My birthday on Vanuatu
By Lili Kosa
We started January 9th on the beach before the sun rose. It was our first night on the beach
without success, so we were all a little bit disappointed, tired and sticky because of the salty air.
The sun was already rising when everybody was ready to go, so we were watching the beautiful
sunrise from a small boat. When we got back to our resort, all of us showered and went to sleep.
After lunch some of us went snorkeling, canoeing and paddle boarding. I personally, really liked
paddle boarding. It was my second time when I did it, so I didn’t fall in the water every second.
Malia and I also tried to get on the same board and paddle which was pretty hard at first because
of the waves, but at the end we could do that too. The corals were wonderful everywhere. We just
walked down to the beach in front of our house and snorkeled there. As I was waiting for the shower
I made a big sand turtle on the shore to give us luck that night on the beach. Then everyone packed
up for our next experiment. As last night, when we got to the beach, Malia and I did a short walk on
the South part of the beach but when we came back everybody was singing the Happy Birthday
song and they also made a Happy Birthday sign of corals. The turtle box was our table, where
the food was taken and we got some cans of Sprite and Fanta. However the biggest birthday gift
was a turtle, that Francis found during the night. All of us did a great job catching, tagging and
releasing the turtle that was named Pualili!
without success, so we were all a little bit disappointed, tired and sticky because of the salty air.
The sun was already rising when everybody was ready to go, so we were watching the beautiful
sunrise from a small boat. When we got back to our resort, all of us showered and went to sleep.
After lunch some of us went snorkeling, canoeing and paddle boarding. I personally, really liked
paddle boarding. It was my second time when I did it, so I didn’t fall in the water every second.
Malia and I also tried to get on the same board and paddle which was pretty hard at first because
of the waves, but at the end we could do that too. The corals were wonderful everywhere. We just
walked down to the beach in front of our house and snorkeled there. As I was waiting for the shower
I made a big sand turtle on the shore to give us luck that night on the beach. Then everyone packed
up for our next experiment. As last night, when we got to the beach, Malia and I did a short walk on
the South part of the beach but when we came back everybody was singing the Happy Birthday
song and they also made a Happy Birthday sign of corals. The turtle box was our table, where
the food was taken and we got some cans of Sprite and Fanta. However the biggest birthday gift
was a turtle, that Francis found during the night. All of us did a great job catching, tagging and
releasing the turtle that was named Pualili!
Moso Island
By Malia Mckendry
Moso Island is a beautiful island full of trees, vines, and
rocks. The things that rustle the leaves are hermit crabs during the night,
blue-tailed skinks during the day. The island’s beaches are disappointingly
thin but very long (this proved handy in searching for turtles, as the rocky
areas were less frequent). The resort itself is small but clean, giving one the
feel of the island without fully removing oneself from communication. There’s
something about waking up to a calm ocean, knowing that one could snorkel
anytime one wants. They have two paddleboards, and our group used these
frequently-when not hindered by lack of sleep. One can walk barefoot across the
whole of the resort, navigating the sandy paths and avoiding roots. There is a
freedom to the way nobody cares if one is wearing shoes or not, as if breaking
a rule but fully allowed to do it. The jungle is not densely packed, but vines
and spiders make it impossible to traverse without a path. The spiders… are
interesting. Big and long-legged, Marama claims they are harmless… they look
terrifying if one finds an arachnid hovering above one’s head. Other daytime
animal finds are the silly sunbathing skinks, they creep back to their rocks
after one passes by, only to dash away again when a new person walks past.
Sharing on our last night on the beach!
On our last night on the beach, as part of our going away present, Malia was gracious enough to give a
gift of dance to our hosts. Below is a very short clip of the dance to show the special locale and
circumstances.
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