Tahuata!

MFT: All my amazing field assistants
LFP: expensive car rental

Hallo, so today I got to go around Tahuata Island with a bevy of field assistants! All of the crew off watch (Julia, Kelsey, and Mickey) joined me for our trek around the island. It was lots of fun. We went to three of the four towns on the island (by a very bumpy car ride). Tahuata was a dryer island than Nuku Hiva so there was less water (no visible water falls for instance). It was a fun day driving around to random streams and gathering sand with helpers. Luckily, Julia was along and speaks French quite well. So she was able to translate very nicely with the driver. But it was just a fun morning. In the afternoon, we picked up 3 more crew members in the afternoon once they were done with the morning sail (Jimmy, Sayzie, and Mackenzie). Then we all went to the last town in search of another river (with no luck) but we got to talk with the local bone carver and people bought some jewelry (I didn’t because it was too expensive and cash disappears like WATER here).

During the day, SEA had hosted a couple of different local events on the boat. So in the morning, they had a contingent of local teachers and educators from the Marquesas come aboard and spend a morning sailing around the bay and doing some science. Then in the afternoon, a lot of the local high school and middle school children came aboard and did lots of different things (knot tying, drawing plankton, ect.). Apparently it was exhausting but lots of fun for everyone! The SEA students got to show off their new knowledge and practice French :).

In the evening, the town decided to give us a huge welcome. They put on a big showcase of local dances and music (all performed by the children). They also cooked us a huge meal (and there were some things I could eat!) and all the local artists were selling their handicrafts. It was really an impressive display. The mayor kept giving speeches about the collaboration and friendship between the island and SEA.


During the day, all the SEA students had been taught a local dance which they performed in the evening (to great hilarity). I have some pretty awesome movies of the SEA guys doing a “special dance” too but those will have to wait for real internet (no way I can upload videos at this point). It was a pretty amazing night for everyone. Overall an exhausting but successful day. 

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