We emerged from the dense jungle onto a clearing where another ancient maneaba stood and stopped in front. The old man who had been driving me from village to village on his motorcycle understood by this point that anything old or different I was interested in. A group of children appeared: ”imatang! Imatang!” They followed me as I stepped under the maneaba. The temperature was decidedly lower inside, the pandanus leaves underfoot dense. After taking some photos I emerged and started to get back on the bike - but where was the old man? I looked around and he was lying on a kiakia across the way waving at me. I walked over and he grinned before introducing me to the other occupant within. He was sitting in only the second round kiakia I had seen on the island - the first one being in Kaboua’s resort. I knew immediately I had found the builder and his family. He promptly got his son to climb a tree and get us fresh coconuts and we relaxed under the kiakia for some time.
PREVIOUS: Fig. 55. Close up of the various connections made using local timber and twine from coconut husks.
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