As we near the end of our service we know there are certain
places we still want and need to see. In July we crossed one of those off our
list: to revisit the island group of Ha'apai, where we had our PST (preservice
training) in October and November of 2010. We hoped to visit our host family
and also see parts of Ha'apai as a tourist and enjoy the beautiful islands as
we couldn't while in training.
We began by going to the island of Uoleva, and staying at
Serenity Resort. Ahh! Totally peaceful and the beaches...well, every view was
postcard perfect.
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There's a lot of beach, and no one for miles, but us. |
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On the porch. |
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Our fale, outside |
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and inside. |
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Our walk through the bush to the mounds. |
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After our walk to see the mounds. |
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Aren't these stunning? Orchids, maybe? |
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What's not to like with this picture? |
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Weaving demonstration. |
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Modeling his new hat. |
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Inside the Gathering Room. This is also where we ate. |
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Bonfire on the beach with a serenade. |
The last few days we went back to the island where it all
started, Foa. Our village, Faleloa is at the end of the island. Sandy Beach is
the best! We stayed at Matafonua Resort in a fale on the ocean. The roar of the
surf, snorkeling, beach walking, and we had plenty of R and R.
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The fale outside... |
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and inside. |
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On the porch. |
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A fale and the ocean. |
We walked into
Faleloa to see our host family, and did get to see some of them, though a few
were away.
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Visiting with host family members. |
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A beach-side picnic given by a former host family. |
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Visiting. |
Lots of memories, and a realization that we had come a long way, not
just in miles, and soon it all would be memories. Thanks, Ha'apai!