If you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend the show about Polynesian voyaging at the Bishop Museum planetarium in Honolulu. You learn a little bit about navigation by stars (in particular you get a taste of how unbelievably complex it is), some of the history of Polynesian voyaging and the recent history of the PVS, the Hokule’a and the amazing modern voyagers who’ve revived ancient Polynesian cultural traditions. It just leaves you in awe of Polynesian culture, knowledge, and accomplishments. I always make sure to catch the show whenever I visit Honolulu.
I’m in Tahiti now and in preparation I started reading Sea People [1] which explores Polynesian culture and the westerner discovery of it. It’s a truly incredible story, most of which I never knew. Highly recommend the read, and doing so with a map handy.
