chopped her husband up into hundreds of pieces and stuck one of his legs in the beach when she found out that he was having an affair with another woman on the island of Abaiang instead going fishing as he had said. And, she did this of course all because she loved him so much or so the story goes. 

 

 

 

 



 







 



 

 

 







 

 

Million Dollar Tuna

Last weekend I was lucky enough to meet 2 handsome men from the US and New Zealand under the age of 70! Things are definitely looking up here in Tarawa. Even more exciting was the fact that these guys work for one of the fishing fleets that comes to Kiribati to fish for tuna. I see the huge vessels parked in the sea each day and have been wanting to see one up close.

Kiribati is one of the world's most productive tuna fishing grounds, generating hundreds of millions in revenue each year. 

My new friends are pilots and they explained how easy it is to catch a ton of tuna. The vessels have helicopters that go out in search of the tunas.

When they see a large school, they communicate the GPS coordinates to the shipping vessel and it comes out to the area to set the net, which can be as long as 2 kms and more than 150 meters deep.  The vessel  encircles the school of tuna with the net trapping the fish inside a sack. The net is then pulled aboard the vessel and the fish are frozen alive. Once the vessel reaches its capacity in tens of tons of tuna, it comes into the port of Tarawa to transfer the frozen fish to a container ship typically chartered for Korea, Spain, Japan or the US.
 

Tuna coming out of the deep freeze

Frozen tuna going to container ship

I was definitely impressed with this high-tech fishing operation which makes it pretty quick and easy to capture so many fish. For example, the vessel I was on contained 1400 tons of tuna and was worth $3 million and it only took 3 weeks to catch. Considering that Kiribati’s fishing license is $5,000 a day, these guys are really making a bundle. I do wish that Kiribati could make benefit more and wonder if they will be out of fish soon with such large catches.

Open Defecation Free Island

A toilet that found its way to the beach

I was listening to the radio last week and heard a brief announcement about a new island in Kiribati that has been declared “defecation free.” The announcement was over before I could figure out which island they were talking about or what "defecation free" meant.  I was confused as I thought everyone already had the right to defecate freely. Anyway, I asked around and as it turns out the radio announcer was referring to a new "open defecation free island," which is an island where you are no longer allowed to go to the toilet on the beach. 

early morning bathers 

This issue turns about to be rather a big deal here so I am glad that I was paying attention to the radio broadcast on the way to work.  North Tarawa was even declared the first “open defecation free” or ODF island in the Pacific and received an award for this status from the United Nations. The Kiribati President Anote Tong has also set December 2015 as the target date for the whole nation to become ODF.

I live on the Tarawa lagoon and each morning and evening neighbors wade out to the sea to relieve themselves. Sometimes they sing and I have been told this is to let me know that they are there and I try and respect their privacy.  The sewage system is limited here and the majority of people do not have toilets.  There are some projects in place to provide greater access to public toilets and I just hope that they are cleaner and smell better than ours back home as the beach just may turn out to be a better option.



Proud caretakers of a Minister's toilet.
They allow public
access if you bring your own
 toilet paper.

A Minister's toilet





Back to Paradise

I recently came back to Tarawa after being away for several months. This time I knew what to expect and so could remain relatively relaxed during our touch down on the short air strip. On my first trip, I have to admit that I wondered if we might end up in the sea but this time I rather enjoyed the thrill of having my guts pushed up to my throat as the pilot slammed onto the brakes.

The place is as beautiful as a place can be. The pure blue shades of the sky and the many colors of the sea from clear celery green to emerald, turquoise, saffire and violet I imagine must be soothing for every soul. People enjoy a social life along the main the road, which is still a dust bowl except when it rains and then becomes a river. I prefer the river option. The day ends with the sun slowing descending through heavy clouds into the lagoon and I fall asleep to the sounds of the waves and dog fights. 

I returned to what seemed to me to be a cosmetic shortage--the shops were out of toilet paper, tooth paste and deodorant.  Shortly after I arrived there was a murder in my neighbourhood. A man stabbed his X wife in the throat in front of their two sons as he thought she might have a boyfriend. It didn’t seem to matter that he had left her for another woman.   Some divers looking at an underwater ship wreck found three bombs left over from the 2nd World War and the Australian Marines and Navy flew in on a private plane and quickly detonated two of them. Believe it or not it was raining fish.     

 

University of Tuangaona, Abemama (Warning: Slightly X Rated Blog)

On top of what remains of Stevenson's home in Abemama

I decided to go to the outer Gilbert Island called Abemama because this is the island where Robert Louis Stevenson lived for a while. However, when I mentioned where I was going to my Kiribati friends, their faces broke into a wide grin and they said “oh you are going to the University of Tuangaona.” Then, someone told me that Tuangaona means pussy and that the people of Abemama are known for their special skills and techniques in love making and lewd manner of speaking. It seemed somewhat appropriate that I arrived in Abemama on St. Valentine’s Day.

On Saturday I met Don, a descendent of famous King Tembinok who was immortalized in Stevenson’s book“In the South Seas.” Don took me on a tour of the island and told me some its history.  He said that people do speak openly about sex. In fact just yesterday his wife went to a nearby shop and a man insulted her by saying that she was giving her vagina to Don just for his things.  Don’s wife is his 6^th and a much younger woman I might add. I suppose that the fact that Don does have his own Kava Bar and a satellite dish does add to his attraction but he is also handsome and tells a great story.

