Tag Archives: French Polynesia

Experiential, Galapagos, Leslie's Posts, North New Zealand & Sydney, Australia, Tua Motus & Society Islands

Customs & Foreign Travel as an American Family

April 20, 2017 admin 5 Comments

Eric Rigney, Captain of Kandu, ready for Customs Entry.

The first contact when traveling into foreign countries as a tourist is most often with customs officials whether by plane or by boat. When dealing with maritime customs agents, we have a few technics: Eric shows up dressed in his Kandu uniform with all his papers organized in our ‘Important Papers’ enclosed documents case. This box holds our most recent US Coast Guard Vessel documentation, our four passports, and other important papers that may be needed, plus a writing pen. So far, our boat and crew clearances have been straightforward, although much of that ease was due to Eric’s advanced preparation and our being American.

Trent & Bryce Rigney in front of the Customs Clearance building in Ensenada, Mexico 2015.

In Mexico, our pre-contacted marina agent in Ensenada led the four of us through customs on a Saturday, and everything cleared within two hours. All the Mexican documents had been filled-out the afternoon before. We simply needed to show up in person, with those papers in hand and money in our pockets to pay for the fees in cash, US dollars (USD).

Isla Isabela agent JC chatting with Bill Kohut 2015.

Clearing into Isla Isabela, yacht agent extraordinaire, JC Desoto, with whom Eric had communicated months in advance, helped us in the Galapagos. Eric even handed JC a package from his wife, sent to us in Ventura prior to our departure: weed-eater cord. Once arrived, Eric dropped off to JC all our passports and documents who subsequently on our behalf presented them to the officials along with cash in USD (Ecuador’s national currency is American dollars). Until the process was complete, Kandu remained in quarantine. Only the captain was allowed to disembark until the vessel inspection was concluded. Expecting an inspection, having just sailed 18 days, the crew quickly passed through to tidy up as best we could. We put on some clean clothes, brushed our teeth and hair to look presentable before the five officials boarded our boat, delivered to us on a water taxi.

It immediately felt congested aboard our 42-foot sailboat. Three officials left the cockpit to poke around – one in particular asked about our toilets and the size of our holding tank. Another official asked what fresh foods, if any, were on board. I had purposefully cooked almost all of the fresh items prior to arrival. The only fresh items left were some garlic and a couple limes sitting out in the open. They didn’t mind those items, letting us keep them. They did not ask whether the underside of our boat had been cleaned of all animal life 40 miles from land, one of many unusual entry requirements some other boats had to address. After 45 minutes, they departed. Five minutes after that, the captain and crew were on shore in search of our first Galapagos experiences and some cold treat to consume.

Hoisting the Q (quarantine flag) and the country courtesy flags 2015

From the Galapagos, 24 days later, we arrived soundly in Taiohae Bay on Nuku Hiva, the administrative capital of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. Again, much of the requirements had been handled ahead of time before leaving California; we went through the arduous process of obtaining a long-stay visa through the Los Angeles French consulate six months prior. Our wonderful agent, Tehani Fiedler-Valenta of Tahiti Crew, located in Papeete, Tahiti, facilitated other important requirements. Just as with JC, prior to leaving California, Eric pre-arranged with Tehani all paperwork and fees to be ready for processing.

Tehani Fiedler-Valenta of Tahiti Crew with Leslie Rigney.

Being a small archipelago, the Marquesas did not house a customs office. Instead, the gendarmerie handled all clearance procedures. They did not search us, nor were we quarantined. Eric simply met up with an associate of Tehani, based in Nuku Hiva, Kevin of Yacht Services Nuku Hiva, an expat from Southern California with whom Eric had also been in contact prior to leaving California. Eric had asked Kevin if he wanted anything from the US. Kevin asked for a couple of garden hose nozzles and bottles of Bacardi dark rum (French Polynesia places a 300% import tax on alcohol), which we gifted him.

Similarly, when entering a foreign country by plane, as we recently did in New Zealand, Australia, and Easter Island, it’s important to have completed all customs and personal documents before approaching the official (preferably prior to the plane landing while you can comfortably spread out your passport and flight information). We always approach officials calmly, as a foursome, presenting Eric’s and my passport first. Traveling with kids and/or teenagers tends to have a positive effect on officials as we are all smiling. With families, one parent represents the group. Eric usually plays this role as seemingly unnecessary bureaucratic requirements too easily frustrate me. During this time, the rest of us remain silent and respectful, not questioning or volunteering information, giving rise to a glare from Eric. When passing through customs with our bags, we never bring fresh fruit, vegetables, honey, or meat. I did declare some pre-packaged cookies and dried fruit and nuts. They were not concerned about those items. The American bee malady has reached the South Pacific and customs wishes to protect their honey beekeepers from its spread.

New Zealand Maori carving at the airport with Bryce Rigney.

One incident occurred that likely caused subsequent inspections to occur. The four of us were waiting for our baggage after landing in New Zealand when an official approached asking if I would be willing to help in the training of a new inspection dog. He asked me to put a specially treated cloth in my pants pocket. In Los Angeles through a specially arranged event with the cub scouts, the boys and I had gotten a chance to tour the LA airport police division with specially trained dogs. The dog master explained that these special dogs are not treated as pets. They are extremely intelligent and almost ADD in their emotional make-up – having lots of energy. They are trained to locate specific substances, drugs, explosives, or food products. When they pick up their scent, they are not to bark, but to sit quietly next to the targeted smell, pointing with their snout. Getting back to my experience in NZ, about 5 minutes after placing the aromatic sample in my pants pocket, we saw a different police official with the trainee dog scouting around the baggage claim area.

Airport Sniffer in the baggage claim area of Auckland airport 2016.

