A HAPPY WANDERER (Chapter 8)

Text: Josetxo Errondosoro

After a few weeks of rapid pilgrimage through the Tuamotu, looking, according to the Cherish, something interesting, Joseba trip took a more leisurely pace to enter the group of islands called the Society Islands, which belong to Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. There he met the other side of Polynesia.

The past few weeks, rapid roam the archipelago began to take its toll on my morale. Our visits lasted long enough for the Cherish realized that it was not the place they sought. Our relationship was excellent, but it was evident that our goals were not the same. For me, the arrival at each island or atoll was the beginning of an adventure, its people, a treasure, every goodbye, underused opportunity, for them, some nice pieces of land "no atmosphere" in the middle of the ocean.

Society Islands: Tahiti

From Rangiroa, an infected foot was giving me more headaches of proper, but my desire to enjoy every last minute of our short stay was no option to heal, and that did not look well. Fortunately for that matter, on April 28 sighted Tahiti, where we would stop for a few days and could take things more calmly. We go through the hassle reef that protects the entrance to the port of Papeete, the capital of the island and all of French Polynesia. Within the so-called Society Islands, Tahiti, Moorea and Tetiaroa are known as the Windward Islands, and Raiatea, Huahine, Tahaa and Bora Bora as the leeward. I can not say that the idea of ​​setting foot on the island not seduce me, because after many weeks sailing I too wanted to enjoy other adventures. A priori, the prospects were good, but not what I expected. The city was swarming with people, a modern city where you can find everything and where everything is designed primarily for the insatiable consumerist cravings of tourists. I was especially impressed to see how from the port of Papeete every day great ocean liners disgorged thousands of tourists throughout Polynesia. What fool: I found a redundant, banal, where Polynesia has lost its soul, a circus for tourists. The price of things, let alone better. Although I did not like that environment too, while my foot healed, my nocturnal movements around the island made the nights were much longer than the days.

Cultural Issues

Contrary to what happens in other parts of the world, here spearfishing is one of the most prestigious sports, an activity that develops in harmony with the environment, where people follow the competitions and knows his figures and above all, a place where there are no conflicts of interest with other activities. There is no doubt: this is the cradle of the deep sea fishing, an activity that has a very old and deep roots in their culture. So much so that Paheroo champions, Joel Drollet, teamA Punuaaitua, Zéphirin Matahiapo Lailau Tarahau or enjoy a popular reputation unthinkable for us. I was fortunate to meet several of them and not miss the occasion.

Joel Drollet

It was about four o'clock when I met Joel. We had talked on the phone and I did not insist much to agree to take him fishing. As elsewhere in Polynesia, starting the day almost night when the fish are more confident. As the infection affects my foot, days spent in "dry" worked the miracle, and I was no problem calzarme fins. In this first outing did not go very far, just until the outside of the dock. Despite the hour, the visibility was excellent, but the fish were scarce, at least not seen sharks. No rush, at first I observed my partner to understand how he should catch. Since struck first kidney seemed evident that a fisherman was exceptional. First, it was the smoothness of their movements in the water, how they approached their prey, their accurate shooting and rapid movement to recover the pieces, then surprised me with a remarkable resilience that allowed him to go down to 25 meters, a and again, with hardly a break. Always fishing partner, the first fish we captured at the fall: were valued Kuripo Kuripo and Ume, who met in banks more or less compact between two stools. So far, no sign of sharks. As it happened the catch, the fish became more suspicious, banks stuck to the reef and had to fish deeper. Everything became more complicated: long waits rarely obtained and was rewarded when Joel began to show another set of techniques, some already known for having seen and practiced in other parts of Polynesia. Flutter after the first few meters, Joel was dropped gently, scanning the bottom in search of prey that could capture the fall or choosing the best position to make a wait. If the site chosen was not right, move stealthily gave good results for the bottom to a better job. Still, it became increasingly difficult to fool the fish, and our mere presence on the bottom left to attract them. The next tactic was to make clear a piece of broken coral from the bottom, and when that stopped working also knew what it was that sort of two-pronged fork into the head of his rifle. Depending on the species to be caught, Joel nailed a congener previously captured at the perfect accessory and hide in the background, only showed his lure, gently stirring occasionally. The deception worked well for a while. After exhausting all his science fisherwoman, no choice but to retire, but first take a good scare. In one of my expectations, a large tiger shark swam leisurely skin into the port, as my companion was "normal" for there living permanently several tiger sharks feeding on the garbage thrown into the sea for fishing vessels . As for swimming in the harbor of Papeete!

