Mangroves and high mountains with thick vegetation. Some cleared for agriculture. The population pressures will mean more forests will be depleted. Our coastal cruise was beautiful but birds were a rare sight. An occasional wag tail, a crow and some imperial doves but to make up for the lack of birds we motored along with a big pod of spinner dolphins which delighted all of us.

Spot the well camouflaged bathroom.

Our visit to the Pwanapwana village was welcoming and wonderful.

We had a sing sing and then went to look into the medical centre.There was a baby clinic taking place with a row of beautiful babies and their mums waiting for their turn. The medical centre seemed to have a few medicines in a chest but nothing is refrigerated and the facilities are very sparse with only the occasional medic visiting the island. The children however seem to be healthy and well on the whole.

The cruise liner had brought linen for the centre and school supplies for the school and that is what impressed me today.

Here are some of the notices on the school walls. The varied professions which clearly are the pupil groups. All professions of course. The gender roles assigned for jobs around the community. The Community work allocated. The classroom had a damaged blackboard and the oldest desks some of which were brought out to the square as they had run out of chairs. The shortage of so many materials we take for granted in our schools starting from paper and pencils and so much more. I brought a whole bunch but they will only go so far.

An afternoon spent by a small island looking at the reef in very clear water with varied corals, fish an occasional sea cucumber and one spot that absolutely delighted us – we found it – a bom of yellow open cups with small black and yellow fish darting in and out. A paradise for them. Another one above water too.