And the hits just keep on coming from the Phoenix Islands ...

We're here at W-PIPA playing the expedition hits. Coming up soon, we'll play the "best of" expedition highlights (don't change that channel!), including the "top 10 greatest hits." But in the meantime, a word from our in-the-field news correspondent (me) during our Fijian interlude.

It's another bright and sunny day here in Nadi (pronounced Nandi) in Fiji. Expedition members are slowly adjusting to land--experiencing various levels of "dock rock" and trying to find their land legs again.

Immediately upon arrival at our hotel, meetings began with International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) representatives to discuss our candid impressions of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, which has been nominated as a World Heritage Site. After a day of productive meetings, we had a wrap-up dinner at The Corner Cafe for some Indian Food. That was the last time the team met as a whole, but the hits just keep on coming. Field correspondents David, Tuake, and Tukabu headed off to Tarawa (back in Kiribati) to present our 30-page field report to the Kiribati Fisheries department and other government officials. The rest of us have another day in Fiji to unwind, analyze more data, update our blogs and, dare I say it, relax (shhh!) for a few moments before our hectic inter-continental travels.

In other important news, expedition members got their first glimpse at this blog, and were shocked that a) our almost-equatorial Central Pacific ramblings were semi-coherent, and that b) so many different things happened on this trip. Experiencing it was a whirlwind; re-reading the events feels like a dream.


Les Kaufman gets his first glimpse at this PIPA expedition blog (Photo: R. Rotjan)

A dream-like reminder of our trip--looking through previous expedition photos, we realize that we've had similar experiences, and seen most of the same critters. It's like seeing your own experience through someone else's eyes.

 
 

As we review the blog, organize our photos and compile our science for publication, we'll publish the top 10 greatest hits right here on this blog--the world premiere of all things PIPA Expedition 2009. We'll also be updating previous blog posts with new photos, so be sure to check back!



Don't change that channel, the expedition "top 10" will be coming right up.

We'll be right back!

-Randi-