Journals from the week ending October 18, 1996
The Pitcairn Experience
by Jon Justice
10/14/96, aboard ship...In a place with a population of fifty-six, each person has a role in the community. Everyone is on a very personal level; whole families live under the same roof. If you wanted to describe paradise you would only have to look up Pitcairn Island.
The entire island is a playground for all, with a landscape that some would pay millions for. They drive All Terrain Vehicles on roads that go up and down the sides of mountains. These roads are what lead you to the sights.
One will lead you to a magical pool fed by the ocean with waves that come crashing over a jagged gap in the surrounding rock wall. Then it is emptied back into the ocean at the other end through a series of small channels, falls and holes. Another road will lead you to a trail that will take you to a cave long forgotten. The cave is gouged into the shear cliff face of a mountain that with one wrong step will send you to a rocky grave. Every road you take will lead you back to the town and there you will be greeted with warm smiles and friendly faces.
This is a place to lose yourself and a place to find yourself.
A Small but Wonderful Island
by Michelle Lanteigne
10/14/96, aboard ship...Pitcairn Island has been one of my most exhilarating experiences yet. I was fortunately able to set foot on one of the most remote places in the world. It is sometimes in human nature to take many things for granted but this island won't let you. I believe it has the ability to change your perspective on many different things.
Because the island is so remote and secluded it contains a peculiar diversity that makes it unique. The physical beauty of the island is astounding and the 56 people who live there give it character. This combination allows for a remarkably well rounded and content atmosphere.
Seeing the island from a distance gave me a sense of mystery; I didn't know what to expect. Soon after gazing at this mysterious island, a long boat with a group of people came to our ship. A while later we were debarking the long boat onto the mystery island with a welcome to Pitcairn sign within close distance. My adventure had begun.
We were appointed home stays where we stayed for two days. My homestay family took me to many different places on the island. We did a lot of hiking because the island is very mountainous. I have seen some of my most wondrous sights ever.
In general the island is very tall with many cliffs, most of the points I went to were in the highlands of the island. To get there, we took ATV's on small dirt roads. Once we got to a certain point we had to hike the rest of the way up. The hike itself was tiring but was well worth it. There I was at the top of this high cliff with the entire ocean surrounding me. Down below were dark, lava rock cliffs with bright blue waves crashing up against them. There were little pools in between some of the rock that contained small tropical fish. I truly was in a state of solitude.
We went to places like this on all sides of the island. Because the island is only a few kilometers in length and width seeing most of the island was not difficult. One place we went to had ancient Polynesian markings on the side of this one cliff. It's interesting to see drawings done by people hundreds of years ago. These markings add to the mystery of the island. The island is lush with vegetation and tropical fruit. There is one giant tortoise, brought from the Galapagos Islands, that lives alone on Pitcairn Island.
The people on Pitcairn have created a wonderful community. They all welcome you into their homes with a true smile on their faces. Not many people visit the island because it is so secluded. This makes it hard for transportation to and from the island. People on the island are very happy to see other people because it is not often that they get to share their beautiful home with others.
Carpe Diem Day
by Charlotte Redway
10/14/96, aboard ship...Carpe Diem Day is a day when the students get to apply for the position of any of the teachers or professional crew. I applied for second engineer. I remember writing my resume and trying to think of anything that I have done that could count as experience for being an engineer. I have mowed the lawn and driven a car; that was about as close as I could get.
Miss Woomer put the list of who had gotten each position up on the board. When I went to look she was standing right next to it and told me to check in with the engineers that night. I tried, but could not find them. I did not know where their room was yet.
The next morning I was awakened by a P.E. call. I told them that I did not have to go because I was an engineer. Since I was already awake, I went up to the bridge to see how Aubin was doing as Captain.
The engineers showed up for breakfast. Near the end of the meal they brought me a cup of engineer coffee. It was extremely strong, but really good. The generator alarm went off and someone told me to run down to the engine room to turn it off. The engineers showed me how to shut the alarm off and told me it was my responsibility to turn it off for the rest of the day. Then they went to sit on the leeward side and drink coffee. I joined them and tried to make conversation half in Polish, half in English.
After a calm hour of drinking coffee and watching waves go by, we went down to the engine room and changed the oil in one of the generators (I think it was a generator, anyway). There was lots of screwing and unscrewing of metal caps and a fair amount of charades while they tried to explain how to do the job.
After we finished doing that job we took a break. I ended up in Social 30's class where I got to see Francois try to teach the class. He did a good job.
At three o'clock I met back up with the engineers and we changed the light bulbs in the classroom. During this time, multiple people came up to me and asked me to fix their toilets. I tried, but didn't know how. Eventually one of the engineers figured it out and we went down to where the water filter is and unscrewed and screwed some more stuff. Then, miraculously, all of the toilets worked again. By the end of the day, I understood what the engineer's days were like. Fairly relaxed, but they need a lot of knowledge to know how to fix things.
Ocean Challenge / e-mail: ocean@oceanchallenge.com / Class Afloat '96-'97
(c) Copyright 1996, Ocean Challenge