So, we finally have some internet now that we have made it to San Salvador Island. So here is a synopsis of what we’ve done the past two days:
Sunday May 17th:
We stayed at the beautiful Orange Hill Hotel for our only night in Nassau. With the help of our Chinese students we managed to get a wonderful Chinese meal for our first stop in Nassau, followed by checking out flank-margin caves a little ways down the road. The caves are formed by the complex interaction of marine water with the water table that is under the land. After the caves, we hit the beach for some practice snorkeling and swimming before we get to San Salvador. With everyone being so helpful to each other we started to see an improvement in our skills and we’ve been told that the waters that were so difficult in Nassau, were much tougher than most of the places we’ll see on San Salvador. Following a pool session to swap the salt taste for chlorine, we got food at the Orange Hill’s restaurant and got a taste of the local cuisine.
Monday May 18th:
After catching our flight from Nassau to San Salvador, we finally made it to the Gerace Research Center, where we had a quick lunch, followed by base orientation. Following orientation (and some torrential showers) we hiked the beach in Graham’s Harbor, and then North Point, a little ways off from the base. North Point is made up of Eolianite dunes, which means they were wind blown sand dune beaches that eventually were cemented into rock. After a quick dip in the harbor, it was back to the base for dinner and a bit of review over what we saw today.
