All in all, we spent a couple months in the South Pacific Islands - Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga. Before we start our S. America entries, we wanted to highlight some of our impressions of this region (as we have done with the other major regions we have visited on our trip).
While we were ready to get a move on by March, we thoroughly enjoyed the time we had to relax on beautiful beaches, explore the islands, rummage through the local markets, get to interact with tourists and locals alike, and of course get married. :) While each island was unique, there were a number of similarities between them. Below are some of the things that stood out to us about the island lifestyle...
Religion: The evidence of 20th century missions by every major Christian sect was very apparent in the islands. In addition to the presence of many Christian Churches, there were several others - most notably the Mormons. Most islanders are avid church going people who take Sundays (or Saturdays if they are Seventh Day Adventists) very seriously. It´s a day for worship, family time, feasting and rest...and virtually everything closes down. People dress up in their b
est outfits (white if in Samoa) and head to church. Religion is a major part of village life and a staple in the community. Religious symbols can been seen everywhere - from buses, to markets, people´s homes and even by the road side. While most islanders are devout in their faith, we did also encounter those who shared that a number of people (especially elders) do still hang on very quietly to their ancestral beliefs and superstitions, regardless of the faith they claim. However, as the generations progress, this is becoming less common. And there were also those who admitted that choice of religion depended on what the particular church was offering up in terms of education for their children and other side benefits. It was an interesting part of their society to observe considering how much the presence of Western religions have impacted their societies, beliefs and customs in the last century.
est outfits (white if in Samoa) and head to church. Religion is a major part of village life and a staple in the community. Religious symbols can been seen everywhere - from buses, to markets, people´s homes and even by the road side. While most islanders are devout in their faith, we did also encounter those who shared that a number of people (especially elders) do still hang on very quietly to their ancestral beliefs and superstitions, regardless of the faith they claim. However, as the generations progress, this is becoming less common. And there were also those who admitted that choice of religion depended on what the particular church was offering up in terms of education for their children and other side benefits. It was an interesting part of their society to observe considering how much the presence of Western religions have impacted their societies, beliefs and customs in the last century.Burial Practices: Each country´s burial traditions are slightly different, but what they have in common is that you can´t miss them. In the Cook Islands, f
amily members are usually buried on family land...so as you drive by everyone´s front yard you can see large concrete tombs often decorated with photos and kind words from loved ones. Samoa was similar to the Cooks Islands, but on the volcanic island of Savaii tombs were also often covered by an arrangement of lava rocks. In Tonga, small cemeteries were more the norm. Here, concrete burials were covered with sand and gravel, then fake flowers were stuck into the sand for decoration...but the most important aspect, were the colorful and lavishly decorated quilts they hang behind the mound. The more ornate the quilt and the more fake flowers...the more the person is respected and loved.
amily members are usually buried on family land...so as you drive by everyone´s front yard you can see large concrete tombs often decorated with photos and kind words from loved ones. Samoa was similar to the Cooks Islands, but on the volcanic island of Savaii tombs were also often covered by an arrangement of lava rocks. In Tonga, small cemeteries were more the norm. Here, concrete burials were covered with sand and gravel, then fake flowers were stuck into the sand for decoration...but the most important aspect, were the colorful and lavishly decorated quilts they hang behind the mound. The more ornate the quilt and the more fake flowers...the more the person is respected and loved. Family: Islanders generally have large families and everyone looks after each other. As we found in Palau and Yap, aunts and uncles are pretty much like another set of parents, and everyone shares the responsibilities of raising children. Cousins are like brothers and sisters and grandparents are respected elders. Everyone helps out the other in matters of land, food, housing, money, or anything else. Family reunions are major affairs when everyone gathers together annually, or every few years. Weddings and funerals are also big events where everyone comes and must be invited...a small wedding is not an option, and funerals are more celebrations of life rather than dwelling only on the mourning. Those who go abroad to work in Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere (which is quite common) generally send money home to help their families in the islands. They also come home as often as possible for the holidays. We quite admired how immediate and extended families look after each other and stick together through thick and thin.
Island Traditions - Music, Dance, Dress and Food: There is certainly a feeling of "island" traditions and lifestyle when you arrive to each country. Again, each is distinct, but all are similar in that they highly value their traditions. We heard the same sorts of music in all the
islands we visited. It was either traditional, which generally included a lot of drum beats, ukulele and singing...or, modern island style - laid back, happy, hip-hoppy beats. Traditional dance is a point of pride for these countries with many men´s and women´s dances often set to drum beats or gentle singing. Island food was also similar and a mix of taro root and leaves, tapioca, fish, coconut, papaya, and then the canned stuff like corned beef that´s imported (and generally quite unhealthly). In terms of traditional dress, lava lavas (large, colorful pieces of cloth) were highly popular in the Cook Islands and Samoa. In Tonga, it´s a bit different...they wrap woven mats around their waists and tie them with string or a belt. Of course the modern world has crept in and many of the traditions are mixed in with Western styles of dress, music, food, etc. However, they are not lost and you can still see many traditional aspects played out in daily island life. Or, you can be a tourist (like we were a number of times) and pay for a traditional island "night" where you get to eat a tasty island buffet and watch a traditional dance show set to their music all in a matter of a few hours.
islands we visited. It was either traditional, which generally included a lot of drum beats, ukulele and singing...or, modern island style - laid back, happy, hip-hoppy beats. Traditional dance is a point of pride for these countries with many men´s and women´s dances often set to drum beats or gentle singing. Island food was also similar and a mix of taro root and leaves, tapioca, fish, coconut, papaya, and then the canned stuff like corned beef that´s imported (and generally quite unhealthly). In terms of traditional dress, lava lavas (large, colorful pieces of cloth) were highly popular in the Cook Islands and Samoa. In Tonga, it´s a bit different...they wrap woven mats around their waists and tie them with string or a belt. Of course the modern world has crept in and many of the traditions are mixed in with Western styles of dress, music, food, etc. However, they are not lost and you can still see many traditional aspects played out in daily island life. Or, you can be a tourist (like we were a number of times) and pay for a traditional island "night" where you get to eat a tasty island buffet and watch a traditional dance show set to their music all in a matter of a few hours.Village Life: As we observed in Micronesia, village lifestyle is still very much a part of how things work. Each village has a chief or chiefs (in Samoa there are chiefs for different purposes) who determines and enforces village rules. The chiefs and the elders must be respected and hold a lot of power in governance of the village (and often play a large role in the larger government). In Tonga, this is of course different because it is a monarchy (see Tonga blog). While many people commute into the bigger city/town on the island for work, they return to their villages at night and live their weekend lives there.
People: Islanders tend to be quite laid back and very friendly. We had many nice conversations and hospitable offers throughout our time on the islands. In fact, in the Cook Islands we were virtually adopted by a local family for a couple weeks, which was wonderful. Islanders may not be the most highly motivated and driven people you´ve ever met, but they are certainly pleasant to hang out with and very welcoming. We are grateful to all the wonderful people we met while in the South Pacific...for their tourist advice, their assistance and hospitality.Of course, there are many more aspects of the islands we could highlight from our time in Polynesia, but this is a good flavor of a few things that made an impression on us about the culture and the lifestyle. As we always say with these kinds of entries, bear in mind this is only one perspective from a traveling couple who breezed through quickly. As always, we are happy to discuss our impressions on this region further if you feel inclined to ask us. :)
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