Truk (Chuuk) - great diving,sad island

[divepix]

I sat one night long ago listening to Chemio Aisek. I like to have my picture made with famous folks. I have an autographed picture of me and Sally. I almost got my picture made with Chemio but I was a few minutes late.

In the old days Chemio talked about being a teen ager in the late 30s and what he remembered about events leading up to the fateful day.

After World War I the pacific was divided amongst the allies against the Germans and the Territory of Truk was given to the Japanese. They built fishing factories and copra drying facilities and taught the Trukese how to process fish and copra and make a living at it. Unfortunately, they were also, under guise of these endeavors making tunnels and airfields and storing war materials. In 1936 Chemio says that a Japanese officer told him that Japan was preparing for war with the United States. Everyone on Truk was employed and the economy was stable. If you give a man a fish he will eat for a day, if you teach him to fish he will eat forever.

World War II came along and the United States won. They immediately put all the folks on the islands on the dole. There are warehouses on Truk that are filled with peanut butter. No Trukese will ever eat peanut butter. Everyone on Truk (now Chuuk) are employed either directly or indirectly with the government. In effect, the whole island is on the dole. For a long time the islands were "dry." I remember smuggling in liquor in mouthwash bottles and in Naval distribution. Drinking liquor and driving boats don't mix.

Later the government found that they could make money selling liquor to tourists. Now gangs of teens throw rocks at each other for entertainment. Someone said that they should get a job!! Why should they??

I met Kimeo as well in 1991 and actually sat next to him on the flight from Truk to Hawaii where he was going for medical treatment, as his health was already getting very bad.

I'm not sure I totally follow your point, but if you are implying the Trukese are "victims" and it is everybody else's fault that they refuse to improve their state, I'm not a big fan of that philosophy, whether it be in Truk, the US, or anywhere else in the world.
There are too many stories of "overcomers" in history, and I believe all men are endowed with the seeds of achievement and greatness.
And I certainly hop eyou are not implying the Trukese were better off under the Japanese than they were after the war. Kimeo told me stories of Japanese servitude that don't reinforce that premise.
Bottom line, someone with a heart for Truk and some vision needs to step up and challenge the people to improve their lives. They don't need money or excuses - they need a visionary and leader(s) with character. That is how countries thrive.

 

[Tom Smedley]

No, the people in Truk are not victims. They are simply products of a force beyond their control. This entire generation has matured thinking that a "Living" is walking to the mailbox and collecting a check.

I'm not sure I totally follow your point, but if you are implying the Trukese are "victims" and it is everybody else's fault that they refuse to improve their state, I'm not a big fan of that philosophy, whether it be in Truk, the US, or anywhere else in the world.

 

[eelpout]

Whatever the problems in Chuuk , the change has to come from the locals. Soembody has to rise and motivate the locals. Many people have tried including the US goverment. There is an inherent problem with culture clashes. When the native population survived on fish and breadfruit for many years, the introduction of modern things are very tempting. During the post WW2 years the people in that part of the world became welfare states to keep them on our side. They were handed a lot of free stuff. There is a reason why Spam is so popular there. Now they are told they have to work for their modern conveniences and they don't like it.

The motivation to change has to come from the locals themselves. It may take time because their culture may not be open to criticism of their elders.

Just my 2 cents worth,
Jim

 

[divepix]

eelpout, I agree,
It is their island and regardless of what has happened in the past, they will have to support and work for a change.

Yes, Smedley, the welfare state they became hurt them more than helped them, just like our welfare state has destroyed the incentive to succeed for so many Americans.

Fortunately, in most cases, someone with "the right stuff" eventually says "enough" and leds a revolution for change. I hope that happens in Chuuk.

 

[PacificFlyer]

Divepix,

You said, "This trip was on the Odyssey, a nice liveaboard (I've been on better and worse, but it was good)"

I have been on Odyssey twice and have 2 week trip next April. I agree it is a nice liveaboard. From your statement what liveaboard would you rate better than the Odyssey? I am always looking for good suggestion. Thanks
Pacifichiflyer

 

[Barracuda2]

There is a big difference in quality between Odyssey and Thorfinn, but do Throfinn rather than landbased if under budget restraints.

