Update #5

Friday night and Saturday were the team's official days to tour the island and experience the culture. The group visited Ocean Hole, a water hole in the center of the island that is rumored to have no bottom. Team members were given the opportunity to dive into the ocean hole and play around in the water.

"The ocean hole was amazing, it's really hard to think that there's this huge hole with no bottom and yet, you just float in there like it was a pool," team member Heather Amberg said. 

After spending an hour or so at the hole, the team moved on to another local landmark, the Banyan Tree. This tree is extremely well known on the island for its size and its sprawling branches.

"It was a large continual tree which spreads, someone said, over half a mile," Team Leader Kyle Alexander said. 

"Xtreme Impact enjoyed climbing and enjoying the surroundings. It would be the perfect place for a wonderful tree house, even adults would enjoy it," Team Leader Jill Alexander said. 

The team then ate lunch at a local restaurant called "Tippy's" and spent the rest of the afternoon snorkeling in the crystal clear waters surrounding the island. The team members were given the chance to observe sea life, such as coral, fish, sea sponges and jelly fish, in their natural habitats. 

"I was snorkeling out to the reef and saw a 5-6 foot sting ray coming from my left side," team member A.J. Taylor said. "So I watched it swim toward me, about 10 feet underneath me. As it started getting closer to me, it started swimming up, straight toward me. So, I turned around and swam really fast, it was awesome," 

The day ended with the arrival of a new missions team from Tennessee. This new team has blended better with the XI team than the one that left Friday evening. 


*Photo taken by Denaj