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Quarantine Island Style

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We have been holed up on our boat for 17 days and have another 9 days to go (due to another quarantine extension).  Of course, that could be extended again based on the number of confirmed cases, but as of now the quarantine ends 15 April.  We decided take a few, small, safe liberties, being that we have been isolated on our boat with no contact with other humans. 

Another cruising boat, HooDoo, with two young Americans (Missy and Yanell) has been anchored near us since they arrived.  They were quarantined on their boat for 23 days during their passage from Galapagos to FP and then again for 14 days once they arrived.  So, we were confident they we no sick.

We moved up to the northern motus in the Gambier archipelago which are all uninhabited.  They are small spits of land with shells, dead coral, bushes, (some debris), and a few palm trees.  Last year, we anchored near three palm island and got some of the best photos of Sugar Shack.  This year we returned to the same motu but had to rename it to two palm island as it lost one of its palms.

Two palm island

Two palm island

Even though we are still in quarantine, we took a few liberties – only because we are far away from the population.  We are able to swim, paddle board and go to the motus to stretch our legs.  For the most part we stay to ourselves, but we have had HooDoo over for cocktails (maintaining the 6’ distance).

Night Out on the Town

Yanell had a great idea to do a beach BBQ.  We were getting cabin fever and needed to get off the boat.  Yanell has a nifty charcoal grill.  We set up camp and tried to maintain the 6’ distance even on the beach.  We went to 2 palm island because there is some coverage with the bushes, a little sandy area, and it is close to the reef.  The bottom photo shows our view. With the outgoing tide you can see more of the reef and in the background you can see where the waves are crashing.

Beach BBQ

Beach BBQ

There are a bazillion crabs on each motu and this one is no exception.  These crabs are curious little guys and are willing to explore anything.  They climbed on top of the cooler, on the grill (see photo below) and on our blanket.  They seemed to like human food too – we gave them the chicken bones.  Why aren’t they in quarantine?

We had a feast with marinated chicken, coleslaw, pasta, hot dogs, and cookies.

Missy and Yanell from Hoodoo

Missy and Yanell from Hoodoo

Parking Lot Issues

When we anchored our dinghy she was in water (see top photo). We are the dinghy in the background.  HooDoo’s dinghy in in the foreground.  However, within a few hours, she was beached on the reef as the tide went out.

The moon is nearly full and the sunset was spectacular.

Just after the sun completely disappeared it produced an amazing purple hue that changed our perspective!  I did not alter these photos at all.  Matt is moving our dinghy back in the water in the top photo.

After our meal, we took flashlights and went to walk out on the reef.  We were lobster hunting.  You have to walk to where the waves break which was about a mile from our motu.  It was really strange being out at night, using the moon beam and our torches to see the critters of the sea.  We did not find any lobster but we had fun looking for them.

Odds and Ends in Quarantine

We had many amazing sunrises.  The sun comes up behind two palm island.

We did a lot of paddle boarding as it is the only exercise we can get right now.  We paddle boarded up to several of the motus and collected lots of sea shells.

Not very productive while in quarantine.  But we have managed to do a few boat projects.  We have no internet which is disappointing, but we do have our satellite communication which is a life saver.

I know it does not seem like we are in quarantine, but we are.  We just have different restrictions.  Like you, we maintain our 6’ distance and where our mask and gloves when near the population.  However, we cannot go to shore except for food, fuel or medical care.  Only one person can go for one hour at a time with prior permission from the local police.  In addition, a government issued form must be completed and carried, with your passport, stating your business and time ashore.  It is very restrictive.  So imagine not being able to leave your boat for weeks at a time.  This is why we moved our boat to a remote part of the archipelago where there are no humans so we have a few more liberties….

Reservations at our Favorite Eatery

We were joined by two other boats later in the week.  Our friends on Sea Jay (Chris and Fred) and our friends on Luci Para 2 (Ivar and Floris).  We made reservations at our favorite restaurant, Two Palm Island for the next day.

