What a beautiful place! I was up early to join a guest tour of the island, the rather obvious alternative to participating in another crew drill all morning after 4 days at sea. Our tour went around the island, across from the harbor of 'Payngo Payngo' (as it's pronounced) where we docked all the way to the western side. We made a few stops, such as the "flowerpot" rock, which rises out of the sea near shore and is covered with greenery on top, and the site of the first missionary landing in Leone. We also stopped at a local village and met the chief and his wife as they greeted us with the traditional Kava Ceremony. They live in modern buildings, but the ceremony took place in the traditional round, columned, unwalled 'guest house'. After the ceremony we were entertained by some local dancing. One of many things I found interesting about the island is that many locals use discarded tires as creative flowerpots or plant protectors. Some are so huge they must have been from tractors, and many are whitewashed, perhaps as an attempt at disguise.
After the tour I had enough time to wander down to a resort and have a dip in the sea. It was amazing to float out there and see the tall green mountains all around. The island is of course tropical, and filled with such lush greenery. On my next (as yet hypothetical) visit, I would love to do some hiking in the national park. I read about a few amazing hikes you can take there. Next time! But I did manage to get in a little shopping before I had to rush back for rehearsal. It was a lovely day, and a lovely place. I hope I come back!
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Mont Blanc
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1 comment:
Wishing I could have spent my birthday there with you in Paradise! Sounds like an awesome place.
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