The boundaries of the human body

Even encouraged by what the catch, we were again for another day. Joel stated as a very competitive person and was very encouraged me. It was very stupid of me not getting enough rest before our next appointment: the night of the city had its charms. This time Joel was alone with him Paheroo, a legendary fisherman in Polynesia. We follow a similar pattern to that of the previous output, and when the fish became inaccessible we went to another area, for ten long hours were up and down without stopping in areas where the depth ranged between 20 and 30 meters. My body soon began to voice their complaints first, but still I continued fishing at a pace that marked me. Paheroo, at sixty-two years, showed an admirable fitness, reaching the deepest parts effortlessly and at a rate which, although not that of Joel, it was still very strong. Honestly, they were killing me and some of the deeper dives to the surface I felt a tingling in my head not recommended: it was the constant vigilance of my companions which allowed me to continue. When he finally came back to port, terribly exhausted from lack of sleep and the beating of the long day of fishing, I felt some strange symptoms, totally unknown to me. Half of my face started to become paralyzed, I could chew and swallow, I felt a heaviness on his shoulders, he could hardly speak and I moved clumsily attack could only be a relief. They spent about four hours before empezasen symptoms to subside. In addition to keeping calm and warn of Cherish what happened to me, in case you need further treatment, the formula was kept basic mild cases of decompression sickness in scuba diving: before bed to resting in my cabin, I took three aspirin for blood to flow better and so could more easily remove accumulated nitrogen, and also took plenty of water to rehydrate my battered body. There are human limits but often forget about it.

Moorea

On May 10 we sailed to our next destination, which separated us only 15 miles: Moorea. During the short voyage I thought a little about what was experienced during the last days. The conclusion was simple: every place has its charm, but people are, above all, what makes them special. In my case, step by Tahiti had been a purely procedural-a little crazy, yes, if it had not been for Joel and his family, with shared unforgettable days that gave me the opportunity to put aside the great circus and meet the real islanders. After a few hours of sailing, we anchored in Cook's Bay, a setting worthy of the best of dreams. After anchoring the boat well, and very encouraged by the place, I plunged into the clear, warm waters of the bay, hoping that her beauty had its continuity on the sea: it was not. Outside berths on boats, were really beautiful, as well as elsewhere in Polynesia, but the wildlife that lived was poor. After long talks I had with Drollet and Paheroo Joel, speaking of Polynesia today and fifty years ago, the conclusion was that the great demand for fish that have these islands to feed the legions of tourists who visit the is impoverishing, and seen here seems to confirm this. Dinner took a little longer to reach the account.

Only for beginners

The mere presence of Lailau Matahiapo, another of the legends of the islands, is impressive: two meters of sympathy and muscles. It was Joel who contacted us. It soon became clear that this fellow, to be around 50 years, not only had an impressive facade, but his skills as a fisherman does not lag behind. The day began in the dim light of dawn, as usual, on whose summit was a low to forty feet deep: if I wanted to impress, I was getting! As in Tahiti, we made the first catch on the fence, and every shot the fish were falling a few meters, until we had to fish on the reef. Lailau was in their environment, their declines were easy and short recoveries, but I was reaching my limit. His watchful eyes gave me a lot of security, but any small problem became a big problem. I once had my troubles. It was a relief when, with the sun above the horizon, my partner said it was not worth the effort to fish at that depth and we were going to a shallow area. We drove to a place whose bottom was about twenty meters. The reef fish were not of interest. At first I did not understand what kind of fishing we were going to practice without prey in sight, nor understood what I wanted to capture with a wooden rifle two feet, a five-millimeter rod and a rubber with little force. I never imagined what I expected, and that would be even harder than before, the goal was to catch the prized "Tihi" which we know as fish squirrel or soldier (Myripristis kuntee). These little fish big red eyes, which hardly reach eight inches in length, during the day remain hidden in the dark recesses of the reef, forming more or less compact groups. The fishing technique was exhausting. Fishing in couples with a single rifle, the matter was to descend to the bottom, locate prey, shoot up to three times without removing the tiny rifle catches the thread, and return to the surface. Before reaching the top, Lailau already had fish in his hand and handed me the gun. Now I only had to charge and try to imitate. We sat there for several hours. Fun, exhausting, crazy.

