This is a photo of a variety of Love Sticks that I acquired on my visits to Truk Lagoon. Today, it is politically correct to say the name the way the natives in Truk do, Chuuk. Chuuk is one of the atolls in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Legend has it that the sticks were made to identify young men that would come to the thatched houses of the people in Chuuk to call on a particular young lady. He would thrust his pointed stick through the side of the dwelling and then the young lady, in the darkness of the night, would feel the carving patterns on the stick and know who it was. Then she would decide if she was interested in the young man. The sticks are usually about 2 to 3 feet long.
There is some debate as to weather it was a real practice or if it was started as a way for the locals to sell handicrafts to the tourists. Weather it is true or not, the sticks are beautiful and a good souvenir.
Most people don't know that the US sunk more Japanese ships in Truk Lagoon than the Japanese sunk US ships in Pearl Harbor. Today, wreck divers make up the bulk of tourists to Truk Lagoon.
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| This is a photo that I took of myself while I was waiting for a boat to take me out to the S/S Thor-fin. |
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| This is a map of Micronesia. You can see Truk down from Guam. |