I tried to cross the North and the North to record the 'now' of the southern country Tuvalu / Funafuti island, which was in danger of sinking / extinction

With sea level rise accompanying global warming, it is said that the country " Tuvalu " with an average sea level of 2 meters is in danger of annihilation. By using bike & motorcycle to traverse north and south of Tuvalu 's " Funafuti island " where residents' living space is cut every year, record the current state of Tuvalu as of July 2018 in photos & movies did.

Tuvalu's main means of transportation is motorcycle rather than car.

On Funafuti Island without public transport, many people move by scooter or motorcycle. By the way, it seems that most people are touring with reason not to have a destination because "it's just fun".

So, to go around the whole of the island of Funafuti, I tried running around using mountain bike and 125 cc motorcycle. Basically photographs are taken from mountain bikes and movies are taken from bikes.

First of all, departing from Tuvalu's only international airport in front of Funafuti Airport, go southwest and aim at the southern end. It is approximately 3 kilometers from the airport to the south end.

Funafuti International Airport → You can check how the motorbike runs the southern tip of the island in the following movie.

【2.7K】 I tried exploding on a motorcycle from the Tuvalu · Funafuti International Airport in the crisis of sinking annihilation to the southern end - YouTube


South south of the main street in front of the airport.

Run for a while and get on the new street next to the runway.

Before the southern end of the runway, the entrance to the beach of Funafuti's leading beach.

The beach on a sunny day is like this. However, as the sun is too strong, few adults swim in the sea during the day.

When the runway is broken ......

Shops no longer exist, and they enter the local road where palms grow.

The width of the island is cut off 50 meters and the coastline can be seen always on either side.

The sea on the west side of the island is very mild.

I found a child riding a school bus.

Vehicles that used to be a school bus in Japan used to work as a school bus in Tuvalu too.

Tuvalu's children are friendly anyway.

A boy who decides to pose towards the camera.

Everyone responds with a smile.

Space to avoid the sun ......

A free-borne bird that appears suddenly.

From here it is a signboard signifying that it is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.

Watching a peaceful scenery, as you go forward ......

Arrived at the southernmost terminal. I have no choice but to walk by foot.

At first, there is a way.

The sea raging when turning to the left.

On the other hand, looking to the right, the sea of ​​Vetanagi.

When going out to the seaside with shells ......

I can see Kojima, arrive at the southernmost tip of Funafuti.

An uninhabited island that seems to be not far away.

At low tide it will land.

Although the waves are high on the east side ......

There is no wave at all on the west side. With the southernmost point as the border, the facial expressions of the sea were opposite.

I will walk back to the motorcycle again.

Next we will go north about 11 kilometers from the southern tip of the Funafuti island to the north end.

You can see how to traverse Funafuti from south to north with the following movie.

【2.7K】 I tried exploding on the bike from the southern tip of Tuvalu / Funafuti Island to the northernmost of the crisis of sinking annihilation - YouTube


It was the children 's smile that I saw on my way back the way I came.

On the beach at the south end of the runway, the boy was fishing.

Go north along the runway.

One day around the terminal in front of the closed airport customs office this day.

After the airport, we joined the main street. After all, the smiling face of children is seen there quietly.

A boy who will help you

As a lost item, the boy was desperately following the pickup truck.

I also encountered a tractor to collect garbage.

The students at the loading platform were tall.

Everyone riders running in the opposite lane smile.

Arriving at the port after passing downtown.

I saw a large amount of gas cylinders through the fence.

When the harbor is cut through, the point where the decaying car is rough is ... ....

Further north, children swimming on the west coast. He decided a perfect pose.

I found a small square.

Fortunately, I tried skipping the drone in order to take aerial view of the northern part of the Funafuti island.

【4K】 I tried to take aerial view of northern part of Tuvalu / Funafuti Island in the danger of annihilation - YouTube


Children came from anywhere as they were flying drone. "That's a drone," a boy whose eyes are shining. The children of Tuvalu also seemed curious about Drone.

Continue further north.

The width of the island is only about 20 meters. Touring while watching the sea on both sides was exhilarating that I never experienced.

Handmade trash can.

Government official to set up trash can. In Tuvalu, which was criticized as "garbage island", in recent years, environmental awareness has increased and the custom of not throwing trash into discards has begun to take root in recent years.

PET bottles arranged on side roads are those making sake from palm fruits. It is palm juice if you drink on that day, but if you drink it on the Tuvalu sun it will be changed to alcohol about 2 days.

A dog that firmly manages piglets.

The part where the asphalt is cut off and becomes concrete is the terminal of Funafuti island. The boundary with the Fongafaré Island ahead will be connected by concrete, and the road will be extended further north.

Finally arrived at the northern end.

That was a garbage dumpster.

The garbage accumulation site is the dead end of Funafuti island (Fongafaray Island exactly crossing the island of Funafuti). So, we will make a U - turn at the garbage dumpster, south soon and aim for the airport again.

You can check the situation of returning to the Funafuti International Airport from the northern end with the following movie.

【2.7K】 I tried exploding on the bike from the northern end of Tuvalu / Funafuti Island which is in danger of annihilation to funafuti international airport - YouTube


Grave by the house. In Tuvalu it is customs to condemn the deceased by burial.

Discovering children exercising on the way. Here, suddenly I was suffering from a squall, I decided to rain with shelter under a palm tree.

When I found a foreigner who was rushing in from the rain, the children came over. The smiles of the boys who are aiming for rugby players were shining more than the rainbow that looked behind.

We continued the road washed by rain and the journey of one round trip to Tuvalu's Funafuti is completed.

You can check the video of the uncut that goes one way back and forth on Funafuti in the following movie.

【2.7K】 Funafuti island in Tuvalu: Touring by a motorcycle 【GoPro】 - YouTube