Ifaluk
Ifaluk, one of the Yap islands, and part of the Federated States of Micronesia, was one of my favorite islands on the whole south Pacific trip. I liked it because the lifestyle has been relatively unchanged for so long. There is no electricity, there are no motors, people wear traditional clothing, and live in straw huts. Canoes are made by hand. There are no tourist facilities, shops, or government buildings. But there is a school, and they use western textbooks, and some islanders have even received higher educations in western countries. Some visitors remark on how poor they are. But how poor is a society where they always have plenty of food, fruits, and fish; weather is pleasant year-round; many people have ocean front homes; and crime is nearly non-existent? I am envious.
Click on any thumbnail to see a larger image.
©Bill Yeaton