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Lekinioch |
Charted as Lukunor, is in the Mortlock Group of islands of Chuuk State. This is its wide pass. |
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Simon Bualuay |
Greets yachts and makes you welcome. Here he holds a tektek (adze) hand made from truck springs and so sharp you could shave with it. |
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Lekinioch Was a Possession |
of the Japanese at the time this building was built in 1934. It was built by a Spaniard but has Japanese symbols on an inlaid stone. A Japanese visitor said these symbols spelled the name of the emperor at the time. |
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Traditional Homes |
are still in use in Lekinioch. Here a family has a two huts, a sleeping hut and a cooking hut. |
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DVDs? |
Yes, DVDs are rented from this family compound, which also houses a small store. |
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Sleeping Huts |
are cozy and dry. The pandanus of the roofs is called fach. Mats line the ground to create beds. |
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Men's Meeting House |
of custom design. It is called a foeng in the local language.This may be the last one of traditional construction and it is an impressive structure. Town meetings are also held here and women are allowed/invited inside. |
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Dugout Canoes |
are still in use in the lagoon and the islanders are trying to preserve this highly practical mode of transportation and fishing platform. |
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Beauties |
The children of Lekinioch are playful and amazingly beautiful. |
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Wafatel Under Construction |
There is a program in Lekinioch that brings young men together with elder masters - in this case Otto - to teach the construction of dugout canoes; wafatel in the local language. |
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Resin... |
of styrofoam dissolved in gasoline, seemed like an odd thing to use but it works and is of course readily available. |
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Magnificent Tools |
are hand made from truck springs and are DANGEROUSLY sharp. |
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After Church |
the children posed for us in their finest clothes |
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Nail Polish |
was a popular gift that all the children shared - even with Leslie. |
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Even the Littlest Boys |
were friendly to us |
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The Girls of Lekinioch |
took our hearts |
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To the Statue |
we go, with about 15 munchkins in tow. After church we planned a hike to the end of the motu where a statue of Jesus Christ sits on a pedestal. Even "monkey", a tiny tot, joined in. |
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Resting and Snacking |
the older kids started goofing for our cameras. |
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A Group Photo |
invoked even more giggles and antics. |
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With Gasoline |
at $8.50 per gallon, the dugout canoe was still the vehicle of choice for moving about the atoll and for fishing. |
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Lekinioch's History |
is evident in many of its buildings |
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Economical and Breezy |
the sleeping huts of these out islanders were also attractive with their curved ends. |
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A Few Families |
of relative affluence lived in more modern homes of concrete. This home was embellished with designs that appeared to us almost "Moorish". |
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Like On Most Atolls |
land is scarce and most is utiltized. This "road" leads to the center of the island where taro gardens fill acres of swampy land. |
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