out on the lagoon

The last post was the long post about the work I did while on Pohnpei.  This post?  The down time, the relaxing time.

I've done other accreditation trips before:  Santa Monica, Barstow, Visalia.  None of those featured the setting that this one did, nor did they feature the culture of hospitality that we experienced.  I told the teammates who were on their first accreditation team that no, they'll never have another accreditation team visit like this one.

On the Tuesday morning, after breakfast at the hotel,

the team went out on the college boat with the college president. 

Now then, I say college boat, and people think of a yacht or sailboat.  No such luxury, and that was fine.  In fact, the college uses the boat for its marine careers program.  It makes sense for a college on a small island to have a boat!

So off we set from Mangrove Bay.  I may have posted one or two of these photos before, but so be it.  Out past Sokehs Rock, and then eastward. 

And there they handed out hand line fishing spools and rods. 

Yes, fishing.  Something I haven't done in ages, not since going angling for Salmon with Kevin Kelly in the Skeena River in the 90s.

Alas, luck was not with us.  Brian caught the first fish, which was too small to keep. 

Then Gary, and the same thing. 

Not pictured?  The branch of coral I caught.  The president's teenage granddaughter was the only one among us to catch something big enough to keep.  No matter - it was a terrific morning.  Warm sun, fresh coconuts, fishing, chatting.  A very hospitable start to the visit.

Thursday presented the other opportunity.  We finished the report late in the afternoon, but well in time to enjoy the offer of going back out on the boat to see the sunset.  Out through Mangrove Bay again,

and then a little west, out to near where the large vessels pick up the local tuna and take it out of the country. 

Which meant sharks in the area, according to our hosts, enjoying anything offloaded from the boats into the water.  No swimming!  And no fishing.  Instead, there was a cooler filled with wine

and beer and water and coconuts. 

A table was unfolded, and we had a casual dinner of fish that had been caught the night before along with cheese and crackers. 

The sun went down, and we marveled at the sight.

Are you all beginning to understand why I would be happy to go visit the college again?