Nature Unlimited

By 5.30am, the sun rise up and began to brighten the whole island. John, Francis, Teresa and I were ready to do an hour of recovery jog around the vicinity of our lodge.
Beautiful beaches and birds
After breakfast, we were fortunate when one of the locals volunteered to take us to Lily Beach and Ethel Beach. He even loan us another car as his car couldn't accomodate 8 of us. So, John drove the other car and followed him.
Along the way, we passed through the rainforests which are so alive with unique species and subspecies of birds; noisy flocks spreading their wings everywhere. Being laid-back islanders, all of these birds are very approachable.
Ethel Beach and Lily Beach are next to each other - isolated and picturesque sand beaches with coral reef. I mesmerized as sea birds flirt on the thermal updraughts. We spent sometime there and then moved on to visit 2 ancient temples at South Point and the mines.
The afternoon was spent at leisure at the Poon Saan Community Club. Some tried their hands on the snooker table, sing karoeke or just lazed around, not doing anything.

Later that evening would be the Event of the Year (?) for the people of Christmas Island as celebrated their 50th. Territory Anniversary. Excitement filled the whole island as locals as well as tourists came all dressed up for the occasion. Each community work together to put up their best performances; lion dance, malay dance amongst many others.
Ocean Planet
While waiting for the parade to begin. We sat near the beach and there, I looked out to the wide Indian Ocean right in front of me. It reminded me of a poem 'Ocean Planet' taken from the book 'A Fish In My Heart' by Ron Stevens. This poem is kinda fun...a debate between the ocean and the earth. Let's read it here :

It's not really hard and it's not really moist
Depending on location, view point and choice.
Yet the place we call earth is mostly quite wet
It's not a big problem for most, I would bet.

Now the earth was quite firm the name was his,
And the ocean got mad cause the volume was hers.

So they both made comments about size and scope,
To own the name was each of their hope.
Back and forth they made tremors and splash,
And the earth responded with the occasional gash.

With very big waves and monstrous icebergs
The ocean made wet some parts of dry earth.
With volcanic action and piping hot sand,
The earth made a splash and regained some land.

In time it was all done and none was won,
The earth would stay hard and trimmed by some sand,
The ocean would be more and cool the earth's core.

The fish had the vote and this was quite grand.
They voted for the water and not for the land.

The name would stay earth but the ocean is boss;
For the ocean will flood
And the land will be lost.

Many of Ron's poems come with a message : that we can live in harmony with the oceans.