Today we visited the idyllic atoll of Anaa in the Tuamotu Archipelago. It’s a unique shape with many small and shallow passes into the vibrant turquoise lagoon, only surpassed by the vibrance of the culture. Anaa is home to a unique sport that has since spread to other islands, wherein contestants hurl javelins at a coconut hoisted six to seven meters in the air on a pole. The winner has the most sticks stuck the highest in the coconut. We were treated to a demonstration of this sport in the morning, as well as given a chance to walk to the lagoon and visit the artisan market.
The afternoon was spent exploring the gorgeous tropical coral reef that rings the shores of the atoll. As if all that weren’t enough, after dinner we celebrated with our shipmates by enjoying the legendary National Geographic Orion crew show!
