Two days ago, we went ashore after the morning rain clouds got empty. We took the tender to the pier like structure which turned out to be a good dinghy dock when using a stern anchor.

We walked the street in NE direction. The sand/gravel road was hot because the shade of trees is missing. They were removed when building a wide road not really needed.

It is obvious that on this island there are more stone built houses than on other islands. I think, I saw the reason. A Chinese factory for such stones. These houses change the appearance of the island a lot. At one house I got t
he impression of a small house in Europe. A car in front of it and a lady clearing the yard of dry leaves. Later we had the chance to talk to a local guy and asked about these houses and he mentioned that there are more mosquitoes in such houses. A draw back I’m seeing is maintenance. Once the houses are getting a few years old they will show strong traces of usage and the people will need funds, materials and understanding to maintain these houses. I saw already a few of such houses with partially broken jalousie windows. From all my conversations about supply ships and supply to these islands I can see that it takes six month to a year to get things needed for repair. Most likely they might not even available on Tarawa. So they needed to be order abroad. But where? The learning process towards the technology future might be a long and not easy one. It might be easy for me to question the value of a future with a lot of technical things around one but what I saw along my looong sail, let me think that the simple life on a small island might not be bad.

With the palm-thatched houses it will be different because the roof needs to be replaced about every 5 year. The material is available in abundance and everyone knows the work to be done and the community helps everyone.

The street was every 100 m, left and right side, decorated with flags of “China Railway First Group”. The company, which runs the factory for the stones for the houses and the building of the street. We learned that the street project is financed by Kiribati, but China made the best offer for the street construction.

On the way back we greeted a family while walking by. The man invited us to come to them; so we did.

We sat with him in the shade of the palm-thatched hut of his ant. The temperature is very pleasant there. His aunt, wife, and two young people also were there. Although the two ladies commented once in a while to our conversation, they were not include into the conversation.

He spoke excellent English and lived in several European countries for professional reasons. To the Butaritari atoll he came, because of his aunt and wife, who lived there before. Until June this year, he lived on Tarawa. It really seems he enjoys his island life much more.

One of the things he explained was the understanding of time. Life on the island is not driven by the time one sees on a time piece but by the needs. There is e.g. the time to go fishing.

They live in the normal open palm-thatched houses with a special palm-thatched hut, which serves as an open fire kitchen. The burning material are coconuts husks of which they plenty. This, because they make copra and that brings them 4 AUD per kilogram.

Water, which they need to boil before drinking it, they get from a well. It’s solar power pumped up into tank of about 1-2 m3, at a height of 3-4 m. The gravity caused pressure supplies a few water taps and the shower.

The first stone building he wants to make is a toilet and a shower. His privacy requirements.

Collection of rain water is possible on this island but it requires corrugated sheet metal roofs and rather big tank of around 10 m3.

From him we also learned about an island council initiated regulation. Every family needs to grow a certain number of types of plants, which includes fruits and vegetables. This program ensures that every family has food. Beside this, close to all houses have their pigs, which will be turned into pork when the time for it arrives.

Beside this, there is the lagoon and the ocean side of the atoll with plenty of fish, shells, and seaweed.

As the people on the islands are a sharing community, they will also share their produce with each other there is always plenty of food available. In the conversation it was emphasized that people don’t barter, but only share.

While talking with him, we got 2 drinking coconuts, which a young fellow, who belongs somehow to the same wide range of family members, took out of the husk. We got them opened and enjoy the taste and freshness of the coconuts water inside. When the coconuts water was gone, we got them cracked open to eat the young and soft flesh. This is just a delicacy!

Tobi wanted to get coconuts for his cooking and got four coconuts with the husk removed. He paid 4 AUD for them. The price we heard before – a coconut a dollar. They wanted to give them as a presents, but we insisted on paying.

From him we also learned about an event the next day. Hoping to see him again, we said goodbye and went back to MaRe where we started cleaning her hulls for our sail back to Tarawa and then to Majuro.