Fakarava

VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sat 16 Jun 2012 17:10
We're at anchor in the lagoon at the main settlement of Rotoava, pop 701. This must be a wierd place to live. The island is 25km long but only 300m wide, with a maximum elevation of 3m. There is a delivery boat about every three weeks, and a flight to Tahiti every week. The town consists of one road (bizarrely with a wide concrete cycle track either side despite there being almost no traffic), a Mairie (this being France), a Police Municipale (staff of two whom we met because someone stole my bicycle wheel), a thriving primary school (because the main occupation seems to be having babies), a small part-time health centre, three small shops, a couple of snack bars which have so far been closed, one low key smart resort hotel and three diving centres (because the diving here is absolutely world class), and a few small pearl farms. And that's about it.
The local culture has all but disappeared. There was a separate tribe in the Tuomotos, the Puomoto, with their own language and religion, but the language has nearly died out. The religion has definitely gone, suppressed extremely successfully (just how did they do it so quickly and effectively??) by the missionaries; the island now supports two churches, Catholic and Mormon. The young people speak French, and must go to Tahiti for secondary school). And for some reason which must be deeply interesting sociologically most of the businesses are run by Europeans. 
It's a lovely quiet place, and a world apart from the Marquesas. Because the land is flat the sky is huge, and it is much less humid; and it rains less. But there is no variety. It's just coconut trees, scrub and rock, for 25km. Apart from coconuts no food can be grown here so everything is imported at huge cost.
The island is definitely French, and that brings with it the twin benefit and disbenefit of social security. The locals can and do live simply but adequately (as in the UK, every house has a satellite dish) on social security alone, so why work? I'm sure this is a major factor in the businesses being run by ex-pats. But they do tidy up, beautifully. the bins are emptied every day, there is almost no litter, everything is swept and raked clean, and every house has a neat garden with lovely tropical flowers. If only we could teach our own UK population to behave so.
 
 
La France Profonde?
 
(Vulcan Spirit just visible behind phonebox).