Thursday, November 8, 2012

Expedition to Swains Atoll

Finally made it to Swains Atoll.   Swains Atoll is 360km north of Tutuila, about an 18hr boat ride.  Although it is part of American Samoa, it is actually part of the chain of islands belonging to Tokelau.  The Lady Naomi dropped us off on the island and came back to pick us up 6 days later.  

Swains is privately owned by the Jennings family but is also governed by the government of American Samoa.  The island was purchased by the Jennings family in 1856.  Most of the island was planted with coconuts for copra production.  The plantation has remained unmanaged for many years and no one is currently living on the island because of the difficulty in getting supplies to the island on regular basis.  Beautiful island but unfortunately I wasn't there for a vacation.  I had to walk all over the island for a mapping project.  Great fun busting ass on coconuts, peeling spider webs off my face, sweating, and being eaten alive by mosquitos.  Some photos of the trip....


Satellite image of Swains Atoll, showing the fringing reef flat 
and central lagoon along with my GPS tracks

Our transport to the island, the Lady Naomi
Arriving at the island
Our transport from the Lady Naomi to the island
Unloading equipment.  Everything had to be brought to the 
island on the small skiffs and then carried across the reef flat
The field camp




Photos of the lagoon in the middle of the island:





Graves and house of the Jennings family.  Eli Jennings and 
family originally settled on the island in 1856. 






around the island 
Never used to be scared of coconuts, until I came to this island. 
Every now and then you hear the beautiful sound 
of a coconut falling and smacking into the ground

Pandanus forest
Coconut crab
Thankful to be walking on the beach



Members of the Jennings family cleaning fish for dinner



Loading up for the return trip to Tutuila
Yes! your eyes are not deceiving you, that is an ATV 
with a person on it, floating on a homemade raft, 
and being pulled by a skiff to the Lady Naomi



Samoan ingenuity at it's best,  watch the 

Departing the island


THE END





Friday, April 27, 2012

Wedding in Paradise


Since we made the move to Samoa we have experienced a lot of difficult emotions but somehow we managed to stick together as a family and made it through to the other side.   One thing I have learned is that you never know what life will bring or take away from one day to the next.   Lucky for us life brought us a little angel named Hariett Mabanta.  We ran off to Samoa to get married at Taufua resort in Lalumanu, Samoa last March.  The wedding was done in a rush but luckily the resort did a great job making arrangements and some of our friends were able to share the day with us, despite being unsure of actual wedding date!  Some photos of the wedding.  Thanks to Frank and Tracy, and Ben and Sarah for taking such nice photos for us.

Wedding location - Taufua Resort in Lalumanu, Samoa
 
 
 

Having some beach fun at the resort before the wedding, our little fale (house) on the beach.
 
Juliana photographer credit
 
 
 
 
My ladies
 
 

Weddiing gear


 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Juliana and Ava
 
Resort restaurant
Getting hair done before the wedding
 

Growing up
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
Greta, Frankie's friend from Germany that she met at the resort
 
Bride and flower girls
 
The wedding arch - future photographers
 
 
Resort staff spent half the day putting together this wonderful arch on the beach

 
Wedding decorations
 
 


Our wedding guests - Ben and Sarah
Frank and Tracy
The ceremony on the beach 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 




 
 
 
The wedding party - yea thats everyone.
 
 
 






Starting over
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wedding dinner



 
 
 
 
 
 
Fia Fia night at the resort, lucky for us it happened on our wedding day

Hariett doing Samoan Taupo dance
 
 
Frank and Roger - Samoan warriors?
Fire dancing
 



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