The dog was calmly in the lead. He strolled around smelling everything, approaching people and their bags, nosing close to peoples’ clothing, pockets, and around bags. At some point, the two approached us. The dog smelled our luggage and then got close to my backside pants pocket. I could see in his eyes that he detected the target. He sat down next to me, alerting the officer of his discovery. The officer rewarded the dog with a chance to play with his toy. The boys and I enjoyed the experience having been previously educated on the subject. We had followed along closely to see if the dog was trained the same way as in Los Angeles. Immediately afterwards, I visited the bathroom and washed my hands, but didn’t think to clean the scent from my clothes and backpack.Two weeks later, I had since washed my jeans, but when we were getting ready to fly to Auckland, as usual, we all passed through the human scanner; our carry-on luggage was independently scanned next to us. The guys all went through no problem, but a lady official picked up my backpack and asked me to follow her over to a machine. She rubbed a piece of material over the handles of my backpack and inside then inserted the material into a machine. Evidently, the machine detected something. She made a phone call, looked at me closely, and told me to wait. Unfortunately, our flight was getting ready to board and our luggage was checked in. The boys and Eric quickly left me behind to find the gate. They would board without me if necessary. I waited and waited somewhat patiently for more than ½ hour until an airport dog and official finally showed. The dog casually approached, sniffed inside and outside of my bag, sniffed all around me and especially my hands, then just as casually walked away. Evidently, they had been on the other side of the airport when called. In any case, I was free to go and hurriedly ran quite a distance to locate the gate just in time to board. Sigh! It was an unpleasant experience to be wrongfully suspected. I couldn’t help but think that having been a willing participant in the dog training two weeks prior had contributed to what could have been a very expensive delay had I not caught the plane in time. “No good deed goes unpunished,” as the saying goes. After that, we always made sure to pass the carry-on baggage clearance into the boarding area before looking for bathrooms, food or refreshments.

Gandalf and Eagle from “Lord of the Rings” in Wellington Airport designed and created by Weta Cave Workshop.

Soon, we will be heading out to visit more countries . . . many more, of all shapes, sizes, and bureaucracies. Traveling as we had recently done by plane, the boys and I are much more aware of the process and the importance of Eric’s customs clearance preparations. All these countries will require clearance in their own fashion, cultural and bureaucratic. I can’t help but wonder how President Trump’s recent international travel and trade restrictions might impact how we are treated upon arrival. Hopefully these soon-to-be visited foreign lands will not impose more paperwork, added restrictions or financial impositions on American visitors. We don’t plan to visit the Middle East, but who knows what role unexpected winds or repairs may play on us, especially as we cross the Gulf of Aden or cross over to Turkey. Yemen borders the gulf and Syria sits between Israel and Turkey. Since Eric is our front-man, his uniform and charming smile may simply not be enough.

By Leslie Rigney

Bryce's Posts, Easter Island, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Darwin, Educational, Experiential, Leslie's Posts

Island Without Shade: Rapa Nui

March 15, 2017 admin 7 Comments

Moai of Easter Island at the Hanga Roa, Tahai site. The distant moai is the only one on the island that sports eyes!

Easter Island is a tiny speck of land in the South Pacific, created by a series of massive volcanic eruptions that transpired under water. Easter Island is basically a big mass of dried lava located 27.1130° S, 109.3496° W covering up only a small space of 64 sqare miles. The island is home to 5,761 people (updated in 2012). The island is 1,289 miles from the nearest land, Pitcairn having only 50 residents. Easter Island is one of the most remote islands in the world, yet the island is well known today and has four commonly used names: the English version, “Easter Island,” the Polynesian name, “Rapa Nui,” its European/French rendition, “Île de Pâques,” and finally its Spanish title, “Isla de Pascua.” Easter Island boasts 70 volcanic cones and three principal craters. Terevaka is the tallest crater on the island at 11,674 feet tall. Rano Kau whose crater can be seen from space, and Rano Raraku are the other two volcanoes that help make the triangular shape of Easter Island.

Satellite view of Rapa Nui. Rano Kau crater is located at the southwestern point. Rano Raraku is located west of the northeastern point boasting a small lake.

The island that became ‘the island without shade’ was found around 800 CE when the first Polynesians arrived in their canoes. Seven centuries later, the island population grew to an estimated 15,000. Around the 11th century started a rampage of moai rock statue carving through the 17^th century. These moais were 20-ton volcanic ash rock carvings erected to praise loved ones that had passed away: primarily chiefs and gods. With the erecting of these moais came the deforestation of the Island. How do we know there were trees? In 2006 a group of scientists arrived on Easter Island to examine and take samples in the crater lakes. The samples provided proof that the island was previously heavily forested, with a giant percentage of the trees being palm.

Bryce Rigney having ridden horseback to the highest point on the island, Terevaka, looking back on Hanga Roa…no trees!

Theories for the deforestation prompted the question: Where are the trees? One of the most believed theories for the deforestation of Easter Island was the chopping of trees for moving the giant moai statues. Each time the carvers went to move the 20-ton carvings they would chop down trees to roll and lower the moai’s into their designated areas. Under the increasing weight of the moai the tree logs would shatter and crush quicker, demanding more trees to be cut down. As the competition to build the biggest and best moais expanded, the population of trees diminished but the moai building didn’t stop. Not only was the carving of Moai involved in the destroying of trees, but another theory involved the huge rat/rodent population. Purposefully brought along by the Polynesians as a source of food, the wild rats dug down under the trees and crops to eat the roots, eventually killing the tree or crop. The rats also consumed any new palm growth, so there were no new growth trees.

Anakena Beach. These moai are the best preserved because they were buried in the sand for a couple centuries.

The third theory used mostly by the local islanders is a combination of drought and fire. With the help of a few Chilean scientists they were able to figure out that sometime during the time of the moai building and the rat explosion, there was a huge drought. This drought continued for more than five years and likely contributed to a huge fire, which raged through the remaining forests. So with the drought, the starving rats, the needy humans (wood and bark were used for fuel, tapa clothing, building houses and boats, wood statues, etc.), and the demanding giant moai statues, all the island’s trees completely disappeared. This left the aboriginal people trapped with nothing but the possibility of war to fight over the remaining resources (fishing grounds, water access and some agriculture) and cannibalism.

Dangerous cannibals….huh? No, Tapati dancers!