I've not done the Odyssey, but have been on several Aggressors; it looks to me that the quality of both operations is the same. There is a difference between the Aggressors and the Thorfinn; however, I don't believe the difference is BIG. The Thorfinn is larger; my room was larger than on the Aggressor. The diving was done from skiffs rather than from the stern platform. OK more convenient, but our three skiffs were divided up into experience levels. Those who wanted to go deeper, penetrate more and had the confidence and experience to do it were in one skiff. Those who would rather dive the less challanging wrecks were on the other skiffs. I thought that was a great plus. I thought that the food was very adaquate and plentiful aboard the Thorfinn; again maybe not quite the level as Aggressor food, but I'm not very picky. The crew was great on the Thorfinn and the diving, from what I have heard, is more liberal than the Odyssey. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay on the Thorfinn and would recommend it to anyone.

 

[divepix]

Divepix,

You said, "This trip was on the Odyssey, a nice liveaboard (I've been on better and worse, but it was good)"

I have been on Odyssey twice and have 2 week trip next April. I agree it is a nice liveaboard. From your statement what liveaboard would you rate better than the Odyssey? I am always looking for good suggestion. Thanks
Pacifichiflyer

A lot of elements constitute a great liveaboard, IMO. I've done about 20 in the last 25 years. Crew, food quality, food quantity, accommodations, common areas, dive setup and operation, photo friendly,etc., etc. are all important elements and rarely does a liveaboard nail them all.
With that said, here are the best I have done:
- Palau Aggressor - best boat, rooms, dive setup and common areas
- Galapagos Aggressor II & Spirit of Freedom - best crew
- Pelagian - best cabins,photo friendly
Odyssey was very good, but crew was average, IMO. Manthiri in Maldives was very good overall, Aggressors and Hughes boats usually are good overall.
There are a lot of nice vessels out there, and a lot of things that make a great trip. Great boats can't salvage a poor crew or vice versa; they can't save a week of crappy weather or bad food. But when all is said or done, we go to dive and if the diving is great, the trip will be memorable.

 

[JackConnick]

I had a great trip on the Odyssey 4 years ago and am going back this Nov. I found the crew quite above average then, but guides come and go. It is far and away the most comfortable boat I've been on and I love being able to dive right off the stern.

I agree with the problems in Chuuk, they need some leadership and motivation, but unfortunately have always been taken care of by one power or another. But it astounds me that there are no tourist shops for handicrafts or museums, etc. Poorer places, ie northern Thailand for one have developed tourist bazaars and so forth that is a nice addition to their incomes.

Jack

 

[Scared Silly]

This spring my wife and I were on both Chuuk and Pohnpei. We were land based on Pohnpei and on the Odyssey while in Truk Lagoon (though we did stay for two nights at Blue Lagoon).

People's observations about Chuuk are correct to a point. However, there are people on the island that are trying - but progress comes slowly and as others have obsevered it must come from within. We spent a good hour talking to a local who was teacher. We got some good incite and he was very open to talk to us about the island. This may have been because in the course of our conversation we discovered that he went to college in the same small town that I grew up in in the late 70s/early 80s. He was a teacher and though he could have reamined in the states where his parents and other siblings live he choose to come back to Chuuk to teach and to try and make a difference. But the old dies hard especially when there is also corruption.

I noticed much to my chagrin/embarrassment/disgust that on Chuuk the nicest building appeared to be local LDS ward house. But then again I am an agnostic heathen living in the land of Zion so my view is perhaps jaded.

Now we also noticed that on the island of Pohnpei there were similar conditions but there was also alot more infrastructure built up. This of course is because Pohnpei is a single island for the most part and has been the capital of the archipelago more or less continuously for the past 100 years.


On the side - if visiting Chuuk spend one day and do a land based dive to "Shark Island" to the shark cleaning station. Quite cool - we did this with Blue Lagoon and this is NOT a staged bait and watch dive.

The other is Pohnpei is worth the stop - stayed at the Village and enjoyed our stay with one exception. They can not really accomodate more than 12 divers without turning things into a bit CF. We got to "join" a group of 16 during our stay that was not a lot of fun.

 

[ScubaPalau]

In 1993 I visited Chuuk and dove with Gradfin Aisek, the son of Kimeo Aisek. We had the opportunity to listen to Kimeo tell his story of watching the attack on the islands, how Cousteau later came to the islands and the growth of diving in the area. I was impressed enough with his story that my son, Logan Aisek Whitaker, was given his middle name to honor Kimeo and his family. I also had the opportunity to meet with Jean Michelle Cousteau and discuss his travels. One of the dilemas they have each time they visit a remote location is how much impact they could, and should, have on the culture. Bottom line is that they feel they should have as little impact as possible.