Displays like this are often seen in coastal shops, but these shells and corals were not purchased; we found them all. Of particular note, the cowry in the lower right corner came from a motu (small island along the reef) between the islands of Taha’a and Ra’iatea in French Polynesia.
We were on a cruise ship that stopped in the lagoon shared by both islands, and went on a tour boat to Taha’a. On the way back we stopped at one of the numerous small islands near the reef and went snorkeling. To my amazement the cowry soon appeared; I showed it to the guide and then started to return it to the water. The guide insisted that I keep the shell as a memory of the lovely island waters.
The next day our cruise ship stopped in Bora Bora and again we went out on another boat tour. On return, while exiting the small boat, a gust of wind blew my Panama hat into the water which was flowing towards a pass to the open sea. I quickly made my way to the back of the ship where some kayaks and small boats were tied, and almost succeeded in fetching my hat as it floated by.
I dared not jump in after it, for the current could easily have swept us both out to the open ocean. As I watched the hat swirl its way towards the pass, I had no regrets. The day before the ocean had given me its pearly gift and then, it had taken my fine Panama hat in trade. It seemed that we both were quite satisfied, but to this day, I do believe that I got the better end of the bargain.
#sea #cowry #motu #islands #frenchpolynesia #panamahat #barter #giftsfromthesea
Eskildoodle Photos and Feelings 