Butaritari in Pictures - Thatch, WWII Relics and Kids.

As Deanne from Exodus put it in their cruising notes from last year, you need a sense of humour to enjoy Tarawa so we headed the 120 nm north to Butaritari as soon as we received our outer islands authorization (you need to write a letter to request to visit an outer island and you get separate authorization letters per island to be presented to the local police on arrival).   Liz has written a detailed description (book !) of our time there in the previous blog post. Photos from the visit below.

Butaritari was the site of the Makin Raid and the Battle of Makin so we saw a few World War II relics as well.  Photos below.

Staysail up and setting nicely after recutting in NZ.

A Japanese Flying Boat from World War II.  Fluenta in the background

On the big wharf that the Japanese built during World War II

Lots of kids eager to practice their English

Most of homes in Butaritari are thatch which seems to make so much more sense than the tin siding shelters we have seen elsewhere.

Most of homes in Butaritari are thatch

Most of homes in Butaritari are thatch

Local canoe with Fluenta in the background.

Cool use of a giant clam shell - pig's trough.  Even in urban Tarawa most of the pig troughs are giant clam shells.

Silly I-Matang go on a hike to seek fruit and vegetables.

Swamp taro in the mangrove swamp.  Butartari has mangroves not found elsewhere in Kiribati.

On our hike we were ushered into this home for lunch.

Everyone comes out to see the I-Matang.

The catholic church

The ferry arrives Christmas Eve

Ladies making the walls for the toilet for the upcoming wedding.

Preparing thatch for a new roof.

Cannon.  We were told it was from World War II but it looks older than that.

The big kids and I snorkelled on two World War II shipwrecks that were a few hundred meters from Fluenta.  Boiler (?) still visible.

Johnathan noticed this flatfish when we were snorkeling on the wrecks.

Looking towards the King's Wharf.

Looking across the lagoon. Small traditional canoe fishing near Fluenta.

Fluenta from the mast top.  Lots of sun for the solar panels ...