We stayed onboard this morning to complete a few domestic chores like defrosting the freezer, but then it was off to Palolo Marine Reserve again to enjoy a beach picnic for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon reading under a tree. Blissful!
It wasn't until we took a walk along the beach and enjoyed a swing on one of the tree-swings hanging from the huge trees which provided the welcome shade that we realised the Marine Reserve and the beach fales (houses) were actually occupied by the family that owns the land. The clue was seeing the school children arriving home and doing homework in one of the fales while the mom watched TV in another.
A very entrepreneurial family indeed. Besides providing snorkeling gear to snorkel the crater of the inactive underwater volcano, accessed via the beach that comprises their land, they have placed picnic tables, bathrooms, showers etc, creating a naturally rustic environment for visitors to use and enjoy. It was a shame to see some of the visitors spending the entire time with their noises in their smartphones, barely looking up to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
After a very relaxing afternoon, we joined our friends off Cetacea (Gail and Tony) for Happy Hour to say our goodbyes as they leave tomorrow for Tonga, but we'll see them again as we're all heading to New Zealand together.
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