Off to a Cheaper Place to Stay

Regardless of whether I should have done so, or could really afford to live like a rock star, I did have a good time at Tabon te Keeke. In the morning, I met a man who was working on some sort of building project involving schools in Kiribati. He was very interesting and also agreed with Eric and a couple of others about what really happened to the edge of sea on Abaiang. He also expressed doubts about the fate of Kiribati. Currently, the prevailing thoughts are that Kiribati (among other atoll islands nations) is doomed. There are what are called fresh water lenses under the islands. The islands have something like bowls in them and the edge of the bowls are above sea level. Rain water falls on the islands and seeps down into the bowls and fills them up, with fresh water. The people dig wells and use the fresh water from the lenses for their daily needs. Prevailing theories are that, with climate change and global warming changing things, the seas will rise and the fresh water lenses will be compromised once the sea level goes above the edge of the island lenses. The fresh water lenses will be spoiled and the islands will become uninhabitable. This man is a geographer of some sort. Because he is involved in these projects in the country, he is keeping up on the scientific research regarding the whole situation. Current research apparently shows that the seas are rising by 3 millimeters a year. On the other hand, the islands are growing by 2 or 3 times that. I presume this means the upper edge of the lenses, but I am not sure. I haven't looked at the research. However, that would mean that the islands are more than holding their own and won't become uninhabitable. In addition, Kiribati is located at the equator. Because of that cyclones and typhoons never reach the islands. I had been somewhat worried when Japan had the earthquake and sent the tsunami marauding across the Pacific, but even there, Kiribati is protected. The danger of a tsunami is in when it hits a large barrier with shallow water. The energy of the tsunami has to go somewhere, so it rises and becomes huge waves and begins its devastating action. The Kiribatian islands are not large and are surrounded by deep water. The country barely noticed, with the tsunami arriving at low tide and the sea only rising by about 20 centimeters because of the tsunami. There are no volcanoes near the country, and there is no seismic activity to speak of. In other words, Kiribati seems to be quite safe from natural threats. And this is a far different story from what the media and the media scientists are presenting. Now, this man was just one man, and it is only one side of the story, but being out here, it does give a different perspective on the whole thing.

After talking with him for a while, I got ready and left the resort and headed back to South Tarawa. When I had been on Abaiang, Eric had told me about this place called the Catholic Guesthouse. He told me it was quite cheap, 10 or 15 dollars a night. That sounded great, so I headed there to find it. Unfortunately, when I got the church's property and started around, nobody seemed to have any idea what I was talking about. So I moved on, not wanting to spend too much time trying to find it. I didn't have that much time left in Kiribati and I wanted to experience a little bit more. I went from place to place trying to find room, but most places were booked up. Finally, on a whim, I had someone ring up the Lagoon Breeze Lodge just to see if they were still booked up. They had a room!! Yea!! So I headed over there and got a room for only 55 dollars a night. That felt so cheap. How my standards have fallen. And then I took a little walk, since the day was getting rather long.

Right near the guesthouse, there was a soccer game being played among the palms. It looked like fun.

Further down the road, I saw a man sitting painting a traditional looking storage box. I dont' know if it was for sale to tourists. I kind of doubt it because Kiribati just doesn't have much in the way of tourist infrastructure and, consequently, not much in the way of tourists. But it looked like a nice box anyway.

I ended up walking almost all the way back to the Otintaai Hotel, without realizing it. It looked like it was going to be a nice sunset, so I picked a spot and sat down to wait for it. But the clouds came in and spoiled the nice set-up.

Then I headed back and got some noodles (I hadn't found a restaurant; they are almost as hard to come by as a cheap room), and retired for the evening.

For not doing very much, it had been a rather tiring day.