Terri gets a day off!

Terri has been working long hours lately--even on holidays--so she took today off to go out with Liz and I.

We started our day at Taga beach, swimming and snorkeling. It was a beautiful day, and the water was crystal clear and warm.

Then we decided to travel to the north end of the island to Long Beach (known on the map as Unai Dankulo). Since there were three of us, I rented a scooter at Taga beach (the large scooter that could hold two people was only $15 for four hours). We ate lunch, gathered our stuff, and headed north.

After getting to Long beach Liz took some pictures, then we went swimming. There had been high wave warnings out for the last couple of days, in fact, yesterday a man was swept off a rock on Saipan and lost at sea! The waves were very high--8' to 10'--but since there is a large coral shelf at Long beach (and at most beaches on Tinian), the waves break at the shelf edge, and moderate once over the shallow shelf area. So we were safe to swim, as long as we did not venture out beyond the shelf.

Next we drove north to the blow hole. Since the waves were so high, we figured the blow hole would really be spouting off today, and it was! Liz took some pictures, then we headed north again to the point farthest north on the island called Ushi Cross Point.

At this northern point there are memorials for island people who have been lost at sea. By reading the names on the small crosses we could tell that almost every family on this small island had lost a family member at sea. There is also a small altar and prayer chapel for those who come to pay their respects.

By now the time was almost up--I had to return my renter scooter and Terri was on call again tonight--so off we went to return home. The rental bike worked wonderfully, no problems at all, and it had a bigger engine--a 125cc--so I could go up the steep hills without using my feet to help!

It turned out to be a great day. We all got sunburned, even though we had lathered on sunscreen--all but Terri, who just turns a golden brown--but nothing serious.