"A Day on Fanning Island" Line Islands by JessieLang

The ship anchored in English Harbor and we came in to the dock on tenders. A group of children, some in western style clothing and some wearing sarongs or garments woven from leaves, were singing for us. They had a donation jar for their school. Several elaborately dressed “warriors” were posing for pictures for a fee, and rows of tables offered crafts for sale.

Several enterprising residents were offering island tours. One man with a battered pickup drove visitors around the island (30 miles) for $10 each. I chose the walking tour instead. Tioon (pronounced “soon”) gave 1-hour tours without charge, working just for tips. He had a group of about ten, which was worth his time.

Tioon is a skinny guy with bad teeth. He lives in a village on the other side of the island, about 5 miles away, and rides a bike for transportation. He has six children—several of them are in an elementary school near his village. His English is quite good, although there are words he doesn’t know—and concepts that are outside his experience.

Family home and Kitchen

Visiting Fanning Island is like going back in time as soon as you leave the dock area. There are seven small villages on the island, and life in them is very primitive. They collect rainwater for drinking, and there is no sewage system at all in the villages.

Tioon took us to see the home of a family he knew. The houses are open air—just poles with a thatched roof and a raised wooden sleeping platform. They don’t need walls—they are almost on the equator, and the year round temperature is about 84 degrees. The “kitchen” is a separate hut, and they cook over an open fire. Her kitchen equipment consisted of a few pots and buckets, and a plastic cup that said NCL.

People are the same everywhere: The man said something to Tioon, and he translated for us--They didn’t realize we were coming, and they were embarrassed because their home wasn’t tidy!

Fanning Island

They live primarily on fish, breadfruit, and the other things that grow on the island. I asked Tioon what his favorite meal was, and he said, “Fish, breadfruit and rice. But if the supply ship hasn’t come, just fish and breadfruit!”

See my Line Islands travelogue for more information and pictures.

• Pros:Fascinating look at a completely different way of life.
• Cons:None, for a visitor. But I couldn't live there.
• In a nutshell:Friendly, happy people with almost nothing