Friday’s dinner topic in late September, 2022: ‘I don’t want to go to French school. I don’t even speak French.’ ‘You will make friends,’ I argued, but the hoped for enthusiasm did not shine in his eyes. ‘It will soon be your birthday,’ Theresa broke into the conversation. ‘Shall we prepare a big beach party this year?’
Vetle’s eyes sparkled immediately and he started to talk about games, food, bonfire and all the good things that come with a big beach party. ‘Who shall we invite?’ Theresa asked. A huge question mark hovered over our dinner table. Silence fell.
On Monday morning, Vetle gave each of us a hug under the mango tree outside École primaire publique de Taioha’e before straightening his cap and with firm determination entered the gate to make friends on his first day at French school.
We were curious. What was the call of the South Seas that inspired writers like Jack London to write his short stories in South Sea Tales? ‘The visions of Tahiti were coming to him more frequently. And there were the low Paumotus, and the high Marquesas…. The South Seas were calling, and he knew that sooner or later he would answer the call…’ There were other writers too. Classic American writer Herman Melville wrote Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life and Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas after arriving as a young sailor.
Our curiosity began with reading. We wanted to learn what was the call of French Polynesia, beyond the hiking, corals, waterfalls and beautiful seas. What was our call to the South Seas?
Our year of exploration in French Polynesia started when we passed through the south-west pass into the lagoon of the Gambier Islands on 10 May, 2022. It took us 30 days to cover the 4,000 miles from Panama. With Easter Island still closed due to Covid, we hoped for Pitcairn but aimed for the Gambier Islands archipelago as a first stopover.
REMOTE AND UNIQUE
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