Sea Jay and Sugar Shack have dinghies with long drafts, about a meter each.  What does that mean?  It means that it is difficult for us to go in shallow waters because our outboard shaft or the dinghy bottom will hit the coral or the bottom of the sea.  In addition, we have heavy dinghies and outboards.  Sweetie weighs in at about 300-325lbs and McRib (Sea Jay’s dinghy) weighs about 550-600lbs.  So, trying to maneuver them is difficult if the dinghies get beached.

So, we try to anchor the dinghies in an area where we hope there will be water during low tide.  For the past 3 nights we had successfully chosen a place where that worked.  However, tonight, we did not do so good.

The evening started out just beautiful!  We warmed up the grill, started cooking the chicken, dogs and various meats and settled in for a gorgeous sunset.  Top photo (foreground to rear) Floris, Ivar, and Yanell.  Bottom photo (left to right) Fred, Chris, Missy, Matt.

After Dinner Show

It is stunning to watch the sky change into various outfits throughout the setting of the sun.  It provided a beautiful back drop to Sugar Shack.  You can also see the change in tide from the top photo (early in the night) to the bottom photo (just an hour later).

After dinner, a team of people went looking for lobsters.  Yet, again they evaded us.  We built a bonfire and chatted.  Around 800p, we were about ready to leave and realized we had a problem.  McRib and Sweetie were beached with no water under the boats.  Crap!  We looked up low tide and it was at 9p and water did not start to come back up until 10:30-11p.  Well, we settled in for a few more hours, chatting, and stoking the fire.

Just another night in paradise, despite the quarantine.

Cultural Performers

Cultural Easter Dance Exhibition

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Twenty-one students from the local college (which is the equivalent of high school in the U.S.) were selected to perform at a competition in Hawaii.  They presented their cultural routine over dinner at the sports center.  We were excited to see what type of performance this would be as they are always different. Not just in dance routines and costumes, but in story-telling.  We had no idea what to expect.

It had been a particularly rainy day.  Buckets and buckets of water came pouring out of the sky throughout the day.  Our friends on Leela (Graham and Janicky) decided to brave the elements with us.  Matt and I were super lucky in that it was only drizzling on our way in.  We had our foulies (dry weather jackets) and dry bags and made a run for it and only get a few sprinkles.  But, 5 minutes later, our friends came in drenched.  Ugh.

After standing around for a little bit, we commandeered a table.  The boys went next door to buy dinner tickets and to wait for our food.  The parents of the performers were in charge of the BBQ which smelled divine. 

BBQ Dinner. Buying Tickets and Picking up

BBQ Dinner. Buying Tickets and Picking up

The boys came back with a steak and chicken combo that was accompanied by a pasta salad and bread fruit.  Way too much for the table, but we dug in!

The setting is really pretty with all-natural decorations.  The colorful plant leaves are placed into cut tree trunks that create the border around the stage area.  In the background are two constructed changing areas for the performers to change into their costumes.

Beautiful decor at the cultural dance

Beautiful decor at the cultural dance

The Story Begins

I had to make a lot of assumptions, since I do not speak Mangarevan and do not know the cultural significance of the dance.  I did ask a local friend of mine on some of the interpretation, but most of it is my assumption based on the dance moves throughout the story.  The biggest difference between this performance all of the other performances we have seen is that the dancers are extremely humble and solemn.  There is no great joy or passion or smiling faces.  They have a story to tell and were taught to tell it with respect and honor.

The musicians were setting up during dinner which included 5 sets of drums and a very loud aluminum drum.  The beat or rhythm was unlike anything we have ever heard and it reverberated throughout the sports center.

Performer Drummers

Performer Drummers

Covered in green leaves and topped with crowns, the kids started their story.  There are three students who are lead characters.  They all were semi-bent over as they raised their hands and swayed from side to side.  It was as if they were paying homage to someone or something. 

Performing the Cultural Dance

Performing the Cultural Dance

The kids ages range from 12-15 years old. It makes me wonder why the serious faces.

