10.18.14 Saturday in Colonia, Yap

Another pretty day in paradise. Good weather - some sun, some clouds and a little rain. Am working with a volunteer teacher at Yap Catholic High on a project as he is interviewing for medical school. We will do a review of the surgical outcomes for the hospital. This is timely as someone from WHO (?) or another organization will be here next month for  a site check. Our plan is to review all operations from 2000 until the present and include the procedures done by  visiting teams as well as the local surgeons. We will include ob/gyne, general and any specialty procedures.

Also went for a lovely swim towards the late afternoon. Nothing like water so warm you can just walk into it without shivering first. Love it. And a very special treat - a rainbow. No pictures as I didn't take the camera for the swim. If you use your imagination, you can see the rainbow near the horizon then peaking through patches of blue sky through dark clouds. I like swimming with clouds as  it keeps sun exposure to a minimum.

The night sky was beautiful. After dinner at the Oasis - just a block from my apartment - I looked up to see millions of stars and the Milky Way. It was so spellbinding. Not a could in the sky.

Yes, those canoes do capsize. Will paddle next week - too much to do today. Larry, who runs the Livng History Museum promised me that  he can fit on one of these small ones. So I guess I can, too! We'll see!

This is a very special weaving. It is a lavalava - woman's skirt - made of banana fiber. Most of them are now made of cotton fiber, so this one is very special. Few are made and they take a long time to weave. Larry told me women now are "putting them in the chests". The equivalent of a cedar chest, no doubt. Larry is a tough bargainer, but I did get it at a fair price. It is now hanging on the wall in my apartment.

He is making a paddle for an outrigger. Note the shape.

There are some small reefs just below the bridge - "dry snorkeling" I call it. Saw blue reef fish and a mandarin fish and angel fish. And I stayed dry! These little ones are used for bait. Big fish also try to catch them and then a whole school will jump ouot of the water. Pretty cool to watch.

Everyone is practicing.

The Yap Catholic High Sail team is practicing and doiong very well. On a separate blog I will show step by step pictures on how to tack an outrigger.

Some guys just hanging out by the bridge, watching the sailboat.

A nice young man who often stops to talk. He is in high school.

Coming home. Remember, these two girls Rena (left) and DC (behind the mast) are the first two women sailors in Yap.