Our port of call today was not really a port of call as we know it. Nor was it a service call for shore excursions, since there were none. No, today's stop was a visit for the folks that live on the smallest British Overseas Territory of Pitcairn Island. One of the most remote places on earth, Pitcairn is also the smallest territory in the world. Actually, there are four islands that make up this group. Along with Pitcairn, there is Oeno, Henderson, and Ducie Islands ….the last three are uninhabited except for some rare birds.
The population varies from 47 people in 2021 to 35 in 2023. The size of Pitcairn is 18.15 square miles, however most of it is dramatic volcanic cliff sides. It is very fertile and the locals are able to grow a variety of fruits and veggies. Their main source of protein is fish, chicken, and eggs. According to the experts, the purest honey in the world is produced here from disease-free bees. And it is expensive and one of the many items that are sold from Pitcairn.
The life expectancy has been listed as 50.4 years for all natives. However, during the mayor's lecture, he said there are some elderly ladies in the 90's. Several years ago, we do remember meeting Irma Christian, a many-time great grandmother of Fletcher Christian of the Bounty saga. This lady was in her 90's and still able to climb the ladder from their longboat to board the ship. Pretty good…..
A few cruise ships stop here, perhaps 10 to 15 a year, but there are also private yachts, expedition-type vessels, and chartered boats for birders. They do offer a vacation stay as well. The islanders sell curios such as woven pandanus baskets, models of the Bounty, and many wood carvings. Postcards are very popular where they can be stamped with the Pitcairn stamp and mailed from here to your home anywhere in the world. Don't expect it fast, however, as the mailboat only stops here every other month. We have done this, and it did work. The card arrived by June after we were home from the cruise for a month.
And you might wonder where the power comes from. It is provided by generators that run on diesel. The electricity is on from 6am and off at 10pm. Solar power has also come on the scene, cutting some of the use of the generators. And a few more facts that we found interesting are the food and drink. One of their staples is breadfruit, which is cooked unripe and roasted to a char in an open fire. It is said to taste like potatoes or chestnuts. At one time, alcohol was forbidden, but these days it is OK to have a drink in Christian's Café on Friday nights.
Most of the locals belong to the 7th day Adventists church, which dates back to the mutineers of the 1790's. There are two constables (policemen) and there are 11 species of sharks in the surrounding waters. There is no airport, so the only way to access these islands is by boat. Finally the closest island is in French Polynesia and if someone requires medical attention beyond the help of the local clinic doctor, they must be taken by boat to Papeete to be treated. More serious problems mean you have to fly to New Zealand.
We spotted the island well before 7am this morning. While we were eating breakfast, the ship dropped anchor in Bounty Bay. Lucky for us, the view of the northeastern side of the island and Adamstown was in our sight the entire day. We watched as the longboat came out of their small sheltered harbor with some of the locals and their treasures to sell. The Lido Poolside was used for the Pitcairn Craft Market Set-Up which started at 8am and closed at 11am. It turned out to be a beautiful day for their visit with mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures. Knowing that this would be a very crowded melee, we went to deck 10 and took some photos from above the pool area. The area outside the doors to the pool deck was jammed solid with passengers anxious to buy the curios. Since this is about our 5th or 6th stop here, we already own these souvenirs and t-shirts, so we did not need to fight the crowd.
Then we noticed another group of people loaded on the same longboat for a ride back to the island. Using binoculars, we spotted some of the ship's officers, a few of the shore excursion people, and Kimberly, our cruise director. What a thrill for them to be allowed to step on this remote island. Thinking back to 2020, when we arrived on the Amsterdam, Captain Mercer, his wife Karen, and Henk and Christel made the same trip ashore. Lucky them.
One of the things we remember most here besides the history of the mutineers, are the birds. Specifically, the red-tailed tropic birds. We spent the entire time we were here outside in search of these graceful birds, but never did see any. They do nest here and raise their chicks between November to March, but we figured we were here too early this time. What we did see were hundreds of white terns, a few frigates, and some brown noddys.
At 10:30am, the mayor of Pitcairn, Simon, gave an excellent talk on the island accompanied by pictures on the big screen in the World Stage. In an hour's time, he described what life is like on this tiny island, then answered many questions from the audience. Simon said he had moved here 25 years ago from England with his American wife, admitting it takes a certain type of personality to adjust to a life here. Most of the young kids leave the island to be educated in New Zealand, which is the case with many South Pacific Islands. In most cases, the kids choose not to return except for visits. By 11:30am, Simon wrapped up his session and joined the rest of his "family" to return to shore in the longboat.
Captain Friso came on with his noon talk declaring today a total success. He added that he and the staff had sent provisions with the islanders to take back home. The most important of these provisions were the several tubs of ice cream, followed by some cases of alcohol, we are sure. Non-perishable items such as flour, sugar, and rice are normally gifted as well as catsup and eggs. In return, we heard that fresh fish were given to the chefs onboard to be cooked and served in the Lido this evening. All-in-all, it was a great visit.
We have two days at sea now as we sail northwest towards Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. The Captain expected favorable conditions with temps around 79 degrees and 4.5 foot waves. There may be a gentle breeze, but also some passing rain showers. Sounds good to us.
We were back in the dining room for dinner and ordered some different appetizers. One was a tortilla soup, far better than the everyday chicken soup, and a dip of white cheese, sausage bits and avocado with onions. It came with three tortilla chips, but it took an addition slice of bread to finish the delicious dip. One of us ordered the tenderloin beef and the other had farfalle with chicken slices in a red sauce. Perfect and not too filling. Our waiter had the last piece of the birthday cake from last night, so we finished that along with one serving of custard dessert.
The Billboard Onboard team of Stephen Coakley and Gabriel Greenwood performed in the World Stage tonight with songs that have brought them around the world.
And we had another card in or room to set the clocks back an hour, putting us on Alaska time. And we're not done yet, as we are not on Polynesia time yet. Certificates were given to all of us for today's visit at Pitcairn Island.
Bill & Mary Ann
