Ascension Island! Part 4: Assorted Pics and Stories!

We really should have taken this picture one of the first couple of days we were on the island...at least then we would have been in uniform! But here is the sign proving we actually visited a the remote outpost!

While I was there, one of the work vehicles got into its second accident in the span of a month. We joked that he needs to color his vehicle much like the Georgetown police. This vehicle is bright in the daylight, it almost blinds you when your headlights hit it from the side!

After our hike to the top of Sister Peak, we skied down the back side and climbed into this cave...it only went down about 30 or so feet, but it was interesting and we got another stamp to put on our hats. I guess you can crawl around under the caves and come out in a different location, but we weren't really interested in that with the small "torch" we had.

As we explored the hillsides above Georgetown, we found this fortification complete with about 4 cannons...I knew that because Zach and Seth were not here to crawl on top, I needed to in their honor! :)

Just a picture to illustrate the contrast between volcanic rock and the coast line. This is a wild island with wild topography, climate, and waves. Definitely worth visiting if you can ever find out how to get there! :)

On my beaches blog I talked about Comfortless Cove being the quarantine area...this is the result. "Bonetta Cemetery"...a pretty bleak cemetery on a desert island...

As we headed out to our snorkeling area, we ran upon one of the "Queen's Asses". They are extremely protected and this guy was not all that friendly. He actually turn his head away and slowly move his rump my direction...he was counting on me being "one of those guys who don't know that mules kick!" Fortunately for me, I took the hint and moved away!

On Chappy and my last set of hikes, we found this LAND CRAB. He was probably 800 feet above sea level and a good mile inland. He wasn't the only one we saw...just the only one I was brave enough to pick up! Needless to say, he would have loved to have gotten that pincher onto me!

One of the things you need to see if you are on Ascension during egg-laying season are the MONSTER turtles. They come out at night, and Chris and I headed out on a quest to find one...the red light that Mike gave us was out of batteries and we couldn't see anything, so we used a little bigger torch and the headlights of the vehicle to see them. This one had done her deed and was headed back out to see. Pretty amazing, and only about 1 out of 1000 of the eggs actually make it to adult turtles....

I briefly mentioned the Saturday HASH CLUB...we were lucky enough to join these guys over the weekend, this picture is of Chris, Myself, and Rob after the Hash...hearing some of the stories we got off lucky...we had to do very little climbing and only got cut up by random thorn bushes.

After you have hashed 3 times, you go through a naming ceremony which you have not choice in. Chappy tried to call himself "Tuna Killer" but only got a bucket of water on his head for the effort. He ended up as "The Devil's Advocate"...a play on his job as a Chaplain. I had no choice to end up as some variation of hurling based on my previous record on the island patrol. I was affectionately name "Huey, Ralph!" Huey is the Scottish way of saying puke, and Ralph is just one of the many ways we say it. Thanks again for a great trip and I hope to get back some time.