Performing the Cultural Dance

Performing the Cultural Dance

The boys knelt and hovered over the girls while raising their hands.  These are two of the leads that remained in front and were charged with the main story telling.

Two leads perform the main roles

Two leads perform the main roles

The female lead remained bent over for most of the beginning and then she started holding her tummy.  Hmmm, is she pregnant (in the story).  The male lead would walk her around gently and reverently as if showcasing his proud mom to be.

Communicating their story through dance

Communicating their story through dance

Preparing for the Baby

We did not know it at the time, but the next part of the story is preparing for the baby.  The girls all sat while the boys knelt down beside them.  First, they cleansed them with water by cupping water in their hands and slowly washing it over their arms and legs (top and middle left photos).  Next, they dusted their arms with mixture that looked like sand but I am sure it was something far more significant (bottom left photo).  The final part of the preparations was the cutting of the hair (lower right photo).

Preparing for the Baby

Preparing for the Baby

This is a photo of the cleansing water and ointment spread on the arms and legs of the women.

Holy Water and Special Dusting

Holy Water and Special Dusting

After the preparations were done, the lead girl was surrounded by her community while chanting was going on.  When she appeared next, her husband was carrying a baby.  He took the baby to an area where they cleansed and baptized it before presenting it to the community.

Boys Transition to Manhood

In Polynesian culture, at the age of 14, boys perform a series of tests before coming of age or transitioning into “manhood.”  Once they have completed their tasks or tests, they receive tattoos telling their stories.  The performers showed the older boys giving the younger boys a “traditional tattoo” using the tapping method.  After they receive their tattoo, the older boys apply oil and then perform a dance introducing them into the community as a man.  Then they all celebrate in dance.

Tattooing and Marking The Boys for Manhood

Tattooing and Marking The Boys for Manhood

I was able to capture this group photo before the event started.  I love the little baby in the lower right corner looking at the kids with awe.

Cultural Performers

Cultural Performers

It certainly was a unique experience.  I am sure it would have been far more powerful had I understood the language or known the story.  But even without that knowledge it was beautiful to see the cultural significance performed by the young people.

Don’t Need Teeth to Eat This Meat

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We had passed by an “abandoned” lot hundreds of times as it is on our bus route, grocery store route, and rental car route.  It is gated from the street and sometimes has a few scattered chairs in the far back corner, but for the most part is looks like a normal vacant lot.


That is until we heard from a few locals that this home to one of the best BBQ joints on the island.  They are only open from 9p-2a each night, which is probably why we have never seen it open since that is way past sailors midnight!  But, Matt had been itching to try it out and see how it compares to Texas BBQ.

We talked Steve into joining us for another foodie adventure and headed out to catch the 8pm bus into town.  (It actually leaves Punda at 730p and arrives to our stop about 25-30 minutes later).  We had to watch the time as the BBQ place did not open until 9p and we did not know how crowded it would get or how long it took to get our food.  In order to catch the last bus, we had to be back at the bus stop by 1015p.  The first bus was a tad bit late picking us up arriving at 815p, we hopped off around 835p and headed to the It’s Lit bar for some cocktails.  There was a soccer game going on so it was pretty lively.  We grabbed our drinks and headed outside as it was really breezy and comfortable. As we got to chatting, we sort of lost track of time and realized that it was 925p so we hopped on over across the street to the BBQ lot which was packed with cars and people waiting in line at the BBQ Express food truck.

BBQ Express Sign lit up at night.

BBQ Express truck serving the best BBQ on island.

We decided to order a chicken platter and a ribs platter to share between the three of us.  The total bill for both platters and 3 waters was about 25 naf or $14 for 3 people.  We picked a standing table and thought we might be in for a wait, but within 10 minutes our order was called and we were able to dig in!

Oh so yummy!

We devoured the meat!  It was so darn delicious!  The meat fell of the rib bones and the chicken was extremely tender and everything was seasoned with a tasty sauce.  As hard as we tried, we could not finish off the fries that were piled high.  But rest assured, we ate every last morsel of the meat.

Matt, Steve, and I

Pure enjoyment eating this tasty food!