Category Archives: Gambiers Islands

Including: Mangareva, Temoe, Maria, Marutea, Muru Roa, Fangataufa,

Matt’s Taravai Birthday

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Lots of love for Cinco de Mateo this year!  We started our birthday celebrations by getting a sneak peek into one of the local dance team’s performance for their upcoming Heiva.  Our friends Stephan and Manu were both singing and dancing!  It was beautiful even though they were not in costume and they were performing in a parking lot.

Afterwards, we headed to Stephan and Manu’s house for a late happy hour.  Our friend Heifara showed up as well so it was a lot of fun.

Stephan, Matt, Me, Manu

Stephan, Matt, Me, Manu

Way before sunrise I found myself baking bread for our breakfast date and cheesecake for our birthday celebration later in the day.  I was graced with a gorgeous sunrise.

We headed up the hill where we enjoyed a huge breakfast with our good friend Poerani (Popo).  She made French toast, eggs, and sausage along with the fresh bread I brought.  She is such a gem!

Then we left Rikitea for the last time this season and headed to Taravai.  For the 3rd year in a row, we celebrated Matt’s birthday with Valerie and Herve (the local family who live on Taravai).  They hosted a giant bash for all of the cruisers.  Tons of food was shared before several heated games of volleyball and petanque.  Check out Matt’s birthday last year on Taravai.

We were actually celebrating three birthdays.  Matt, Tom on Pakia tea and Doug on Hannah.

Valerie made all the birthday boys’ birthday floral crowns and each of the significant others received floral leighs!

Sonya (Tom’s wife on Pakia Tea) made cake and chocolate pudding while I made jello shots and cheesecake bites.  Valerie gave Matt a dancing snowman as a bit of a joke.  His face was priceless!

Tom and Sonya’s son, Keanu played the recorder which was so sweet (lower left).  Sonya and I (top left), Matt and Tom (bottom right) and Ariki (Valerie and Herve’s son) on top right.

In addition to a wonderful birthday celebration it was also a goodbye party.  The winds presented a good weather window to leave Gambier so several cruisers were taking advantage of it.  It was hard to say “goodbye” to our friends as we have had a truly blessed 5 months here.

Alan, Matt, Valerien, Me, Ariki, Herve

Alan, Matt, Valerien, Me, Ariki, Herve

It amazes me how wonderful our fellow cruisers and the locals are!  They made this a truly blessed birthday to remember.

Events from this blog post occurred on 5 May, 2021.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.

Looking glass

Glass Fishing Floats

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The first country to produce the glass floats was Norway in 1840.  Christopher Faye, a Norwegian merchant from Bergen, is credited with the invention.

Originally, fisherman used the glass floats on gill nets in the great cod fisheries in Lofoten.  By the 1940’s, glass had replaced wood or cork throughout much of Europe, Russia, North America, and Japan.  Japan started using glass floats as early as 1910.

Fisherman used these glass floats to keep their fishing nets, as well as longlines or droplines afloat. Large groups of fishnets strung together, sometimes 50 miles long, were set adrift in the ocean.  These lines were supported near the surface by the glass floats or hollow glass balls to give them buoyancy.

Glass float

Glass float

To accommodate different fishing styles and nets, the Japanese experimented with many different sizes and shapes of floats.  The sizes ranged from 2 to 20 inches in diameter, but some were cylindrical or “rolling pin” shaped.

Most floats are shades of green because that is the color of glass recycled from sake bottles. However, clear, amber, aquamarine, amethyst, blue, and other colors were also produced.  The most priced and rare color is the red or cranberry hue.  These were expensive to make because gold was used to produce the color.   Other brilliant tones such as purple, emerald green, cobalt blue, yellow, and orange were primarily made in the 1920’s and 1930’s.  The majority of the colored floats available for sale today are replicas.

Today, most of the remaining glass floats originated in Japan because it had a large deep-sea fishing industry which made extensive use of the floats.

Glass floats have since been placed by aluminum, plastic or Styrofoam floats.

Beach Comber Find of the Century!

One of the locals on Taravai had an old, beat up glass float in their yard as part of their “décor.”  I had admired it for well over a year.  However, the last time I visited the grounds the glass float was gone! Poof.  It was the first glass float that I had seen in person and I loved it.  Fast forward 4 or 5 months later…

Matt and I went exploring an uninhabited motu called Tepapuri.  We had never been on this most northern motu and were excited to see what we would find.  I anticipated finding some great sea shells or sea glass but had not hopes or inclination of finding a glass fishing float.

Matt was checking out a smaller motu and Eve was sticking to the sandy beach.  That left me to crawl across the large, dead coral along the windward side of the motu.  I spied a green, shiny object in front of me when I was about 1/8 of a mile into my adventure.  Hmmm, I wonder what that is.  It could not possibly be a glass float!  No, WAY!  Is it a glass float!  Holy Cow, it is a glass float!

I quickly, or as quickly as one can climb over sharp, uneven coral and rock, made my way to the float.  After picking it up, I hugged it like a treasured baby that it was!  I was so excited I wanted to scream and yet there was nobody around to share in my glory.

