It's Canoe Festival Weekend in Yap. Who knew? Mom and I
decide we definitely have to check out the festivities because all roads seems
to lead to the festivities...actually, there is only one road in Yap so let me
rephrase that prior statement. One road leads
to the festivities.
“Everyone seems to really be enjoying this. Everybody is so…happy.” Even with a light midst of rain in the air,
it does not dampen the collective spirit of everyone in attendance. Old people, youngsters, everyone in between are
out in full force cheering for their teams that are running canoe relay races
and obstacle course racing…I can see that there are two distinct teams…ones
wearing red shirts, the other wearing blue…I think one is called Tamil but
please do not quote me. I notice a lot
of cheering for both teams so the team loyalty seems to extend to everyone who
is canoeing.
“Hello. Welcome. How are you?”, a local gentlemen says to Mom
and I. He smiles and it is then that I
am touched by the genuine friendliness of the Yapese people but also a little
baffled as well. The Yapese people are
very fond of betel nut. My impression is
that they chew it constantly; men and women and the result is that over time,
it blackens their teeth and gums…the draw is that it is also a mild
hallucinogenic. It could be argued that
THAT is why they seem so happy all the time.
Just an observation. I am baffled
because why anyone would want to turn their smile into a decayed sight is
beyond me but I keep my Western perspective to myself and just enjoy the
friendliness of the people.
“They are giving
canoe rides today out into the harbor.
They only take these canoes out for festivals. You should go”, someone
else tells Mom.
There is not a lot of downtime between learning about that
and boarding the canoe….except for the time that it seems to round up a
crew. I am using the word “crew” very
loosely here. This canoe is big…and the
hull is quite deep and hollow. Poor
Mom…it Is not as if there is a proper pier and hand rails and such…it is a
combination of three or four men helping her along a plank and then she must
crawl over the hollow hull of the canoe to where they would like her to
sit. My mother is convinced that this is
yet another scheme for me to get her insurance money. I swear I could not have conjured this up on
my own if I tried.
“What’s is that guy doing down there?”, I ask as I spot a
young man with a white bucket in his hand.
It is pretty obvious what he is doing; baling water out of the canoe.
“Hhhmm, excuse me, Captain but does this canoe have a leak,?
I ask slightly concerned. After all, if
we have to jump ship at least we are relatively close to shore and the water
temperature is warm.
“Small leak. No
worries. No problem,” he says along with
a betel nut smile.
I look over at Mom who is sitting across the way from me on
a bamboo platform that juts out from the side of the canoe. I did not even make it that far and am
sitting on the other side of the canoe…using a coconut as a footrest. In canoe parlance, I am sitting in First
Class in comparison to Mom’s steerage seat.
I won’t lie…I want to be able to exit quickly if need be.
Well out into the harbor now…
“Watch out…watch out!! Everybody duck. Watch your heads!!!”, the crew shouts as the
mast and the boom of the canoe is swinging somewhat out of control toward Mom
and the passengers on that bamboo platform….next thing I know, Mom is
horizontal flat on the platform as that is the only way to avoid the movement
of the mast, sail and boom.
I can not stop laughing because much like when people fall
(I know it is wrong but it is what I do…as long as someone has not been hurt),
Mom playing chicken with this sail is just cracking me up.
“Oh, you think this is funny? You think this is easy for an old lady to get
out of this thing’s way?”, she says but she is laughing too. “You sitting over there with your coconut
footrest….”
I’m sorry but it is hysterical.
“Maybe we should be careful of the reef”, the Captain says
to his crew hence no one in particular…”we do not want to get stuck on the
reef”…
“No problem. We’re
good. We….”
…are stuck on the reef. J
With a few young men and a lot of oar movement and pushing
and pulling, we make our way off the reef.
“See, no problem”, the Captain tells us.
“This is great. This
is the best canoe ride ever”…I say laughing through tears because it is a
sailing comedy. “Just make sure that
young man keeps baling out the water”.
Lets see, maniacal
sail with a mind of its own…water being baled out throughout ride…getting stuck
on the reef….not sure if some of these guys had ever manuveured a canoe before and everybody high on betel
nut. In the United States, this is a
ride that never would have happened…the insurance liability alone would have
brought it to a screeching halt before it started. In Yap, it was a ride I wish did not have
to end.
As we made our way back to shore, our Captain tells us, “We
may do this again tomorrow. Tell your friends”
We told everyone we met because no one should miss out on a
ride like this. I would do it again in a
heartbeat….as long as I can have my seat with the coconut footrest.
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