Without trees and solid crops, a peak population of 15,000 indigenous islanders started to diminish. The first noted contact with Europeans was when Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutch explorer who came upon the uncharted island on Easter Sunday, 1722, with several ships looking for Terra Australis. Their week-long anchor (only one day on land) hoping to obtain water and supplies of which there was little, undoubtedly impacted the islanders who suffered 12 dead from musket shots during a skirmish and later sickness due to close contact with diseased sailors. Likely because of the islands insignificance in natural resources, the next visitors didn’t come until 1770: a Spanish expedition from Peru arriving to claim the island for Spain. Not having forgotten the Dutch, the trapped islanders (no more trees to build boats) and clan chiefs cooperated by signing a written contract acceding to Spain. (The islanders had likely never seen written language before – it is speculated that seeing written language provided the inspiration for their own written language on wooden tablets: Rongo Rongo.) At this time, the Spanish reported finding the proud moai statues standing upright. After six days the fleet departed with a 21-cannon salute! Imagine the impression the sound made on a trapped population left to contend with disease caused by the sailors.

Incidentally, the Spanish never came again, but four years later, Captain James Cook, he and his crew very sick, arrived hoping to replenish the ship’s water and food supplies. “The British found the island to be in a noticeably worse condition than the Spanish had reported four years earlier, and it is likely that there had been heavy fighting on the island during that short period. Statues had been toppled, the islanders were in extremely poor health, and such were the lack of available supplies, that Cook set sail four days later;” Grant-Peterkin. Due to starvation, unrest and disease introduced by sailors, it seems that riots between clans escalated where moais were torn down (the last moai reported standing was in 1836). Cannibalism erupted; people started eating one another to survive. A brutal warrior, ‘might makes right’ type society developed, one of complete anarchy. At some point the population dropped to a low number of around 750 people.

It is suggested as early as the end of the 1600’s and beginning of the 1700’s due to lack of resources and unrest well before the first Europeans, the beginnings of the Birdman competition/religion were underway. In the later part of the 1700’s and over the turn of the century into 1800, the savior of the few survivors was the adoption of the new Bird Man religion idealizing bird’s eggs and worshipping the God: Make Make. Each clan would choose a single man to represent them to compete for leadership of the year. The annual race was a 300-yard climb from the top of the vertical drop of volcano Rano Kau ridge to the bottom. Then it was a 3-kilometer swim to the furthest islet, Motu Nui (the breeding ground for the sooty tern bird).

The three little motus just off Orongo Village. The sooty terns inhabited the furthest, Motu nui.

From there the candidates would grab the first egg from one of the bird nests, swim and climb back up the ridge, struggling not to break the egg. The candidate who succeeded either designated the pre-selected leader of his clan as Birdman or became the next Birdman himself.On the ridge of the Rano Kau volcano at the Orongo Historial Village site, the houses built for competitors and supporters have been completely reconstructed. The houses are all made of giant slate slabs layered up to a height of about 6 or 7 feet. To be up there was really a great sight. My favorite was being able to see the three islets in the distance knowing that at one point on Rapa Nui the brave representatives swam across to capture an egg. During this period, the population grew back to about 3000 inhabitants. However, the Birdman religions’ demise was prompted by the Peruvian’s need for cheep labor. In 1862, the population regrowth of Rapa Nui was uprooted during a series of raids where up to 1,500 of the strongest and most knowledgeable (including clan chiefs and medicine men) were taken to work as slaves in Peruvian agriculture and mines. At some point, only 15 of those were returned to the island due to illness, once again introducing more disease: syphilis, smallpox, leprosy, etc.). The last recorded Bird Man race was in 1866. In 1867 the Catholic missionaries abolished the Birdman practices. Ten years later, in an 1877 census, the island population reported a low number of 111 people.

Trent Rigney, Eric Rigney and Bryce Rigney all smiles near a faux Rapa Nui petroglyph just outside Orongo village..

Ahu Tongariki at Sunrise, Rapa Nui on February 2, 2017.

In 800 CE a group of about 700 Polynesians landed on a heavily forested island with palm trees, edible plants, and tons of seabirds and fish. Nine centuries later the same island was completely deforested, and covered with 1,032 carved moais. In May 1960 a Chilean earthquake measuring 9.5 hit and brought a series of three 70-foot waves that scoured the south side of the island destroying abandoned slate houses, jostling around the previously toppled moai statues and generally wreaking havoc with leftover Rapa Nui artifacts. After the tsunami the island was a seemingly un-repairable wreck. But with the help and interest of archeologists like Thor Heyerdahl, Japanese businessmen, the Chilean government, and ambitious locals, the island and its culture were pieced back together starting in the late 1950’s eventually making it the very popular tourist attraction it is today!

Bibliography:

Books

– Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up, 1^st Edition, Hughes, Holly. 2006. Published by: Wiley Publishing, Inc. New Jersey USA.

Easter Island, Fieldstone, Sarah. Tazkai LLC,
Child of the Sea, Cornell, Dorna. 2012, Cornell Sailings, LTD, UK.
A Companion To Easter Island (Guide to Rapa Nui), Grant-Peterkin, James.

Website

mysteriousplaces.com Explore Sacred Sites & Ancient Civilizations Explore Easter Island September, 14 2016, By: Jan
Thor Heyerdahl (top right wearing all blue) excavation of an abandoned moai at the Rano Raraku quarry.

by Bryce Rigney with Leslie Rigney

Experiential, Leslie's Letters, Leslie's Posts, Tua Motus & Society Islands

Leslie’s Letters 1-1-2017: Back to Tahiti

March 6, 2017 admin

View from Corinne’s patio with Moorea in the background.

Tahiti: January 1st, 2017 letter continued

We left New Zealand January 2^nd, and due to the international date line’s location, arrived five and half hours later in Tahiti on January 1^st, allowing us a chance to celebrate New Year’s Day a second time.

Rigneyskandu and overflowing luggage checking into Air New Zealand.

Returning to Tahiti was bittersweet after all that travel away from the boat. Tahiti is such a beautiful place, how could we possibly be upset? Plus we had 10 more days of fun before heading back to Raiatea! We were generously hosted at Corinne Mc Kittrick and Michel Bonnard’s home in Puunauia up on the hill in the Lotus district. Spoiled rotten with their incredible view of Moorea, we shared several meals with them discussing Tahiti’s past, present, and future.

