All language subtitles for Travel.Quest.With.Bill.Ball.S01E05.CONVERT.1080p.HDTV.H264-CBFM

BILL BALL: You could call them brave,
fearless and daring,

also the world's greatest navigators.

These early explorers populated

the far-flung islands
of the Pacific.

Each would develop their own
traditions, language and dress,

creating a gradient of cultures
that were both similar and different.

(SINGING IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)

In the most remote cluster
of islands,

there is one that stands out
for its singular take

on dance, social structure
and money.

It is here where I will learn about

one of the most unique cultures
in the world,

step foot on an island that has been
off limits to visitors for aeons,

and dive with hungry sharks and some
of the biggest rays found anywhere.

So, take a deep breath as we visit
the special people and wildlife

of Yap,
the original mysterious island.

Since I was young,

I had an intense desire
to discover the world around me.

That hasn't changed,
just the level of adventure.

Now every journey has a purpose

and each time I venture out

to explore new destinations
around the globe,

I am following my travel quest.

The draw of the sea,
the mystery of what lies ahead,

the sheer strength of the human
spirit to explore unknown waters

fired me up
as we flew through the waves.

I knew then that the traditions,
culture and wildlife

and the people of Yap

were going to be mind-boggling.

The first people of Yap came over
2,000 years ago by outrigger canoe.

But we don't know for sure
which route they followed.

Current thinking has them immigrating

from the Malay peninsula

and New Guinea.

Those first travellers set sail

without knowing if they would ever
find land.

You wonder how many
missed the islands completely

and perished at sea.

Because of its isolation
and lack of infrastructure,

tourism is not well-developed in Yap.

For instance, you can hire locals
to take you for a ride

on an outrigger canoe,

but there are no companies

offering the service in
a scheduled or organised fashion.

(ENGINE SPUTTERS)

Like I was saying, commercial tourism
is not a major industry,

which, on the upside,
keeps Yap a pristine paradise.

There are only two airline flights
in and out each week

and they are both
in the middle of the night.

Only 4,000 people
visit Yap each year.

By contrast, Palau receives
150,000 annual tourists

and Guam sees 1.5 million visitors.

The people of Yap
are naturally friendly

and welcomed us with open arms.

They have learned to live off the
land for most of the basics of life,

and weaving sun hats out of
palm fronds is one of those skills.

Best of all, it combines
their living with nature attitude

with their friendliness

as they gave my friends
a special souvenir

that is quite practical
on a sunny Pacific island.

Originally colonised by Spain
as part of their Asian empire

that included much of Micronesia
and the Philippines,

Yap became a pawn
in world domination.

After losing
the Spanish-American War,

Spain sold Yap to Germany,

along with the rest of Micronesia.

Germany's gain
was short-lived, though,

losing the islands after World War I,

with control going to
the US and British ally, Japan.

Japan was not a good caretaker,

instituting forced labor
and stifling local culture.

But that hardship was nothing
compared to what would come next -

World War II.

Though the US did not invade Yap,

it did extensively bomb
Japan's many air and ground bases.

And the aftermath of that bombing
is still found across the island.

All over the world,
you can find monuments and parks

dedicated to World War II,

but only here in Yap
can you find the actual artefacts

in the place where they were left.

That makes this quite unique.

OK, everybody, we're going to
show you the Japanese Zero fighter.

The bombing site, only accessible
through dense jungle,

is a maze of twisted metal
and shrapnel.

Caught on the ground
by a surprise aerial attack,

this is one of
the largest collections

of destroyed Japanese Zeros
anywhere.

I couldn't help but get a sense
of the surprise and horror

that must have gone through
the Japanese base.

I have never seen anything
like this before.

Battlefields throughout the world
are usually cleaned up and sanitised,

but this is as authentic
as you can get.

For the World War II buff, this
is a veritable dream destination.

Some American losses were inevitable.

One of those recovered
from the dense jungle

was Joseph Cox's fighter.

Killed when his plane crashed,

this is a lasting memorial
honouring his sacrifice.

