We have been in and out of the lagoon of Tarawa so many times we hardly think about which channel buoys to keep on the left and which to keep on the right. For a 10 mile long winding channel, there are only four markers, the colors, size and shapes of the markers look very much the same. It was Monday and we began preparing immediately for our departure south and out of Kiribati with a destination of Rotuma, in northern Fiji.

We collected a little rain water for drinking and filled our tanks with Tarawa water to which we added a lot of chlorine. The chlorine level we test with a swimming pool test kit. City water in Tarawa is polluted with pathogens, as verified with Patricks Pathoscreen test kits. Everyone in Tarawa knows the water needs to be boiled before drinking it. We use Tarawa water for washing, but boiled or treated with chlorine it is drinkable. By Friday all the fuel and supplies were on board. We went to customs, and surprise, it’s a holiday, Health Day. So instead went to a Botaki – a party in a community maneaba. But this celebration was at the hospital 8 miles away.

We arrived by bus and enjoyed a big feast and some traditional and not so traditional dancing. Being tourists, our friend the health inspector, who cleared us into Kirabati, put a freshly made garland on our heads making us honored guests. We were served endless soft drinks or wine if we preferred. When the formal show dancing had finished, we were the first asked to dance by the performers. The long tables of food was the best of any atoll we have been to date…we just couldn’t say no…they had 4 huge pigs, with nice tender meat served by a man who cut and ripped with his bare hands big hunks of meat for everyone. Endless dishes of rices, taro, breadfruit, but also kebabs with sausage and pineapple or some other sweet fruit, delicious chicken wings and drumsticks, and of course every natives favorite, fish heads ( no thank you).