Left to right: Linda Edeikin, Corinne Mc Kittrick, Leslie Rigney, Chuck Houlihan, Eric Rigney

Corinne Mc Kittrick, the best tour guide on Tahiti island, gave us and friends Chuck and Linda from s/v Jacaranda an incredible tour around the island. One of my favorite stops was at the Botanical Spring Garden: Jardins d’eau of Vaipahi. The five of us were awed by the tropical beauty of the indigenous and imported flora that exhibited boundless colors and designs. We also enjoyed touring Marae Arahurahu. Having been there once before, Eric and I wanted to get up close and personal to the famous Austral Island duplicate male and female tiki statues. The originals, still housed in the now closed Gauguin Museum, have a mysterious curse such that anyone who attempts to move them, shortly thereafter dies tragically. The Austral Islands would like to have them back, but no one deign touch them, let alone, transport them! That same night, Corinne returned home, but Linda, Chuck, Eric and I headed out for a grand sunset and starlit dinner up the local mountain to O-Belvedere restaurant. The ambiance was beautiful offering great views of Papeete below and Moorea across the ocean. We ordered cheese fondue all around – très Français!

During our 10 Tahiti days, the boys had a fabulous time surfing with good friend Daniel Teipoarii – surf maniac, and we all got the chance to spend several occasions hanging out with his wife Laure and two sons of the same age.

At Papeete’s Food truck row: Rigneyskandu on left, Laure, Daniel, Ikai-ka and Kahiki on right.

Trent Rigney surfing Tahiti. Click on VIDEO: Trent-Surf-Tahiti

Eric and I completed a bit of shopping for boat essentials and impossible to find groceries, before teaming up again with Linda Edeiken (a cultural connoisseur) to visit the Norman Hall Museum, the author of Mutiny on the Bounty. From within his former home, converted into a museum and maintained by his family, we learned a lot about his remarkable life and WWII heroism.

Eric Rigney sitting at James Norman Hall’s desk.

On our return to Raiatea, we had one more adventure. Instead of flying, we boarded the Hawaiki Nui cargo ship for an overnight ride. It was a good thing we had arranged to travel by boat since we brought home an enormous amount of baggage: new surfboard for Bryce plus Trent’s, a new used kite and kite board, a boogie board, a new room fan for Kandu, large tub of laundry detergent, a heavy box of groceries purchased in Papeete of items unavailable in Raiatea, and of course, our 5 weeks worth of baggage and touristic souvenirs. We lucked out installing ourselves in a comfortable spot on top of the ship under an awning.

Trent Rigney carefully guarding our numerous bags!

With excellent warm breezy weather and a gentle swell, we made our way comfortably back home to Kandu…which incidentally stunk and required 10 loads of laundry to get rid of the mildew odor …ugh, vacation over!

And only ten days later, we flew back to Tahiti to start our two-week Easter Island adventure . . . more to come.

Eric's Posts, Experiential, Tua Motus & Society Islands

Running in Papeete

December 4, 2016 admin 3 Comments

Attn: Bryce Fan Club MembersTop cross-country (la crosse in French) runners representing islands among all of French Polynesia: Marquesas, Gambiers, Tuamotus, Australs, and Societies competed Thursday in Tahiti. So, yes, in fact, Bryce got the chance to meet up with some of his school friends from the Marquesas. They were happy to see each other and surprised at how much each had grown. Bryce says it was a very positive interaction.

Racing for his College/Lycee des Iles sous le vent d’Uturoa, Bryce’s age group was the most populated, boys born 1999, 2000, and 2001. We haven’t yet the official stats, but Bryce estimated about 125 runners in his category. He believes he was one of the youngest and smallest runners in the group. He placed 25th individually and his Uturoa boys team placed 3rd in its category. He was pleased with his personal result, hoping at the start that he wouldn’t place last. He says their coach set them up with a strategy that provided a successful result. Bryce overtook many of the school’s faster runners, even those who had beaten him in the Marquesas the year before.

His friend, Mihi took third individually in her category, and her team took 3rd as well.

Mihi Boosie winning the chance to go to Papeete where she won 3rd individually in her category. — Mihi Boosie winning the chance to go to Papeete.

Trent’s friend, Hauari’i Cacelin also took third individually in his category. Hauari’i’s grandfather moved here from Mexico City many years ago. A very nice hombre.

Bryce and Hauari'i at Raiatea Airport after returning back from the race the same day. — Bryce and Hauari’i departing from Raiatea Airport, in route to Papeete.

Overall, Bryce had a great day and a half in Papeete, Tahiti. The first stop for all the Lycee d’Uturoa students was….McDonald’s, or in Tahitian slang “Mac Do” (pronounced “mac-Doh”). Then that night, they went to a movie theater (Bryce’s first movie-going experience since March 2015 in Ensenada, Mexico) saw the recently released Disney animated feature set in Polynesia; it’s titled “Moana” in the states.

b-trophy — Bryce Rigney’s team trophy that each teen got to share for a night. A perfect photo op.

We’re very proud of Bryce for his accomplishment, representing again his school in a territorial wide sporting event, being flown and lodged in Tahiti, sponsored by his community and the French Polynesian Territory.

On a side note, while Bryce was in Tahiti, Leslie and I attended parent-teacher conferences for Bryce and Trent on Wednesday. Bryce’s principal teacher (his French teacher) stated that Bryce, based on his grades so far, could take and would likely pass his “brevet des colleges” exam if he were to take it in mid- June. It’s a scholastic certificate between a ‘middle school’ and ‘high school’ diploma (the French school system is a bit different than in the states). The ‘brevet’ is recognized throughout France as an academic achievement, prior to the “bac.” But, he’d have to stay until mid-June to take it. We’ll see, as we were thinking of continuing our voyaging starting in May 2017.

Leaving this beautiful place of Raiatea will be difficult.

Bryce's Posts, Experiential, Tua Motus & Society Islands

French Polynesia’s Raiatea

December 3, 2016 admin 1 Comment

Raiatea Motu. Taha'a in the background. — Raiatea Motu. Taha’a in the background.

Raiatea, the present settlement of Kandu’s crew, is a lagoon-enclosed island satiated with adventures. It is my home for the current school year 2016-2017 and I’m especially excited about the surfing. Raiatea is an island among 118 different atolls and islands in French Polynesia. Tahiti, the biggest island, and Raiatea the third largest are both part of an island archipelago called the Society Islands. It is one archipelago among five others in Polynesia: the Marquesas, Austral, Gambier, and Tuamotu Archipelagos. Easter Island or Rapa Nui is considered Polynesian, but it is not part of French Polynesia. They are linked to Chile and the spoken language is Spanish.