Whenever the rush

The island paradise of Bora Bora was the last island visited in French Polynesia before continuing our journey to the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga and Fiji. Of what happened those days I remember only say good things, I tried to take each minute as if it were your last, I met people I will never forget, I stepped fantastic places, but even so, those rushing to jump from island to island were eating me inside. I concluded that the Cherish the journey had passed and wanted to finish as soon as they needed to return to his wealthy London life. One afternoon, a humble fisherman of Viti Levu (Fiji Islands) asked me why I had to leave if not wanted, and offered me to stay in his hut. Wow, I thought: that simple? Two days later I left the comforts of Cherish. It was not an easy parting, for six months of good living on a sailboat left their mark, but there was not a reproach to my decision. In the wake of the frail canoe that brought me to land I left the bubble of luxury and safety to return to be a bum, but I was again master of my fate and indescribably happy (continue).

Text: Josetxo Errondosoro

Frame 1

Note from the author of the text

Joseba's diary, I am forced to summarize what was your trip to Australia from Morea, trying to emphasize only what they had to do with our passion: the sea. Clearly, the experiences of our wanderers were many more, but always limited space of a journal forces me to do so. Otherwise would have to write a book, something that is not my intention because, among other things, that exceeds my modest literary ability. In all, my apologies to readers who have cheated.

Bora Bora: It is similar to the Morea, and it would highlight the beauty of the reef, I had the chance to go solo in a canoe for several days. The scale fishing gear to capture background curious dog tooth tuna at depths of more than eighty meters. To reach the bait entirely to that depth, make a bundle with a sheet and placed inside a large hook with your bait and a stone of some weight. When the bundle reaches the bottom, the weight of the stone makes dispose by abutting the line leaving the bait in the open. The results were excellent but the Sharks made it difficult to recover the pieces whole. Of his people just say wonders.

Cook Islands: Two days of sailing to the east is Rarotonga, the main island of the Cook. We stayed there for a week due to bad weather. From the sea, I found an island of melancholy by the fog that covered it. It is very mountainous, so the population is concentrated along the coast, and the climate is tropical. Life on the reef was little and I guess the reason: ocean currents are not favorable. In recent years, the government is installing buoys attraction to concentrate pelagic fish at certain points, though, in the absence of current, we caught only a few mahi mahi (gold) in them. Interestingly, the best fishing proved to be the next port of Avarua. To the surprise of local fishermen, fished the prized and very chastened parrotfish, playing cat and mouse: once in the background, waiting to be trusted and continue browsing on the coral, time took the opportunity to come close more and more, until and had no escape. A fillet of fish is more delicious than the best of hake. A carángido of 50 kilos, that turned my rod in an unrecognizable heap of metal, most notable was the capture of these days.

Beveridge Reef: Located between Rarotonga and Niue is a submerged atoll about 3 miles in diameter. The only thing that indicated their presence was the wreck of a fishing boat. We had to maneuver very carefully to access the interior, where the maximum depth was about 15 meters. Around the fund plummeted to 200 meters. Depending on the tide, at some points the reef came to be a few inches above water. The life of the reef was amazing and the emotions were guaranteed by the large number of sharks that roamed their respects. An intriguing scenario that few human eyes have seen.

Niue: One of the smallest countries in the world, while one of the largest coral islands. Its maximum elevation above sea level is a mere 70 meters. In many parts of the windward coast the sea has sculpted the coral giving some curious ways: they are as big and sharp spears that seem to want to protect the island. Behind these rugged walls, in total contrast, are often discovered, like some oasis, a beautiful bay surrounded by vegetation, with sandy beaches and calm waters and clear. There were many sea snakes, which are not dangerous if they are not disturbed. Hardly can bite humans because their mouth and teeth are small, and they are placed far behind, but where they do it is deadly (their venom is several times more potent than a cobra). They are generally accidents that the fishermen cleaning their nets, when inadvertently inserted a finger into the mouth of some exemplary netting.