At the end of the war, the islands
became a US trust territory.

Ultimately, several islands,
including Yap, Truuk and Pohnpei

were united to form
the independent nation

of the Federation
of Micronesian Islands.

The Federation has a special
relationship with the US,

allowing visa-free travel,

defence protection

and the use of the US dollar
as its official currency.

Though they have a local language
distinct from other Pacific islands,

English is taught
and is spoken fluently.

I mentioned that the official
currency is the US dollar,

and that's both absolutely correct...

..and absolutely wrong.

Everyday transactions
and all tourist purchases

are done with the dollar,

but traditional money still plays
a very important role.

According to oral tradition,

two brothers
brought some shiny stones

from the distant island of Palau.

These weren't diamonds, rubies
or even topaz,

but ordinary limestone and quartz.

Anywhere else in the world,
they were worthless.

But in Yap, they were the things
dreams, and a national currency,

were made of.

Stone money
is always round and large.

These aren't pocket coins.

They weigh hundreds
and, at times, thousands of pounds.

The stone money
was carved out of a solid rock

using tools made out of shells.

These giant stone wheels
were loaded on outrigger canoes

and sailed back over 300 miles

through some of the most
treacherous waters in the world.

Worthless rocks became valuable
with the souls of many lost sailors.

The world caught up to Yap
when an Irish-American named O'Keefe

found his way to the cluster
of islands in the Pacific.

He would change Yap
and its people forever.

Despite Yap being controlled
by outsiders

and its suffering
through World War II,

Yap clung to its traditions,

especially its currency,
which intrigued me.

O'Keefe arrived in Yap in 1874

and saw an almost unlimited supply
of copra, or coconut oil.

He tried to buy the coconuts,

but the locals wanted nothing
to do with his small money.

In desperation, O'Keefe proposed
a radical economy-changing solution.

He would help them produce and
transport more of their stone money

with his modern tools and ship.

Suddenly, the once deadly
labour-intensive work was now easy.

The new coins flooded Yap's economy,
making stone money worth, well...

..little more than...rocks.

Ultimately,
like all good central banks,

the elders halted
stone money imports.

So, what they have today
is all they will ever have.

While modern Yap uses the US dollar
for daily transactions,

our guide, Tamag,

explains how stone money still plays
a critical part of life in Yap.

So, this stone money
was obviously big in its day,

but how do you use it today?

Oh, yes, we use them to...

If one of my brothers
or somebody in my family

makes trouble with another family,

and then we go bail him out
with the stone money.

So, stone money
is used to bail people out?

Yes.
How else?

Uh, also, uh, if we work hard,
building house or fixing a road,

and then we also pay the money
from working hard.

So, in other words,
if you're going to cause trouble,

you better have worked hard
so you can earn some stone money.

Yes. (LAUGHS)

Mind you, the stones are never moved.

They just change ownership,
often temporarily,

until other reparations are found.

On Yap, size does not matter.

It is the story
that goes along with the stones

that makes one more valuable
than another.

Pre-O'Keefe hand-hewed currency

is also worth much more
than the more modern O'Keefe money.

After an exciting day
touring the island,

it was time
to head back to our hotel.

I was more than a bit sceptical

that the hotels on Yap
would be in a good Western standard.

Past experience
gave me reason to doubt.

First, Yap is a diving destination,

and diving hotels
are usually not very fancy.

And, second, it is an island
in the middle of literally nowhere.

But to my surprise,
the Yap Dive Resort

was just what the doctor ordered
after such a rigorous day.

I met up with the new owner
and local, Peter Daramfel.

Because so much of the tourist
business is foreign-owned,

I was intrigued how Peter
came to own this lovely property.

A lot of things in Yap
are geared towards divers,

but we've found out that there's
a million things to do that...

..that don't necessarily
have to do with diving.

I mean, the diving's great here,

but you guys do a lot more
than it seems.

You have programs
to introduce people to the islands.

How did that come about?

Uh, well, tourism
really started way, way back,

uh, in the, you know, late '70s.

