Chronicles of the Passage from the Gambier Islands to the Marquesas. A Little About How Cannibals Became Righteous—and, Unexpectedly, About Everest

Chronicles of the passage from the Gambier Islands to the Marquesas. A little about how cannibals became righteous—and, unexpectedly, about Everest. And yet, first, Mangareva Island (French Polynesia, Gambier Archipelago). After all, it was here that the miracle of finding solid ground beneath our feet and calm water beneath the hull came to pass. This is almost the southernmost of all the choice morsels of the Pacific snatched up by France. The 24th parallel, which means it is not hot in winter—and it is winter here, after all. Do not think Mangareva simply passed us by for nothing. We spent the whole day exploring its shores, sailing along them in our Optimist-style dinghy (a little sailing boat that children learn in). Our young sailor was learning to helm. We walked all through the village of Rikitea, even visiting the grave of the archipelago’s chief missionary, a man named Laval. Honoré Laval zealously converted the cannibals to Christianity, and was highly successful at it. In seven years of his fervent efforts, the cannibals became devout Christians. At the same time, Father Honoré also took pains to change the converts’ diet, for God commands that one must not eat one’s neighbour. Sweet potatoes and cassava appeared on the menu. Some seriously regretted not having eaten the missionary when they had the chance, and meanly whispered slanders about Laval to the Bishop of Tahiti. As a result, the missionary was one day declared insane and ignominiously shipped off to Tahiti. But since his remains now rest here in the church, it would seem that the preacher returned from Tahiti in triumph. To this day, he is revered as the father of the entire local flock, numbering more than 800 souls. His remains lend gravitas to Mangareva’s cathedral, the largest building in these parts. .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, . .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, . .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, Fewer yachts call at the Gambier Islands than at the Marquesas. Perhaps that is why people write that the Marquesas are paradise on earth. Or maybe there is simply no one around to write much about the Gambiers, and they are actually even better? The Marquesas are hotter and more crowded. But whatever thoughts may creep into the crew’s heads, we will have about 10 days in the ocean to think them through. The forecast promises a close-hauled wind (slightly in our face). But a thousand miles is not 2,200—we will manage somehow. See you, friends! Forgive us for not being able to reply to your comments. We still read them with love, though, and they make us happy. Can you feel our warmth? There it is, flying towards you in a bright song. May all be well with you! .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, . .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, . .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, And now, from the passage itself. The captain was right to wait for a fair wind and get us up at the crack of dawn. For the second day running, we are flying in the right direction, with both wind and waves behind us. And 20–25 knots of wind feels like a gentle pat on the bottom from a loving mother. The crew never tires of reading and eating. And in the evening, a film. 9 July was my father’s birthday. We marked the occasion by watching Everest. At the very time when Anatoli Boukreev was rescuing dying climbers on Everest (1996), Dad was climbing K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. Exactly a year later, in 1997, my father became one of the first Russian mountaineers to summit Everest. President Yeltsin personally awarded him the Order of Courage. Whenever I watch anything like that, I think that I do not possess even a hundredth of his courage and willpower. Dad died in roughly the same way as the main character in the film Everest. In 2004, K2, the killer mountain, took him. Sergei Sokolov called it Chogori. Happy birthday, Dad. .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, . .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, .. ,,,,,,,,,, . .. ,,,,,,,, . ,,,,,,,, During the night, we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn; it will soon be hot. The expedition’s current coordinates are 20°17′ S, 134°46′ W. Friends, take care of yourselves.