Tonga: We arrived at the kingdom of Tonga on June 11, landing at Naiafu on the island of Vavau. Its inhabitants seemed very poor but radiated a joy like no other. The shows will always remember as my diary: the happy islands. There are also many tourists Zealanders, who seem to have inherited the charm and the strength of the Maori. As in the Galapagos, I visited many of the reefs in apnea accompanying the racks and say that the fish species began to be different from those seen so far in Polynesia. Fishing was excellent and captured several large tuna dog's teeth, but that was not the most spectacular happened to me. One morning going to fund the air over a deep bass. I dreamed of the big tuna from previous days, when suddenly, a huge mass almost completely out of the water only a few hundred meters. It was a huge jump, a scene indescribable. Immediately I went over there and found only a large circle of calm water. Suddenly a huge shadow emerged from the depths, and moments later a humpback whale out of the sea, taking a spectacular leap to my side. Still do not understand how I poured not. Swim with her in a sea of ​​glass filled many of my dreams. Days later, as we were sailing towards Fiji, Peter cries of alarm woke me up completely. The scare also paid off as the show was great: the boat was surrounded by a group of dozens of whales. I could swim in their midst for a long time between their huge bodies, between their shrill cries, and I remember with particular emotion how the calves sucked. Great, unique.

Fiji: In early July, after three days of sailing, we reached the island of Vanua Levu. Amidst the fog, the island appeared magically before our eyes. The charm and the illusion lasted only a few hours, my teammates who needed to reach the conclusion that we would soon return to sail because there was nothing interesting. My moral collapsed. Days later, just as we were to leave the archipelago, I made the difficult decision to land. The change gave me renewed energy, and for weeks I lived happy as the poorest of the fishermen, eating cassava (tapioca) and fish. Previously I had to be accepted by the community, demonstrating my value to it, and until his Chief did not approve my stay was temporary. I got the great fishing almost every day providing the community with which I was very well recognized, and soon I went through the ceremony of acceptance, where, as marked their tradition, had to make champagne, a drink extracted from a root. Besides tuna dog's teeth, I learned to fish or Spanish walu Macarel (Scomberomorus brasiliensis), a species of giant mackerel weighs 15 kilos. At first I did not understand how my fishing partner, with his rare physical conditions and a poor team did catch three times. When you watch him, I discovered that just plunged five meters and began to release bubbles and make throaty noises. The results were surprising. Away from the coast, the sharks could be a serious problem.

Vanuatu: From Viti Levu, for a small fee I got a plane ticket to Vanuatu, and then allowed me to fly to Australia. Port Vila (Efate Island), the main town of the archipelago, it seemed very expensive and only stayed essentials. Wandering around, I met Mr. Ku, an influential businessman whose passion was spearfishing. After a couple of fishing trips, took me under his wing during the weeks I stayed around. I traveled south to the island of Tanna, where in the vicinity of the volcano Yasur lived with a fishing community. There too I had to undergo a ceremony of acceptance. The volcano is active and this affects the life on the coast. In the lee of the island, wherever the prevailing winds carried the ash from the volcano, there was virtually no life because these ashes containing sulfur dissolved in the sea. The presence of sharks was constant and greatly complicated the catch, especially when fished in the basement that was in the middle of the ocean. I left many friends when it came time to leave for my ultimate goal: Australia.

Frame 2

Tahiti: issues of material

The material used by Tahitians is mainly European, but with some differences to note. Rifles are very long, on the one hundred forty centimeters tube, and normally replace the aluminum tube by a timber. There are specialty stores where they attach to any type of cylinder head and head. The gums are usually not too hard. Almost always carry a spool mounted with 30 or 40 meters of thread and if they expect exceptional prey fish, added to his team a second spool, very large, with a hundred extra meters of yarn. This is usually handmade, often made ​​of turtle shell, and put it on your waist. When harpoons a big fish, a tuna, for example, the first reel only serves to hold the first attack and ascend a few meters to the surface. It is this second reel which allows to successfully complete the catch.