From my experiences traveling three of the five archipelagoes, I found each island/atoll chain is different: different attitudes, personalities, but mainly the different habits displayed by the people. Similarly the geography is different. The Society Islands are surrounded by a giant mass of coral. An atoll is a giant coral reef surrounding an island consisting of numerous layers of coral. As the island in the center shrinks the coral reef grows, growing on top of the layers of dead coral. The space between an atoll and an island is a lagoon like body of water between the island and the reef. The bonus of having a reef around an island is that whenever the wind or waves are robust the island is protected. Every ten years an island is estimated to shrink or sink a single millimeter while the atolls size grows.

Raiatea has a surface area of 238 square miles. It’s located at 16.8°S/Latitude, 151.4°W/Longitude. Raiatea has a buddy island, Taha’a. Most islands don’t have an outer layer of protection (an atoll), so to have two islands inside of one atoll is double rare. Which is the case for Raiatea and Taha’a, they both share an atoll. Together they reach a population of 18,000 people, Raiatea making up 13,000. Compared to Los Angeles of 6 million the island and its population are very small. Yet it beats the population for most of the other islands in French Polynesia, having the second largest city, after Tahiti. Uturoa is the city where Trent and I attend school. We are docked in Marina Uturoa within a 10 minute walk to our school Lycee des Iles-sous-le-vent d’Uturoa.

Marina Uturoa — Marina d’Uturoa and downtown.

Raiatea’s national language is French but most of the locals continue to learn and speak Tahitian. The most commonly practiced religion is Protestant. However 1000 or so years ago it was different, Raiatea was considered the center of Tahitian religion and culture. People would bring gifts to the gods or kill others for sacrifices. Mostly, people visit this island for her beauty and peacefulness. Still today Raiatea is considered the most sacred holy place throughout the South Pacific. Additionally on the islands’ two mountains: Mount Temehani at 650 meters high and Mount Toomaru at 1017 meters high, grows the Tiare Apetahi flower that pops open for sunrise and holds five pedals on one side; it looks somewhat like a human hand. This flower grows nowhere else in the world except for on Raiatea’s two tall mountains.
Sacrifices and gifts were given at places known as Marae’s. There are hundreds of them spotted about Polynesia. “French Polynesia’s Taputapuatea marae, is a center for Polynesian seafarers from where they explored Hawaii and New Zealand, now is up for world-wide recognition. France has officially lodged a bid with UNESCO to recognize the Taputapuatea marae on Raiatea Island as a World Heritage site .The culture minister says if approved, it will be the first time a site has been acknowledged in the Pacific for its cultural significance.”

Marae’s today are used for show and tell or exchanging cultural dances. In the Marquesas during big festivals I watched the numerous performances held on Marae’s done by brothering islands giving thanks through their dances and carvings. It was fearsome and overwhelming to see their presentations of costumes!

Snorkeling and exploring of the various sea life is fun for my parents. We hope to partake in some of the known diving possibilities while we’re here. There are many sorts of desirable diving activities. The island contains some of the most spectacular diving on earth; it’s a divers dream! In each pass there exists a drift dive revealing a wide selection of colorful coral, coral canyons and caves. Raiatea also bears a rare wreck dive of a ship with three masts called the Nordby that sunk in 1900. All who know want to go!

On Raiatea my brother and I have been doing a fair amount of surfing, given that there are eight passes to choose from! All you have to do is look up on line for the swell and wind direction, and choose your desired reef pass, but we’ve found that the surfspot Miri Miri is by far the best and most consistent, plus it is relatively close to where we live.

Surfing Raiatea Miri Miri. — Bryce Rigney surfing at Raiatea’s Miri Miri. COOL VIDEO: raiatea-bryce-surf-gopro

I’m enjoying very much our time in Raiatea between the great school experience and the many local sport activities available aside from surfing, like outrigger paddling and running. Turns out Trent and I have been able to participate in outrigger competitions and running competitions. I placed well running and the school just sent me to Papeete to run against 300 of the best runners in the Polynesia Islands. I was the youngest and smallest runner in my category yet I placed 25th out of about 125 boy teens, the largest category ages between 15-17. It was a GREAT experience and I’m lovin’ life!

Leeward Island Competition at Lycee d'Uturoa where I placed 8th in my category...sufficiently high to compete in Papeete. — Leeward Island Competition at Lycee d’Uturoa where I placed 8th in my category…sufficiently high to compete in Papeete.

Bryce's Posts, Experiential, Marquesas

My Va’a Experience, Marquesas, Part III

September 20, 2016 admin 6 Comments

Day before race day . . .

I had a great sleep that night and woke up with excitement. I packed light bringing swim trunks, tank top, glasses, hat, one pair of shorts, and my pillow. Hopping in the bus, I remembered that I had forgot to pack my toiletries, but I was too excited to go on the ferry than whine about missing shampoo. Inside the ferry was nice and cool. Our group chose to make camp upstairs even though the food court was downstairs. I was hungry and the boat ride would be an hour, so I bought myself two small egg rolls. Coming into the bay was amazing the water was so clear and the color was super light baby blue. We left the ferry and took a bus over to the spot where all the pirogues were so we could set them up and try them out before the race. The group attached alma and carried the boat into the water. My group (Team A) hopped in the pirogue and gave it a test ride. In my opinion even though the pirogue weighed 155 kg, it went faster than the ones in Taiohae because it just glided.

The helmsman said it had a small turn to the left but no big deal so we left it as it was and brought it back to the pirogue holder. Then we were escorted over to the classroom where we would be sleeping since we were staying in a school. Each Team had their own classroom with 16 mattresses inside. Getting settled in was a little hard having to move all the desks and chairs over to the side so we could put the mattresses down and pull out our bedding. Some like me went to the market to buy things for the race or for pleasure. Dinner we were told was going to start in one hour. The kids bought snacks and watched volleyball until it was time for tomato sauce on rice and fish. It wasn’t the best meal but they had fresh apples and oranges to chose from. I was so happy when I bit into that apple, I almost screamed; good apples are hard to come by in Taiohae. After dinner we settled down on our matts and had a long conversation about technique that lasted till late at night. But I fell asleep at 10:00 p.m. I had 5 hours of sleep till our wake time at 3:00 in the morning.

