Entries this day: Rapa_Nui akane_lesson zzz_to_do_tomorrow

Rapa Nui

8:36pm CST Friday 03 March 2006

Rapa Nui was really nice. I wouldn't call it my *favorite* port, necessarily..

But

It was really really really really pretty.

The water is startlingly blue, and quite clear. It has a small sandy beach with gentle waves. It has a lot of rocky dangerous "beaches" with huge waves.

It's got Moai. Lots and lots of Moai.

They're just like in the pictures, except real. And now I can say I've been there. Easter Island. Me. Francois. PB. We did it!

- - - -

Oh, and in that crystal clear water beach, my underwater camera wasn't working, so I was shaking it and all sorts of stuff, tried to take another picture of Francois, and he wasn't there.

Oh shit.

I looked underwater repeatedly, but didn't find him. I told Carl. I didn't tell Phil because I was embarassed to say I cared about Francois that much, plus Phil was having fun pretty far out in the water.

Petra and Lisa happened by, and I told them to keep an eye out for Francois.

They were like, "what?? He's gone??"

Carl was all, "hell yeah, Francois saw found himself in the most beautiful beach in the world and said, 'that's it; I'm stayin' here!'"

I looked and looked, grew weary of holding my breath repeatedly, submerging and searching, all the while treading water, so I took a break, floating on my back, having given up and releasing Francois mentally.

I felt sad about the video team; how was I going to explain to them / recover a movie after my blunder?

I headed back to shore, continuing to look...

Found him.

"I found him!!"

Wow. Really happy.

He was flat face down on the sand, not moving; I must have drifted away from him.

- - - -

There were some awesome waves on some rocks. I had to go out and see them. I'm really thankful for the opportunity.

- - - -

There were rumors that four of the GET Ts had posed nakedly on top of the "mountain" at the Moai quarry.

- - - -

I ran around barefoot all day, and ended up with three splinters, a couple of gashes (that did not go deep enough to bleed), and 2 nicks that did bleed. Well worth a day a foot freedom.

akane lesson

10:36pm CST Friday 03 March 2006

Chowed in Yacht Club once we got back to the ship; Akane came over for our lesson (which I had forgotten). We chatted a while and she worked out my birthdate given my current days old date, and pulled out the three splinters.

She told me stories about growing up; she was quite a tomboy!

She will be 10,000 days old on 17 September 2011. She marveled at the idea of being that old, and I told her the story of having wondered where I would be in 10 years while gazing out over Houston traffic, then finding that journal entry almost exactly 10 years later. She will probably write a letter to her future self, one for her 10,000th day, and one for 10 years from now.

zzz to do tomorrow

9:42pm CST Friday 03 March 2006

Things to do tomorrow:

1. * meditate

2. * schedule meeting with Saki

3. * give to Matt letter to Nat

4. * Write about today (Rapa Nui, cool waves, losing Francois, Akane lesson/chat, splinters, 10000 days)

5. * work on Palestine presentation

6. * Go to meet the guests

7. * eat lunch

8. * study with Akane

9. * bring Francois and camera to video team meeting

10. work on Palestine presentation

11. snag pics from Carla

12. snag pics from Akane

13. import pics from my camera

14. snag pics from Carl and Phil

15. maybe put pics into an album