Tuvalu

Tags

ellice islands, Global warming, pacific, travel, tuvalu

TUVALU The fourth least visited country in the world and one of the first to experience the full force of global warming (take note of the last image). Expensive to reach and very few tourists. When independence from the British came to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, the Ellice Islands decided not to stay joined to the Gilbert Islands and became an independent country named Tuvalu. I will write a post about the Gilberts (now Kiribati) later but these are some of the images and impressions of Tuvalu.

A journey with my son through a little of the South pacific in 2019.

Of course, no one to meet us at the airport so a motor bike ride, 5 hour hot sticky wait, ride in the back of a lorry and a boat ride later and we get to Mulitefala island. Made into an amazing experience by the family running the place (Mettaulo, Mamoe and Manase). Nicest people in the world. So many stories. How an 11 year old boy could catch such a big fish with a hook and line tied to a coconut tree and left in the lagoon I’ll never know. “Lagoon is very safe, no sharks” and the next night he turns up with a shark for breakfast! “In the boat it bit my toe”, so what did you do?, “hit it over the head”. Of course. Food was amazing, probably the best we had on the whole trip. Then back to the capital Funafuti. Lazy few days wandering around in and out of the rain. The airstrip is open to everyone (no fences, no security) so is used all day by the locals as a nice flat area (only 3 flights a week). Loved ones are buried in the front garden so they are close (saw this is Kiribati as well). Most of the land is 2 or 3 meters above sea level and rising sea levels are hitting the water table already. Almost no tourists so everyone said hello and welcomed us to Tuvalu as we I-Matang walked around.

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