More of Manihi

We spent what felt like a busy day yesterday but when I now write about it, it doesn't seem that hectic.
The day started out with a visit form Fernando for baguette delivery. He presented us with a small gift, an inscribed Book of Mormon. He is the Mormon minister here on the atoll. He also asked if we would write a short note in his journal. He tries to get something from each visiting yacht in Manihi. We talked with Fernando for some time and he invited us to dinner at his house that evening along with Ann and Barry and Andreas and Karin, a young Swedish couple on an Endeavor catamaran. After a morning of talking with Ann and Barry both here on Tarun and on Cats Paw IV, we took a trip by dinghy to the village. Two harbours have been created for boats so landing is easy. There are a couple of stores for provisions and rumour has it that here are 4 churches. We have seen two of them so far. The village is small but neat and tidy. There are only about 600 people left living on the atoll after a high of nearly 1800 a few years ago. Still everyone seems happy and everyone was very friendly. We went in or dinner a bit early as we wanted to get in before dark. We spent an entertaining ½ hour or so talking to s few of the local kids. A couple of 12 year olds and a few who were a bit older. We figured out that we were in the wrong place to meet Fernando when one of the kids we had been talking to came back and told us that Fernando was waiting for us further around the pier. After getting sorted out, we finally arrived at his house. It faces out into the lagoon and it turns out that they used to run a restaurant until about 6 years ago. The kitchen is industrial and Stella was busy cooking up a feast. Fernando got us out from under her feet by taking us on a small tour of his bakery. Each morning at 02:00, they start making bread. They usually produce around 500 loaves a day. He has a new, Swiss, industrial oven which is guaranteed for 15 years. He hopes to get 17-18 years out of it with good maintenance. His last oven lasted 18 years so it is possible. The government subsidizes the operation paying 20% of the cost of supplies and providing free freight for the flour, by far the heaviest of the ingredients. Thursdays and Fridays he makes bread for the neighbouring atoll, Ahe, and also makes coconut bread. The bakery is mostly handled by his son and his son's cousin now so Fernando doesn't have to get up every day at 02:00!! We went from there to the Mormon Church which has 80 or so members. Very nice, with facilities for activities for the kids and a basketball court out back. As we were talking, Fernando said that things changed a lot after 1968 here when television and telephones made their appearance on the Atoll. He said that they used to gather most evenings on the pier and play music. The price of progress I guess. We made our way back to his house and sat down to a veritable feast. Fernando and Stella had gathered fresh clams and harvested some oyster meat that day and along with beef form New Zealand, chicken, veggies, rice, etc made a huge meal. He and his family like to host a meal for some of the visiting boats as they make their way through. They are a very generous and hospitable family. Fernando has travelled extensively around the world and knows that he is happiest in Manihi. His rational is very straightforward. He observed that in many countries if you have no money, you don't eat. In Manihi, if you are hungry, you go and gather some food to eat. There is fruit and seafood in abundance and easy to gather. He and his family are very happy and absolutely stress free. His son and his wife live with them along with their two young girls. His son speaks English quite well and is a certified outboard mechanic, essentially runs the bakery and is working with his father to open another bakery on the atoll of Tukaroa. A busy, busy family.

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