Race day . . .

As we woke up early in the morning, we were told to pack everything up and head out with the paddles and water tubes. The teams all walked in the P.E. building so that the refs could give everyone a pep talk before we headed out to the course. The helmsmen had their own group meeting, and once both meetings were over, everyone got together to give a moment of silence to a couple of kids that were shot and murdered two weeks prior. The five minutes passed and each team walked over to their pirogues and placed them in the water. The entire group A hopped into the pirogues and paddled off to the starting line. I was in Team A. Sitting in the pirogue next to the starting line I started to get nervous. My whole body was electrically excited. It took a long time to get all 42 boats in line. Vanene Hoe!! Each and every pirogue was paddling trying to get in front. Then BOOM – our pirogue hit another and another pirogue hit ours. Everything was crazy. On the left of us, one pirogue tried to capsize us by flipping our alma, when one of our motors yelled at him in Marquesan freaking the paddler out making him drop our alma back into the water. Finally, we got out of that mess and continued paddling at a moderate speed. Then at the final bit of that leg, our captain gave the three hip call telling us to go faster. We finished in 5^th for our 14-17 year cadet category (The categories are by age: 10-12, 12-14, 14-17), the highest category. Each leg of the race was 5 km; there would be 9 legs. Up next was Group B on the second leg. Since each middle school had one boat and two teams, we need to swap out paddlers. Firstly, the pirogue that just raced would try and find the motorboat that had the other group of paddlers. Secondly, the previous group would hop out of the pirogue for the next group to get in. There was one super strict rule, if anyone hopped into the water without a life jacket on, that team would be disqualified. So finally once the next team was settled in the pirogue, the previous team would board the motorboat that would follow the team that was paddling. Group B finished in 7^th then we hopped back in and paddled over to the starting line. The 3^rd leg was against the clock. That meant we would have to go faster than normal speed to get a good place. Each pirogue had 30 seconds before the next one would take off. Our group beat the guys in front, giving a lot of effort to do so. For that leg we finished in 6^th. Then Group B came in and finished the fourth leg in 7^th place. At this point, I was getting tired, but I told myself I was going to pull this off. So I swam over to the pirogue, jumped up in and we paddled over to the starting line for the 5^th leg. In a few minutes we were off and all the paddlers lifted their pirogues to plane. At halfway mark, I started to get tired, but we kept going. In the end, I was really tired but we placed 10^th. Being really tired, I got out of the pirogue and sat down in the motorboat and munched on a granola bar. For the 6^th leg, the boy replacement came in and swapped out for the one that was too tired. For that leg, Group B was looking at a 6.1 km. I was too tired to cheer them off. For 45 minutes to 1 hour I slept on the motorboat trying to recover my strength till our team said “Bryce, time to go.” Group B had finished in 12^th place.

Note the ferry motorboat on the right. That was the kind of boat I napped on.

Back in the pirogue, we paddled to the starting line and waited for the referees to say go for the 7^th leg. I said to myself I was going to give it all. READY, SET, GO!! We darted off lifting our boat out of the water and going at a normal medium to fast speed. Halfway, I was completely wiped out but I kept paddling. I couldn’t move my arms any faster, but I just kept paddling. Then the other pirogues started to pass us. We were coming close to last when, “Hip Hip Hip,” we paddled harder passing one boat. When we crossed the finish line, I almost fainted. I had nothing left, no more inside. We found the motorboat and I crawled aboard. I sat myself down and fell asleep. I had given everything, and we finished in 13^th as well. At the 9^th leg, our 14 member team took anyone that wasn’t tired to fill a pirogue. They finished hard and placed another 13^th. The race was over. The paddlers all took apart their pirogues and placed them on the holders. Before the announcements, we ate some snacks, fruit, bread, and a few cookies.

The dance . . .

During the announcements of what places everyone got, our group practiced our Marquesan Haka dance that we would shortly perform. When the judges called us up everything went quiet then our dance leader started it: “Hoe vaka kae kae kae ha!” Our guys all walked out with necklaces on and got in formation. The chief dance leader started ‘Smack’ talking in Marquesan. He was looking at us trying to get a glimpse to see if we were ready. Then the chief gave us the cue and we all started dancing and chanting. It was fantastic! I was in the back since I didn’t know all the words. Then we stopped, the second chief walked up and started talking ‘Smack’ in Marquesan. No one else in the audience knew what he was saying. He put on a great show. All were afraid of him. The chief stopped and all at once the group started dancing and chanting. It was a great experience for me. As we were walking back all the people made way, one of the chiefs jumped at the crowd scaring them all away.

Our team was of course curious what places we scored in the race, so my dad asked around and told us the scores. Combined we placed 13^th in the highest/oldest cadet category and 20^th overall out of 42 pirogue teams. I felt we did way better than expected.

That same day we grabbed our bags and headed back to the ferry where we would return to Tahiti. One hour later and we were settled in on the boat, buying snacks, since most of us were still pretty hungry.

The boat was nice and air-conditioned so I fell asleep. I woke up as the team was getting off the boat. I snatched my stuff and headed off the ferry to where the bus would take us back to the dormitories where we had previously stayed. My dad met us at the rooms and told me he would meet us at the airport the next morning. I undressed, took a shower and went to bed. It had been a really long day.

The return home . . .

“Aaaaaaaaahhhh we’re gunna do Paranoid!” I turned off my ipod alarm and woke everyone else up. Prof Cathy Brunel gathered everyone and we waited with our luggage for the bus. In 30 minutes, the bus came and our team loaded in. The bus ride felt sad. The kids were feeling low. They didn’t want to leave as they all had a great experience. At the airport my dad showed up with his camera and shot videos of us waiting, checking in, and boarding the plane. My dad and I both sat together and recounted stories of our time in Tahiti. For the flight back each paddler went to sleep. Looking at Nuku Hiva from above, I felt a comfort, for I knew I had come back home with yet another unforgettable experience. For me it was very challenging, but I had a great time with my Va’a piers and I enjoyed getting to know them better. In sum, I loved it!

