Rapa

No hills to climb today so you can relax! There is just a short walk to explore the local village or you can take the bus! Decide the locals are waiting to greet you.
On the sides of an ancient volcano called Mount Perau, the island of Rapa has two main villages, (Ahurei and Area), settled on either side of wide bay. The villages are 7 kilometres apart but are linked by a concrete road. Each village has approximately 300 residents and they come together to celebrate. Rapa is part of the Australes archipelago and is the most isolated. We are visiting  Ahurei.

Although the island is connected to the other islands by a cargo ship visits only every two to three months , the people of the island seem happy and prosperous. They grow different types of fruits that we associate with a cooler climate such as peaches, apricots, paw paw and figs. Taro is the main crop and is used as flour for bread and cakes. Different tree species have been planted in the hope of developing a timber industry.

A doctor comes once a month but there is a permanent nurse on the island. At present here are 81 children in the primary school and 4 teachers. There is also a pre-school. Once the children turn 11, they are sent to a neighbouring island to boarding school until they are 15. College or university is only available in Papeete.The children have their own plot for growing local foods. Their lunch is provided each day in the European tradition. When the children come home for Xmas, there is much celebration. Lunch is provided for the children. Seafood, (raw and cooked fish, crab,sea cucumber, mussels and octopus), fruit and taro are the main foods. We also were invited to a lunch to share these foods. I am sure they were absolutely yummy but most of the passengers found it quite difficult to do it justice.  My excuse was I was allergic to most of it. We saw a fisherman bring in a fish, fillet it and then eat it. 

In the past, people lived in small huts made from reeds. These were easy to heat when temperatures dropped to 9 degrees Celsius. Now people live in concrete houses it’s town water and electricity. They even have internet via satellite dishes.

Church is a big part of community life as it is an opportunity to come together to sing and socialise. Craft in the form of weaving and jewellery making , is also an opportunity to socialise. The women make beautiful hats decorated with oven flowers from reeds they have boiled to soften them.Necklaces are made with reeds, shells and seeds.

There are approximately 60 farms on the island . The farmers regularly meet in a co-operative to discuss products and their farms.Taro is planted every six months according to the moon. The island is experimenting with different species especially coconuts which don’t occur naturally on the island because it is cooler than the rest of French Polynesia. There is also a program to develop more endemic species on the island.

Slavery was a problem for all the islands in the early 1800’s. Many people were taken as slaves. Forts similar to those of the Peruvian people were built on top of the craggy peaks.This and the different body shape and hair has been suggested to show contact of the people with travellers from South America at sometime.

Dances from the village came on board tonight to entertain us and to celebrate that the captain ( whose family came from here ) is making his first and last voyage to her as captain.  It was moving as each member of the crew gave him a shell necklace and spoke to him.

Morning ….it’s Sunday and we are invited to church for the service. Music is such a part of the people’s life so the harmonies were amazing. One gentleman said they sing and dance everyday.There is a gap in the community though…no teenagers. It feels quite odd.