Fanning Island

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if you get the chance... google earth, "fanning island" or try "tabuaeran" if that doesn't work. it was our first stop after seven days out at see. a needed break after not seeing much more than one fishing vessel, a few wayward birds, and schools of flying fish. oh, and a pod of dolphin which greeted us by jumping the wake of our bow as we neared the small island. fanning island... no lights, no phones, no motorcars... sound familiar??? literally! the nearest doctor is a two day boat ride away. an island population of 2000 that farm coconuts, seaweed, and sea slugs (evidently, the chinese luv em'). where money has no place and very very little worth. they'd happily trade 12 gallons of diesel for a pack of cigarettes rather than take a 50 dollar bill... different, right? the island's highest point... an alarming 3 meters. it's a rimmed island... the remnants of an underwater volcano crater which just barely broke the surface. it's an 18 mile circumferential strip of land that is hallowed out by a shallow, turquoise lagoon that's fed by a narrow 53m channel into the ocean. the people are humble and shy yet extremely friendly once approached. we donated some books and money to the primary school. (the one place that excepted a monetary offering) met an english speaking native, bobby, who we jokingly dubbed 'king of the island', and after a brief conversation, invited us to a barbeque with his family. we were, after our first day on the island, celebrities. our dinner was a feast of pork and rice washed down with fermented coconut juice... basically, a hangover in a bottle. apparently, we where the first visitors to the island in quite sometime and he and his family, though bobby was the only one who spoke english, where delighted to entertain. fyi - island time = the measurement by which appointments and plans seemingly never transpire. we showed up at 4pm for the dinner... the food wasn't served until 1100pm. one of many examples.... trust me. and do check out the google earth pictures of this place... oh, you'll like it, i liked it.

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Comments

[Kevin]

Awesome!
Great to hear from you Ray! Was just emailing G about you yesterday, wondering how you were doing. Awesome stories, keep them coming. I can't imagine how cool it all is. So glad you are OK. God Bless! -K.

[Ray B]

fanning island
great moment on fanning island kid- so dinner took a while - forget about time. so glad you are enjoying this and so many other great experiences. hey i goole earthed "fanning island" and came up with a island just east of florida!! could not get the one in the pacific. have another name? Ray B

[NomadAdrift]

if fanning doesn't work, try "tabuaran" or " the line islands"... fanning is one of three in the chain. north? i believe of christmas ialand.

[jodi]

Been There
I was lucky to have been one of the few people in the world to visit this place lost in time. We had researched it some before we went in Oct. 2007 and was able to take some humanitarian supplies there. NCL Cruise Line used to go there 4 to 6 times a year but has since abandoned it and the school they helped build there. We've been wanting to return but have been unable to find a way. It truely is a paradise unaware of the outside world. Loved it, it was our favorite stop by far.

[anonymous]

In the spring of 2007 I traveled from Hawaii to Fannie Island on the NCL-Wind. We spent the day being entertained by these friendly people. Their war dress. Their children singing. Their lodgings. Their crafts. Their beaches and all of their smiles was a great day for us. It is sad to see the people abandoned by their only means of support. Thanks CDM