My name is Rebecca. I was on expedition 49. What an expierience! I am sure that expedition 50 is going to be just as good. I went back to Tulear in the camion to get supplies during interphase. Although the camion trip is longer than the 4 by 4’s, it was much more relaxed. With the matresses layed down on the floor you can sleep for the full 13 hours.
When my friends and family said that when you get back you are going to appreciate the smallest things, I don’t think they realized how small. I have never felt such a bond with concrete before in my whole life. But after I took a run on this concrete, I started to miss the sand between my toes and all i wanted to do was come back to Andavadoaka.
All the new volunteers have brought such a different atmosphere to Andavadoaka. They are all so fun and full of life. Instead of lying in bed waiting for the lights to go off after dinner, we have bonfires and talk and laugh over candle light. I am not saying that lying in bed waiting for the lights to go of was not entertaining in expedition 49 because every now and then Carly and I would hear Ville’s hysteric laughing scream in the hut next door. That laugh could only mean one thing, there is a cockroach in their hut.
It is Carly and Samuel’s second expedition as well. They are doing their divemaster which includes assisting Samantha, the dive instructor, with the open water divers. Apparently they are all like buddhas underwater. Hopefully we will have 4 new open water divers by tomorrow.The others have started benthic point outs while I do a little bit of science. Sohpie, the marine science coordinator, and Chiara, a field scientist, have been looking at a particular site called Thomas. It is interesting because Thomas is just rubble and the permanent reserves, which are really close to Thomas, are flourishing with coral. When they dove at Thomas last expedition they found a green tunicate which they thought was releasing a toxic which was preventing recruitments from settling but when we dove at Thomas thing expedition the tunicates had all been eaten by flatworms. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks Sophie and Chiara will find out more about this peculiar site.
In the mean time we have been trying to think of fun and exciting excercises to do on opening day. On the 50th expedition we invite people from the village to learn more about Blue Ventures. We play fun games that are still informative and let children breathe from regulators in giant buckets of water. I am sure that you will hear all about the opening day very soon.
I was reluctant to write this blog because I am not such a good writer but my father requested it so I just wanted to say HI MOM AND DAD! I AM HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE!
