The island of Tuao

This island has been excellent.  We've had more continuous adventures here.  We came into the main lagoon rather than the false pass where most boats go.  We were going to stop near the pass entrance where we've heard about great diving, but instead, we continued on to the corner where we'd be nicely protected from the winds.  There were a few houses onshore, so we were a bit worried about disturbing them vs. having a great place to hang out.  They had some buoys out front, so we thought maybe they had a small pearl farm that we had hoped to see also.  We went to shore over to the side where there was nobody and the kids LOVED it.  There was a swing, tons of hermit crabs, caught a few lizards, collected lots of nice shells, and explored a lot.  The kids asked to not be brought home until dinner was served on their plates.  On our way out to make dinner, Courage and I stopped by the houses to find out more about the pearl farm.  Turns out the buoys mark a return path free from coral.  They were very friendly, very!, as is everyone here.  It's really impressive.  They showed us 7 lobsters they had in a cage under the water.  We asked if there were coconut crabs on this island, they went and got us a couple that they'd caught for dinner.  They were amazing!  They said they have no more on their island "because my cousin ate them all" but neighboring islands have them.  They gifted us a lobster and a coconut crab for dinner, and we went on our way.  The lobster was great; the crab was too special to eat.  We saved it for the kids to see, and then plan on setting it free.  It's slightly dangerous, it's pincher claw can cut through a coconut, it sure could do some damage to little fingers, so we had him in a box with a lid.  We returned to shore, gave them some baguettes, honey, and pamplemousse.

The following day, we toured their house area and they showed us how they do their copra (dried coconuts they sell for oil).  There was a cousin who spoke some English, so I loved practicing French while he practiced English and taught us things about how they live.  They sell the copra for $1 Euro per kilo.  When they have 5 tons, a ship comes from Tahiti and picks it up.  It brings supplies, but in bulk, coffee, rice, petrol (200L) for about $500.  That evening we had them over for dinner.  Many had never been to a boat before.  They've seen them, but not visited.  They caught us a parrotfish and a jack for dinner along with a couple other fish that they prepared and brought.  We had a great dinner and visit, then watched a movie in French for them.  They loved it.  They don't have electricity, so any TV is a treat.  They have a generator, which they run rarely to charge a cell phone since the family is split between here and Fakarava (another atoll about 20 miles away). They have no reception here though since it's not really populated, so they have to climb to the top of a coconut tree to get a signal.  Scary in the wind they say.

They told us about their school system.  From ages 5-10 they attend school at the nearby island of Fakarava.  Here, this family is able to stay with some family in their house.  It sounds like typically the mothers are staying in Fakarava with the kids while the men are working copra in Tuao.  When the children become 11, they go to Rangiroa for school until they are 15. During this time, the children do not have local family, so they sleep and eat all their meals at the school.  The family tries to send them money for basic things like clothes or phone calls or whatever.  After 3 months, the richer families are able to fly the kids home for 2 weeks.  Those that cannot afford airfare don't see their children for 6 months at a time.  After Rangiroa, the children go to Tahiti for school.  School is taught in French, but otherwise they speak an islander language.  There is a Tuamuto language as well as one understandable throughout French Polynesia.

They invited us to lunch the following day to return the hospitality.  They made lobster, crab, fish and rice.  It was delicious! We brought popcorn.  One of the guys was eating popcorn, impressed with the butter salt, and said that he always gets lobster, he's eating popcorn because that's something he never gets. For breakfast they also eat fish and rice, and for dinner.

They gave me some gorgeous shells that they'd collected from the surrounding areas.  We gave them some children's clothing for their children who should be returning from school in about a week.  They also had a lemon tree, which no longer produces lemons, so we gave them lemon juice we had, - - and a machete for doing their copra.  Hopefully these gifts to them are useful.  They are wonderful, happy, simple living people.  They buy rice and a few condiments, but otherwise live off the land - fish, lobster, and crabs with very few vegetables.  They have one breadfruit tree, which was picked clean.  The land is made of coral infiltrated by salt water, so they can't grow most things in it.  They work hard on their copra, and sell shells, lobsters and fish when the big ship comes.  They get about $17 for lobster, $12 for 2 parrotfish, and $15 for a jack.  Fishing sounds more lucrative than the copra, but both together sounds pretty productive.  They have no house or land payments, no electricity, and no car payments, live on collected rainwater, no investment for their work (coconuts and fish are plentiful on the island).  So their money goes to clothes (1-2 outfits a piece it seems), food (rice, condiments, etc.), petrol, propane, beer (when in Fakarava celebrating the sell of their copra), etc.  In general, few luxuries, few expenses, few needs, and very generous/happy people.  It is very fun and interesting to have this opportunity to meet the locals and see how they are living.   They have a gorgeous, relaxing setting with plentiful food and few needs.  It's a great set up.  I asked one of the women if she prefers here or Fakarava (small town) and she definitely prefers here.  "No stress."

Shannon