After
days of endless horizons on the tropical Pacific Ocean, the approach to
Tabuaeran, an atoll in the Republic of Kiribati, reminded me of Gilligan’s
Island. To call it “remote” would understate its location, roughly situated at
the intersection of a Santiago-Shanghai and San Francisco-Sydney trade route.
Artifacts
suggest that the earliest discoverers were likely Tongan or Polynesians heading
from the Cook Islands to Hawaii. Later, an American captain Fanning became the first “official” discoverer, and this
little strip of paradise then wore several identities and strategic influence
through the intervening years until it gained its independence in 1979 and
joined the Republic of Kiribati.
Tabuaeran—“heavenly
footprint”—seems aptly named as the large rolling swells of surf guide our
tender into this expansive blue lagoon against the backdrop of palm-dotted
beaches. Even an accomplished painter
would be challenged to name all the hues of blue dancing in the water.
The
village has only several hundred residents and no running water or
electricity. The villagers supplement the coconut and seaweed industry by
selling hand-crafted shell-and- coconut-fiber jewelry and hand-crafted knives. Walking
along sandy paths, I could hear the gentle rhythm of waves on the shore.
Sprinkled throughout the tree-shaded path were hammocks and open-air grass huts
with the picture-perfect view of fishing boats and the lagoon. The air, thick
with humidity, was tempered by an occasional breeze under the shade of coconut
palms, breadfruit, jack fruit, and papaya trees. Happy children played and sang Christmas carols in the single school
house while the adults peddled their wares, waving hello and singing.
Sadly,
several articles suggest that the rising ocean levels are infiltrating the
fresh water supply of the islands in this chain, so the population will need to
relocate, possibly to an island in Fiji chain. I felt honored to share an afternoon in this
idyllic place, reminded of the peace found in nature, community, and family.
