29 November
PJ
The day started with another early morning fishing trip with Chakumai and Kiliwi. We managed to get a few before a storm set in so we turned back to shore.
I Joined Jacinta for breakfast then we lounged on the verandah watching the storm pass through. J was slowly recovering from her cold symptoms but she had also developed travellers diarrhoea š which was still there and really restricting her activities. Unfortunately there was going to be no more snorkeling for her.
After the storm passed we went down the beach to muck around with little Lancer. Chakumai had kept some of the fish bits which we used to attract little fishes and a couple of small reef sharks.
I saw a small canoe laying there and asked if it still floats which Chakumai said it did but needed a bit of minor repairs.
Yesterday I saw a family of 3 clown fish in their anemone home but had run out of battery then so I decided to head back in to capture it and do a bit more exploring of the reef around Chompoin Island.
Chakumai came in to join me, initially just following me around on the canoe but eventually we convinced him to don some snorkeling gear and dive in. We took turns pulling the canoe along with us as we snorkeled along the south-east side of the island. It was amazing, peaceful, full of life and colours.
In the evening we found out that we had no power as we had not put the switch on properly to charge the battery.
Chakumai joined us for dinner and told stories about how the Titan people of Manus first come to settle here. Legend has it that they were originally inhabitant of an island some 5 hours boat trip, which sank to form now what they know as Casta reef. Their exodus saw them settling in areas of the south coast of Manus and some of the southern islands. The most famous Titan village would be Pere Village which is where Margret Mead the famous anthropologist had lived and based quite a lot of work.
Chakumai told us that the M’buke people were originally Pere villagers who migrated outwards to settle in M’buke some 7 to 8 generations ago.
Another story was about a group of M’buke Islanders who got lost on a sea voyage due to strong winds which threw them off course and they ended up in Palau.
It was really intriguing and I sat there thinking I could understand why some anthropologist/ historians/archeologists who dedicate their whole lives listening to these stories, putting the pieces together into a documentary.
Without light, it was going to be an early night for everyone tonight.