Vanena hoe!!!

Experiential, Marquesas, Trent's Post

Archery

April 26, 2016 admin 2 Comments

Trent's drawing in art class of himself at Raymonde and Sebastien's house. — Trent’s drawing in art class of himself at Raymonde and Sebastien’s house.

Video:

Often after school when I’m not tired and it’s not raining, I go to my dad’s friend Sebastien’s house to shoot arrows into a large/thick cardboard box with drawings of chickens on it. At his house it is really fun for a couple of reasons: I don’t have to pay any money to do archery now that I’ve bought my own bow and arrows, and I can shoot as many arrows as I want or as many as I have all at one time without waiting for clearance. When I’m done shooting, I can walk right away over to the target to retrieve my arrows without waiting for a bell to alert me that it’s “all clear,” or for someone to tell me it’s okay. There are also reasons why it’s not perfect. I don’t shoot into hay blocks to stop the arrows. Instead, I use cardboard, so sometimes the arrows go through all the way to the feathers and that damages them. That has happened to five of my arrows so far – but all I have to do is glue the feathers back and the arrows should be as good as new. Another bummer is that it rains a lot more here in the Marquesas than in Southern California, so I cannot go shooting as much as I’d like.
I got my bow and arrows when Uncle Nick came to visit us here in Nuku Hiva last August. I knew my bow and arrows were coming, so I was very excited. We opened all the goodies at Sebastien’s house. Bryce was expecting something special too – a special hunting knife. We were both quite impatient to open up Uncle Nick’s bags. Not only did Uncle Nick bring my bow, but also he brought 12 practice arrows with blunt tips. They work fine for practicing against cardboard. While Uncle Nick was visiting, I didn’t get a chance to practice my archery, but when he left it took about a week or so to find a thick cardboard box. Once I got set-up, I practiced archery often during the next month. However, I got a little discouraged because some of my practice arrows were getting damaged or ruined and I only had the 12 that Uncle Nick brought. My grandparents came and school other activities got busy, so I stopped for awhile until after friends visited us over Christmas and brought some real arrows. Plus my dad mentioned that it wouldn’t be easier to do archery anywhere else. I agreed with him and started back up practicing about an hour five days a week. I am now starting to get pretty good. I have hit the cardboard chicken ten arrows out of twelve times. I can even approach the target moving stealthily or running and hit the chicken drawing two out of five times. I still have lots of room for improvement, but I’m starting to think I might be able to target real chickens now. Chickens run wild all over the island and are considered pests. The fact that they’re edible is a bonus. I better tell my mom to learn how to cook “Coq au vin.” It’s the only way to eat this kind of chicken – the kind that actually forages for food and runs!

Trent Rigney all smiles after hitting his cardboard chicken targets.

Bryce's Posts, Eric's Posts, Experiential, Leslie's Letters, Marquesas

First Anniversary of Our Voyage

February 13, 2016 admin 10 Comments

It was on this day, 365 days ago, that we left Ventura and headed south, down Southern California, Mexico, Galapagos, and the Marquesas where we’ve been since June 25 and plan to stay until May, before heading off to the Tuamotus, Tahiti, and Raiatea. Based on our original plan, had we left in September and had we held to the itinerary I established years prior, today we should be in India, having crossed the Pacific, through Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Instead, we find ourselves staying nearly one year in Nuku Hiva and likely a second year in Raiatea. In the extended and expensive process of preparing Kandu and overcoming a series of unexpected problems, having experienced weeks of sailing through unpleasant conditions, we changed the focus of our adventure, altering our purpose, which remains fluid. Rather than visit as many countries as possible in five years as originally planned, we’re immersing ourselves profoundly within selected cultures: contributing within our host communities, learning new perspectives and lessons from our varied interactions, growing closer as a family, while hoping to experience as many other cultures as circumstance and desire allow. Based on our financial resources, we don’t know how long we can maintain our life afloat. We’re still shooting for 5 years; one year spent, four to go. Where we wind up, we cannot know. But what for now seems nearly certain, unless something changes significantly for us, we’re not likely to complete a circumnavigation. Instead, we try to make a positive difference in the small corners of the world we’re blessed to touch, while our sons hopefully gain perspectives and capabilities beyond their years. Ultimately, more than the sights and adventures, it’s life lessons learned that have been some of the greatest gifts so far. Here are a few learned this past year:

ERIC: “Sail the wind you have, not the wind you want” was a big one. Not that a person should feel trapped by their circumstance, but rather use wisely all (legal and morally correct) opportunities available to get yourself from where you are to where you think you would like to be, fulfilling one’s life promise/passion/purpose, or adapt your goals accordingly. We usually get what we wish for, so wish responsibly. Acting slowly, with greater deliberation, often results in a speedier resolution. Convenience is seductive but can bring a person further from simplicity. Living a simple life isn’t simple, or easy. Excessive convenience and entertainment numb us from experiences that might otherwise help us grow. Helping a remote community, especially causes that support its youth, is a fast way to become enveloped within its culture. Doing so, you are offered a seat at the community table, meeting the extraordinary and resourceful people who make a difference. Working with these people brings great joy and happiness.

Connecting two schools from two very different cultures was gratifying and appreciated by so many. One of several good works we've assisted. — Connecting two schools from two very different cultures was gratifying and appreciated by so many. One of several good works we’ve played a role in.

LESLIE: My birthday is today. The year was spent traveling. Reflecting back, I appreciate more than ever that it is the journey, beyond its motivating force, that leaves the most lasting imprint on life and learning. As anticipated, this year has been full of surprises, mostly of an agreeable nature. I envision parallel journeys to some day present themselves. A big question that the boys may start to ponder is: “What is my purpose?” I have asked this several times over my life. In high school, it was to excel in academics and music: violin, piano and singing. In college, my purpose was to learn the ways of the French: to speak and write French fluently. It was an overwhelming passion. Once I started working, however, I discerned that speaking French in the business world wasn’t my purpose. My purpose then transformed into the business of becoming an opera singer. Now, after growing our family and working in opera for years, I have embraced the reality of journeying and seeing the world via a sailboat with my family. Still I find myself asking, what is the purpose of this sailing-across-oceans goal: to encourage Bryce and Trent to study other languages, to embrace foreign cultures, to learn how to sail, to spread my love for music and language to other peoples, to learn to manage with less, or is it something else? Probably it’s all of the above and yet, I’ve come to truly internalize that it is life’s journeys that carry us in the end, and only after the luxury of hindsight and reflection, will I truly discern what their real purposes were. Thus for now, this past year’s lesson learned is to let go and appreciate the journey, enjoy the ride, allowing purpose to reveal itself some other day, if ever.

