o Our project unofficially begins with a week-long stay in Apia to fulfill a required quarantine to prevent the transmission of swine flu to the fragile islands of Tokelau. Once we have proven that we are all well at the end of the week we will be allowed to board the MV Tokelau for the 36 hour trip that will take us approximately 300 nautical miles north at 10 knots. The vessel will stop at each of the three atolls of Tokelau; stopping first at Fakaofo, then at Nukunonu, and finally at our destination of Atafu. Upon arrival we will be met by the Taupulega, the council of elders, who we must ask permission to stay on the island. They too will be concerned that we do not bring illness with us, and after a day and a half at sea this may be more difficult than before, but such are the measures to protect the people of this far away island.
Our team at this moment consists of five members who shall make the voyage. Dr. David Addison is a co-director of the project; followed by Dr. Rintaro Ono, fish specialist; Adam Thompson, studying land snails; Joe Manuleleua, our Samoan student and an archaeological assistant at the American Samoa National Parks Service; and Nyaz, David's daughter with lengthy field experience. We will be meeting John Kalolo in Atafu, also co-directing the project. Others are making the voyage on a later boat and will be joining us in the time ahead.
For now we rest in preparation for the many tasks before us and the long boat ride. It is both a relief and a source of anxiety to have this time to think over the weeks ahead. We formulate our plan. Our studies of the few previous digs, performed by Simon Best many years ago and our preliminary study last year, offer a little bit of foresight.
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