Walking back to the dinghy was closer than going all the way around the motu carrying this large float!  I showed off my new treasure to Eve as I bounced around the beach! 

What to do with our float?

Matt was super excited to see our new boat accessory (not).  Yes, it weighs about 10lbs and is a bit big, but it will look so marvelous in our yard – whenever we move back to land life!

Looking glass

Looking glass

Is it a giant looking glass?  A super sized paper weight?  An empty snow globe?  Who knows what it will become in the future.  I just know it belongs in my life and maybe my future garden.

 Events from this blog post occurred during early March.  Our blog posts run 8 weeks behind our adventures.

The master piece!

Polynesian Sand Art

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My beautiful and very talented friend, Valerie, created a sand art masterpiece for us.  She is a self-taught artist well-known all-over French Polynesia.  She sells and sends her art to the States, Canada, France and Tahiti.  It will be very difficult to showcase her creations as you just can’t appreciate the intricacy without seeing it in person.  But I will endeavor to try for you.

Valerie uses local, natural sand and soil for all of her work.  First, she considers her customer and creates a story for them.  This story is then conveyed using Polynesian symbols and designs.  The second step starts with outlining the story on graph paper.  The third step is artfully and carefully gluing the particles of sand and soil into place.  Yep, you read that right.  She applies hundreds of thousands of particles of sand and soil individually to create her sand art.

Breaking down the artwork by sections…

The Fairytale of My Life

The 1 represents Matt.  He is the man, solid.  He gave and continues to give force and protection to his wife, Christine.  The 2 represents, Christine.  She passed from life to death and from death to life.  Matt (3) and Christine, as the wind comes from the North (4), travel across the ocean (5).  With their love and passion (6)., they take care of each other and their home (7).  Generously (8) giving.  Christine, you are a beautiful woman (9) and Matt is your hero (20).  Like the bird, you always take flight (11) to other islands and countries.

Starting at lower right corner.

  1. Arm/Leg “Puha tahi” (bend with two matching ends) = Matt. Force, solid, protection
  2. Marquesan Cross “Peka ‘enana” (above arm, square) = Christine. Transformation, cycle of eternity, from life to death and death to life.
  3. Man “Vahana” = Matt. The husband.  Woman = Christine. The wife.  (stacked man with woman above)
  4. Cohort of the Tiu God “Pi’I ia o Tiu” (design looks like X’s with dots on top). Wind from the North.  Those that go beyond the sea
  5. Sea “Tai” (waves over arch). To Travel.
  6. Love “Hinena’o” (looks like checkerboard under the waves). Love passionately. My lovely wide.
  7. Woven material “’A ‘aka ha’a” (zig zag with lines under love). Made with Pandanus Odoratissimus leaves.  Woven together for life.  Home, family, take care of each other.
  8. Arm (armpit) “Ka’ake” (bottom center, below bird and shooting up to the left of the arm/leg #1) force of generosity, gift of love, cherishment.
  9. Woman’s belly “hope vehnine” (two images, left of Marquesan cross). Femininity, beauty.
  10. Manta Ray “Haha’ua” (center). Men’s protector animal and wisdom.
Sand Art Story

Sand Art Story

Continuing the Journey

You are always read to listen and understand others (12).  The ancestor’s spirit protects you (13) and also the good luck spirit gives you power (14).   You’ve got courage to brave (15) the ocean even when it’s raining, windy, and stormy.

  1. Bird “Manu” (bottom. Semi-circle) Taking flight, soul’s journey
  2. Ear “Pua’ika” (left of bird, looks like surfer’s “s”) always ready to listen, understanding
  3. Sacred Divinity “Etua po’o’u” (below bird and ear). A protector or ancestor’s spirit.
  4. Glinting / Gleaming look “Mata Hoata” (type of tiki. To the left of Sacred Divinity) Good luck spirit which gives power. Awaken to the world.
  5. Ornament for the calf “Poe vae” (Two stripes from Sacred Divinity to flower. Hourglass design) Represents courage and bravery.
Sand Art Story

Sand Art Story

The Guiding Star

The compass (16) is your star who guides you across the ocean.  Success (18) in all your life, trip, and love.  As the turtle (17), you always return to the sea (19).  For our continued journey to see and meet other worlds and new friends.

Compass and Turtle

Compass and Turtle

I zoomed in on a small portion of the photo with the hopes that you can see the sand particles.  There are dozens of colors of sand in this small corner alone.

This is a photo of the sand art as a work in progress…she has drawn it out and is working on adhering the sand.

Work in progress

Work in progress

And the final masterpiece of sand art….

The master piece!

The master piece!

Me and Valerie, the artist extraordinaire!

Valerie and I with my Sand Art

Valerie and I with my Sand Art

It takes Valerie between 3-4 weeks to complete one sand art creation.  She inspires me and leaves me speechless with her talent!

Events from this blog post occurred during the end of March.  Our blog posts run 8 weeks behind our adventures.