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Published: December 16th 2007
I had another opportunity to visit the Marshall Islands in August for the Pacific Power Association's Annual Conference. Doesn't sound like a holiday, does it? Well, yes, it was mainly work but there was time for a little hanging around on the beach too. As there always is when you are on a pacific island! The occasion was a networking picnic - or whatever you would like to call it. The substance of the matter was that we all headed out to the other side of the atoll - the side with no roads, no houses, no people, lots of palm trees, lots of sand and lots of sparking blue clear water. For the whole day.
It actually took a good 30 minutes to get around the atoll. As soon as we got there, I grabbed my snorkelling gear and jumped into the sea. I must have spent a good couple of hours out there, by myself, in a completely different world. There were so many fish! The coral was bright and colourful and never that far away. The water was clear, blue, warm and beautiful. I started wishing I had an underwater camera.
After the extended snorkel, I
Atoll islet
(thanks to Vincent)sat out on the beach basking in the sun, playing in the pure white sand. It was so relaxing, burying my feet and legs in the fine sand, wriggling them out and then starting again. Or just rolling around in the sand (I made sure I was far enough away from everyone so that no one could actually see me doing this!). In the end, it was time to swim back and join the picnic party.
Huge tuna had been caught just a couple of hours ago and was duly being prepared into sashimi. Witnessing the chopping up of these huge fish was fascinating and mouth watering. Sure enough, a few minutes later mountains of sashimi were ready to be devoured. I was first in line (well, near the front at least). Raw fish has never tasted so good. It was so simple, just the fish with some herbs and spices, but so delicious. I have to say that the Marshalls is one of the best places for sashimi. It might even beat Palau.
After gorging myself on the sashimi, there was only one thing to do: sit in the shade of a palm tree and enjoy the
view. After an hour or so, once I had digested (at least partially), I ventured back down to the water, where a number of people were drinking beer while floating gently in the shallow, warm-like a-bathtub water. I stuck to my Sprite but apart from that I was happy to float peacefully until I went very very wrinkly indeed.
A few hours later the rainclouds loomed, so we had to call it a day. I was satisfied with my day out - from 10 till 6 on a little piece of paradise. I'll take that any time.
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