Before I met Don, I asked two local ladies about the meaning of the University of Tuangaona. Their version is that there are men on the island that a woman can go to for sexual instruction. What these men do is use their tongue to tickle a woman’s vagina until it comes out of her body.  Once out, the vagina is then left to blow in the wind, which causes an extraordinary sensation.

When I told Don this peculiar story he laughed.  He said me that Tuangaona is not a university

Tembinok Tomb

and does not mean pussy. It is actually the name
of a clan that means ‘spread the word.’  
He is  a member of this clan--the clan of
King Tembinok.

Abemama got its reputation as a place to go to for sex education in the late 1880s. The story is that a Frenchman was left on Kuria, a nearby island, by his crew for some time--no one knows why exactly. The Frenchman passed his time on Kuria instructing the women there on the pleasures of oral sex. Word spread to the King and he decided to send one of his 36 wives to go and learn from the Frenchman.

So, that is what happened. His wife returned and taught the King the technique, which has been passed down through the generations.

They say the technique was perfected in Abemama because a woman was the original teacher. Don also told me how the local men have since improved upon it but I can’t tell you because it is a secret.

Trek to North Tarawa

The island of Tarawa is actually a series of island atolls in close proximity. I live in South Tarawa where 5 main islands are connected by causeways. There are many more islands in North Tarawa and because of the labyrinth of crossings from island to island there are no causeways or bridges from Buota all the way to Abaokoro—a distance of about 10 miles. The only way to get to Abaokoro, the capital of North Tarawa, is by boat, on foot during low tide or to swim. I decided to go by foot and make an adventure out of it.   

 I planned my trip carefully so as to be able to make the majority of crossings between islands during low tide. I left South Tarawa in the evening after work when the tide was in so I took a local canoe to the island of Abatao where I spent the night in a Buia—traditional Kiribati house—and waited for the morning low tides.

The trek began on Saturday around 8 a.m.  Villagers came out to meet me along the road and one lady even invited me to her Kava bar. 

I made 2 crossings where the water was up to my waist before reaching Tabuki Retreat Lodge where I stopped for a coffee break and picked up my 2 guides—a brother and sister. I was advised to go with a guide as it is easy to get lost and it is not safe for women to walk alone. As it turned out, I did most of the guiding as my guides had never been to Abaokoro. They were good for company though and at getting refreshments.

We walked to Abaokoro in 3 hours in 90 degree weather. I counted 18 crossings but they seemed to run into another after a while so not sure how accurate I was.  My guides left me to swim as they had to hurry back home before full tide. I wonder if they made it...

I took a canoe back to South Tarawa the next day and then a bus to my home.  I was only gone 2 days but I guess the neighborhood noticed as some children called out to me when I got off the bus, “You Came Back!”

 





Bravery at Sea

Kiribati Canoe

Yesterday morning I took a canoe from Abaokoro, the capital of North Tarawa, safely back to Bairiki in South Tarawa. This is a distance of 18 km by sea. I loved every minute of this beautiful journey, which took over 2 hours.

Original 8 passengers

I waded out to the sea up to my waist to catch the canoe as the tide was low and the boat couldn’t come too close to the shore for fear of getting stuck there. Then, I handed my backpack and bag of cabbages to the captain and climbed aboard to join 8 other passengers.

We hadn’t gone far when we saw someone walking in the sea waving his arm at us. On the shore at the next village were at least 20 more people who wanted to come aboard. So, we stopped the boat and waited for them to wade out to us.

The scene on board was quite entertaining with a grandmother combing the long glossy black hair of her granddaughter, young girls singing songs, a woman breastfeeding her small baby, a catholic sister reading a book, small children throwing up over the side, and the sleeping man next to me that I kept pulling back from the edge of the boat so that he wouldn’t fall overboard.

The view was movie like with endless turquoise sea dotted with small coconut islands.

I was enjoying the ride so much that it never occurred to me that anything could go wrong. The sister had even told me that the last time she took the boat 8 men fell overboard but no one was hurt. We were hit from time to time by some big waves that splashed over us and at one point the captain stopped the canoe and waited for the rough waters to pass. None of us had life vests.

This morning on the bus to work one of my colleagues asked me if I heard about the accident on Saturday. She told me that a young child fell overboard on this same journey that I took one day before me. The captain jumped in to save the girl that was his daughter.  The rest of the passengers were women and they didn’t know how to stop the boat or swim. So, it kept going. The brave captain held his daughter up from the sea long enough for another boat to come and rescue them but drowned himself. God bless this man—a true captain.

My Garbage Disposal



My Kitchen

Someone back home told me that a garbage disposal, I mean those little machines that are actually in your kitchen sink, is required in every home.  So, I always think of him whenever I use my disposal here. Mine is not part of the sink but is a 500 km sq. body of water, the Tarawa Lagoon, just below by kitchen balcony when the tide is in.  When the tide is out, I throw any meat scraps I might have to the wild dogs that sleep under my house but this is more of an insurance policy.

I have to admit that I have been feeling quite guilty throwing left over food and edible scraps into the lagoon.  At first I put them in the bin but in this climate within no time it was full of maggots, which I found disgusting. I asked some locals what they use as a garbage disposal and they told me that they use pigs. Since I don’t have a pig they said that the lagoon would be okay in the meantime. 

This morning I was cutting up a papaya for breakfast and threw the skins and seeds into the lagoon. Due to a guilty conscience, I usually don’t look to see what happens to this garbage but just hope the tide takes it away fast. For some reason, I looked down today. What I saw were schools of fish swimming and jumping over each other to get those scraps of papaya.  I was so happy--my conscience relieved now that I know that I am actually feeding fish.