This is paradise....a lagoon surrounded by islands some inhabited and some not.White sandy beaches surround all the islands with crystal clear water.The people hold on to their traditional ways, wearing traditional lava lava skirts and the women are bare breasted.Western clothes are banned on the island and other than the odd MP3 player, and HF radio there is little to suggest their society is stung by the western way.The housing is traditional timber and palm huts.The people follow traditional customs and much of the activities are split with the women looking after children and home and men looking after building, fishing and other mens business, including meeting daily at sunset to chat and share coconut wine.The wine is fermented coconuts which is collected each day from a (tap) cut in the coconut branch, what is collected today is fermented and drunk tomorrow.Its a strong brew, simply made and certainly has the desired affect.The society is orderly and organised and the elders keep a firm hold on their youths, making sure that all tradional skills are passed down as well as learning from western (US) books at school.

All around the story of the war is never far away and the landscape is litterred with japanese and US war junk, some in use by the woleaians and others just remains as a silent reminder of when doom and chaos sprayed down all over this beautiful place.The stories of the war and the japanese involvement here are shocking and we can all be thankful good old USA had their day here...the locals will never forget. But that was long ago and the US provides significant aid and that assistance is seen everywhere from the amazing school facilities and good health system along with peace core personel-an amazing commitment- after 50 years.A good amount of these folks have gone to college in the US and now teach at the local school, striking a balance between progress, good standard of living and traditional ways.We went and gave the year 9 geography class today, lots of fun , maps and talking.

Samuel and Taylor played happily on the beach with the local kids, richie shared the mens house and their tuba (coconut wine),and free hangover and all the women asked for was some seeds...I easily collected some and gave the fruits and vegies with seeds that they wanted. You can tell alot about the state of a people from what they ask for.Those who ask for t-shirts and magazines have been bitten by the western way and they are on a track to probable destruction of their tradional ways if it hasnt happenened already but when a people ask for seeds it says alot about their sophistication and their wishes for the future-they see a bigger picture.These folks have seen Guam and Yaps capital, many have experienced school and work in USA and they have worked for money in the western sense....they have chosen to remain and return on their island and make a commitment to their customs and a simple subsistance life....they are trully dedicated to this aim and one cant help but wonder that their resolve is strong because they have seen western ways in all their glory and have rejected it...for a better way.If you want to witness subsistance life in all its greatness then the outer islands of yap is the place....you need to tread carefully as the folks are shy ut if you go easy you will be rewarded.

After 5 nights at Woleai we have settled weather from the ENE and the swell has calmed from friday.We have a 48 hour sail to Guam.After the atoll I am not looking forward to Guam,I am not ready for a city,but as we have work to do on the boat we have no choice and Alaska has us in its grasp so onwards and upwards we go leaving the equator and Micronesia behind us.