Although it is only an hour ferry ride on a small fishing boat with lots of people and supplies, compared to Majuro, Arno Atoll has a whole different feel. Between the rain and the spray off the boat we had a wet ride but when we stepped off the boat onto the dock it was amazingly beautiful and completely untouched. Arno atoll has over a 100 islands, the main island has a small village of about 300 people living and is approximately 5 miles long and maybe a 1/4 mile wide. There is only one small store on the island so they rely on Majuro for their main supplies. There is only one small bungalow to stay in on the island and it is located right on the lagoon side of the beach. It was a small room with just the basics, but the view was unbelievable and only about 10 ft from the water. The owner of the bungalow was out there for the week too and he and the locals really took us in. They fixed us breakfast every morning and then at night we would gather around and they would cook us authentic Marshallense dinners. We tried all sorts of local foods, from breadfruit (think the taste of a sweet potato with a sponge like texture) to the local fish (prepared with the head still on it) and even a fresh coconut clam bake. We were also served fresh coconut water every night. It was a very sureal and geniune experience. Since we were the only visitors on the island and none of the locals go to the beach we had it all to ourselves. The white sand was soft and the water was warm with amazing visibility. We snorkled every morning, swam a lot, and Kelly would comment on the surf breaks and long for a surfboard. When we returned to our place at night, we would gather at the village house and talk with everyone while they fixed dinner for us. The local medicine man was out there one day and was discussing all the different medicines on the island they use for different things. It was quite interesting. They even convinced us to go out fishing with them. We went out on a small boat in the lagoon side and just threw out a lure and line, no poles, as they trolled around. Kelly and I both caught two big Rainbow Runners and brought them back to the village for dinner. They prepared them sashimi style with fresh lime and we were eating our catch right from the ocean within an hour, it was amazing! We were actually really sad to leave and they all came out to tell us good bye and even see us off at the ferry. It was an amazing time and we were feeling so much better after our rough start in Majuro. It was a rough boat ride back to Majuro and after a quick stop for supplies we were on another boat headed out to Eneko Island within just a couple or hours.
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