It, uh...

It was a stagnant, uh, movement.

And so just recently,

you know, tourism
has started to pick up here in Yap.

And, you know, we don't have
the beaches of Waikiki

nor the rock islands of Palau,

but we have, uh, the culture,

which is the most unique
in the world.

There's none other, uh...
no other culture that's the same.

What do you see the future of tourism
here in Yap to be?

Well, I don't have
a crystal ball, Bill,

but I can tell you this -
definitely tourism is going to grow.

But, as I mentioned,
as much as possible,

we want to grow within our means.

We want our own people
to participate in that growth

as much as possible.

We welcome for an investment,

but at the same time,

we also encourage local people
to get involved in the industry.

It was incredible talking to you.

I love this place. Um, I can't wait
to see more of the island.

OK.
Great to meet you.

Thank you very much.

I was pleasantly surprised
that virtually everyone I talked to

wanted tourism to develop
at a sustainable pace.

So many islands
have seen the lure of money

and sent tourism
spiralling out of control,

only to ruin paradise
for both the locals and the visitors.

Yap is still very quaint,
with only one ATM on the island

and, likewise, one police vehicle.

I've never seen a grocery store
that displayed bottles of vodka

on the same shelf
as Spam and Pringles.

I woke the next morning, excited
for the possible adventure ahead.

We were hoping to visit
two very special places

that were at the core
of Yap's identity.

These two, visiting a men's house
and landing on Forbidden Island,

would depend on the word
of one man alone, the chief.

Tamag's uncle is the local chief,
so we had an in,

though by no means any guarantees.

The chief agreed to our meeting

so we could ask in person
for permission

to do what had never been done
before -

actually film the island.

The meeting with the chief
was going well,

maybe because of the island's
special relationship with America,

or maybe our connection to Tamag.

He seemed ready to say yes,

when, out of the blue,
he came up with a crazy demand.

One of us would have to try
betel nut,

a highly addictive substance that
most islanders, including the chief,

chew constantly.

He said it would be a bonding ritual.

Then, and only then,

would we be invited into the men's
house and onto Forbidden Island.

Betel nut is the seed
of the betel nut palm.

It is so ingrained in Yap society,

that the distinguishing feature
of male attire

is a grass woven basket
or a man purse,

sort of an organic briefcase.

Its main purpose is to carry
all of the betel nut supplies -

crushed coral lime, pepper leaves
and, of course, betel nuts.

The best nuts
are high in the palm tree,

so learning how to retrieve them

is a skill learned by boys
at a very young age.

Trying local foods and drinks is
generally one of those things I do.

It can lead to a few stomach aches
or worse,

but there is no better way
to learn about someone's life

than to eat and drink with them.

I had seen men chewing betel nut
across India,

Papua New Guinea, and many other
Pacific coastal countries,

but it was never on my bucket list.

Worse, this is the strongest
betel nut in the world.

No-one else in my group
was going to try it,

so it was left to me.

MAN: Then all you've got to do
is put it in your mouth

and do not stop chewing it.

Do not stop chewing it?
Yeah.

But you don't have to chew it fast.

I put it in the side of my mouth?
Side.

I only took a half dose.

I may be adventurous, but not crazy.

Alright. What did you feel?

I felt that the Earth and Heaven
started coming together

and a kaleidoscope of colours
came out.

As I swallowed the juice,
I did feel a warmth move up my chest

to my neck and into my mouth.

But that was it.

Quite frankly, I'm not sure
why people chew this.

It's gonna be an experience
you'll never forget.

I'd like to think
that it was our intense interest

in the culture and people of Yap

that moved the chief to allow us
to visit Forbidden Island,

but I think it was more amusement
at my foray with betel nut.

The island got its ominous name
because until very recently,

foreigners were not allowed to visit.

In fact, before us,
no-one was allowed to photograph,

let alone film here.

I'm in one of the most
unlikely places there is to be.

I'm literally on Forbidden Island.