BRYCE: Bryce says he’s learned three things: 1) a person’s attitudes and behaviors are largely dictated by their cultural upbringing, but do not have to be; 2) American kids are blessed to have so many occupational options, tens of thousands, and don’t know how fortunate they are. In the Marquesas, young people have limited opportunities; farming, fishing, hunting, sculpting, tourism, or a governmental functionary. And 3), to forgive young Marquesans for being mean because they’ll probably grow up to be kind and generous like their parents.

French Polynesia's newspaper published a photo with Bryce. He occupies the first seat in the closest outrigger canoe during a practice race. — French Polynesia’s newspaper published a photo with Bryce. He occupies the first seat in the closest outrigger canoe during a practice race. His school’s team is preparing for the Eimeo race, a paddle around the island of Moorea in 9 stages, taking place March 19.

TRENT: Trent says California kids don’t realize how lucky they are that most every one speaks the same language, that they have a car and can go where they want, quickly, and get what they want. The stores here don’t have a lot of things. Here, he’s noticed that Marquesans have to work a lot harder to get what they want because they don’t earn as much. And things costs more and take longer to get shipped over here. Independent of Bryce, Trent too notes that there aren’t a lot of job options here. He says many have to go to Tahiti for jobs, but there’s no guarantee there either. In California, he recalls there are more things to do; activities, entertainment, sports, shopping, etc. Here, there’s only a few sports: soccer, volleyball, basketball, and paddling, and that’s it. No movie theaters, Wi-Fi is hard to get, and there’s not many places to go except the ocean, where there are no-no’s, or the mountains, where there are mosquitos. “I’ve learned a lot about living on a boat. It’s a lot of work,” he says, stating we have to make our own utilities; water, power, sanitation, and get propane for cooking. Fortunately everything is closer here, he remarks. “You can bike to anywhere you need to go.”

I’m pleased with the lessons and perspectives we’ve gained. The first year didn’t go as planned; it went even better. Apparently it’s a blessing to not get everything you wish for . . . oops, another lesson.

Eric Rigney

Experiential, Leslie's Letters, Leslie's Posts, Marquesas

Letters from Leslie, June 2015

February 8, 2016 admin

June 30, 2015 Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

Vaituha, Bryce returns from a refreshing swim after a long hike — Vaituha Eiao, Bryce returns from a refreshing swim after a long hike

Dear Mom and Dad,

Really quickly, as I’ve finally succeeded in downloading our emails sent to us while we sailed from the Galapagos…it took 3 hours. I see you pdf’d the newspaper articles: “Other Side of Paradise” and the Ventura Star Article. It’s terrific that you were able to scan them for us. We will add them to the website. Thank you.

We are just about ready to depart for the island of Eiao, 70 miles to the northwest, with the Falchetto family and their French yacht friends, Guy, Marian and son Taeva on their monohull Manatai. Eiao is a small, uninhabited island with little water, sparse vegetation, and one decent bay called Vaituha. It was suggested we make the overnight sail there: hike across the island, hunt pigs and sheep, spearfish, and snorkel in the clear water where a plethora of fish and manta rays dwell.

It is 6:00 pm here in Taiohae and the men are all loaded. Just me and Raymonde remain at their house packing up last minute food items and working on the computer. I changed into my pants because there are quite a few mosquitos here that are feasting on my blood.

It was great to chat with you on Skype today – always too short. It is so beautiful, green and lush, we know you will like it a lot. Many activities to pursue – somewhat primitive infrastructure, yet life as a yachtie is definitely workable here.

Sending you many hugs and kisses. Thanks again for selling the Prius for us. That was quite a bit of work and dedication on your part. And happy anniversary again. I’m sorry we weren’t there to celebrate with you. Our 26th is coming up. I almost forgot. Funny! Love you!

Leslie

June 30, 2015

Dear Aunt Kay,

We wish you a Happy Belated Birthday; you’ll have to imagine us singing to you!

All is well in Taiohae, the largest bay and town on Nuku Hiva and incidentally in the Marquesas; it is the administrative center. We arrived in the Marquesas Isles 6 days ago. It is beautiful here and lives up to its Marquesan name: “The Land of Men.” Boys are having a swell time and fortunately Kandu is in good repair. We had a great experience in the Galapagos. Our 24-day voyage across the Pacific from Isla Isabela went without problems, although the seas weren’t idyllically comfortable. We experienced convoluted swells, but mostly large rollers stemming from the south and southeast, which we surfed. There was one extraordinary late afternoon when hundreds of dolphins teamed around, surfing the waves along with us. Their thrilling surf and acrobatic show lasted a couple hours until it got so dark, we couldn’t see them anymore. We also benefitted from predominantly strong winds, which sometimes increased our speed up to 9 knots – our average speed was 6.5 knots. Coming into Nuku Hiva, we were so happy to see land that, as usual, we couldn’t wait to disembark from Kandu and go ashore. Our Marquesan friends were at the wharf to welcome us with flower leis. The Falchetto family of over 30 members threw us a welcome party that very evening as if we were long lost family. No wonder Eric was anxious to sail straight here.

Presently, we’re visiting and anchoring around the island of Nuku Hiva: Taipi Vai, Anaho, Hathieu. There are many lovely bays to visit, adventures to be had and extremely generous people to appreciate. We are fortunate indeed. And on top of all the good news, Bryce and Trent are going to attend school in August. Isn’t that thrilling? We have been working on teaching them little bits of French, but by going to school here, they will hear French daily and really learn it; a dream both Eric and I have hoped to realize for a long time.

All four of us are in good health aside from treating the constant bug bites for infection. We are missing home a bit, but enjoying the fresh air and new daily challenges.

Sending hugs and songs to you from our hearts,

Leslie