Post #696246 by No No on Sun, Oct 13, 2013 7:41 PM

Hey TropicDrinkBoy....
To answer the first part of your question, I believe that towards the end of his life, Joe Long lost the fire in his belly to keep his Tahara'a dream alive. After the sale, it was all down hill from there on out! To answer the second part of your question, Tiki is an integral part of Polynesian culture. The Marquesas were thought to be the point of origin for Tikis and they can now be found throughout Polynesia. They are considered protective statues, each with its own personality. The Easter Island Tikis, known as Moais, are much larger: some weighing in at over 10 tons. How they got there is still a mystery. I carved one out of volcanic stone for Joe upon my return from Tahiti and it still has a place in their gardens. The main aversion to Tiki amongst Polynesian natives is voiced by the large segment of the population that has converted to Christianity. As you may know, Christians believe that there is but one God, and they do not worship idols which they consider false gods.

[ Edited by: No No 2013-10-13 19:49 ]