From the 17th century,
right up till the present day,

this has been off limits
to foreigners,

but we have special permission
to be here today

and to be able to share it with you.

Upon landing, Tamag brought us
to the outskirts of the village.

We were asked to follow an ancient
tradition of carrying a tree branch

in our right hand.

In days of old, that proved
you came unarmed, in peace.

And what is particularly special
about this island

and what drew us here

is that it is home to the largest
stone money ever made.

The first thing we see in the village
was the men's house.

Men's houses
are just what they sound like -

the meeting place
for a tribe or a clan's men,

sort of a man-cave
for the whole village.

These are strictly reserved
for local men - until today.

Its interior is sparse,

but this is where
the business of the village

and many sacred rituals take place.

The men's house was fascinating
and a first for us

and the people of Forbidden Island.

But the real reason we came

was to see the biggest stone money
that was ever made,

and that rock currency was just
a short walk from the men's house.

The stone money here
is massive by any account,

each one bigger than the last,

some over nine feet across.

Moving it to this spot
had to be an immense undertaking.

No wonder, once they're in place,
they are never moved.

It stays here.

Luckily, on Forbidden Island,
there is no need for pocket change.

At this point, I was satisfied

that I'd done just about
all there was to experience Yap,

but Tamag convinced me that we had
one more important stop to make.

Each year, around March 1,

the whole island comes together
to celebrate Yap Days.

This two-day party

is designed to teach the youth
about the island's culture.

Everyone dresses
in traditional clothing,

practises handicrafts
like basket making and weaving,

and, most important,
perform the moving bamboo dance.

The dance is called a churu,

which is physically demanding,

using poles and ancient chants

as a way of storytelling
and keeping an oral history.

They tell stories of conquests,
sailing and religious events.

Most Yap dances separate the sexes,
but not this one.

Young men and women battle it out.

Preserving their culture
is an important philosophy here,

and Yap Days
is the highlight of the year.

(RHYTHMIC TAPPING AND SINGING)

I have seen ritualistic dances
all over the world

and this was one of the best
and certainly most intense.

Having conquered
all the land has to offer,

it was time to head to the sea
and fulfil my second quest.

Yap is a specialty dive destination

and, despite its isolation,
has top-quality equipment,

and the staff are ready to assist
even the neediest diver

to get ready
for an underwater adventure.

So, I was ready to do
what I came for -

diving with manta rays
and hungry sharks.

I thought my day was at full throttle

after my experiment with betel nut
and visiting the Forbidden Island,

but now it was time
to kick it up a notch.

And by kicking it up a notch,

I mean getting ready to dive with

some of the biggest fish in the sea,

the manta ray.

These giants
can grow over 28 feet across

and are found throughout the Pacific,

but nowhere better than Yap.

The manta gather here
in huge numbers,

flapping through the reef
with their gargantuan wing-like fins.

I saw at least 15,
most coming right over my head.

Scuba gets you the closest,

but snorkellers can still get a good
look at these giants of the sea.

Manta are plankton eaters,
like the biggest whales

and the manta's cousin,
the whale shark.

Ironically, the biggest sea creatures
eat the smallest food.

These filter feeders
swim within inches of you,

dive bombing
like an undersea jumbo jet.

Each pass is an incredible
heart-stopping moment.

It is something I will never forget.

After the proper wait period
between dives,

I was gearing up again.

This time, beyond the natural coral
barrier surrounding the islands,

I was going shark diving.

These waters teem
with huge numbers of blacktip,

whitetip and grey reef sharks.

For those that love to see lions
in Africa and wolves in Yellowstone,

this is a predator experience
for them,

with one small catch -

there is no vehicle or cage
to protect you

and shark bait is placed
just a few feet in front of you.

It doesn't take long
and the sharks begin to swarm.

I was sitting 65 feet down
on the ocean floor,

surrounded by at least
30 hungry sharks.

You never feel more alive
and vulnerable than at that moment.

It's an experience of a lifetime...

..just so it isn't
the end of a lifetime.

Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) SBS Australia 2023