All that could be heard was the gentle pitter patter of cat feet on our fake wood floor. There was a slide, a whoosh, a bang, and a meow from a slightly dazed cat and I knew it was going to be an interesting day.
"Mommy can I have some Nutella on my pancakes?"
"No Aeron you may not have Nutella on your pancakes."
A chorus of awwwss rang out from the dining table. "All right everybody eat up! Today we will be seeing a cultural event that is amazing and you 're lucky you get to see. So hurry up." Mom reports.
"And tomorrow we will be visiting Ancient Rome so don't forget your chariot!" I joked.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!" The welcoming drums were loud enough to vibrate your kneecaps and send your teeth chattering. As we rounded the point the seven ships came into view. They were in a procession one right after the other.
The villagers were welcoming the seven boats who started in New Zealand and were ending their adventure in Hawai'i. It was truly an amazing sight!
We finally made it to the shore just in time to see the celebration. Men in the village were doing a Polynesian version of a haka- A traditional war dance- To both welcome and scare their guests.
Once the men and women were done welcoming their now completely stunned guests, it was time for the speeches. We sat there for what seemed like hours baking like the fish that the villagers were going to serve. Each boat did a traditional dance from each of their cultures. There were seven boats with seven different cultures so as you can imagine it took awhile. There was Samoan, Fijian, Hawai'ian, Maori, some form of African, even Polynesian! My ears are still ringing from all the battle cries, blessings to all different Gods, beautiful songs, and traditional songs.
It was a truly amazing experience. The guests were able to show off their beliefs, their cultures, and their people. After that the islanders gave anyone who was visiting, like us and the guests, a great feast of fresh fruit. There was a watermelon, pamplemousse, coconut and banana. There was also a very good pastry. :)
You cannot pay for an experience like that. It was incredible. I am Aeron Conger, I'm ten years old, and I am the luckiest girl in the world.
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