Dana - 2002: Email to Mike

Dear Mike,

We are in the Lousiade Archipelago on the island of Namoa. We've

been in the Lousiades for about a month and a half. The people are friendly

and nice, and really into trading.  They make these really cool shell

necklaces called Baagi. The way they make them is really cool.  They dive

for the shells that look like clam shells, but there is a thin red stripe in

the inside of it. They use this red stripe to make little thin round pieces.

They then use a really cool type of hand drill to drill a small hole in the

round piece of shell. They then take all these shell bits, and put them on

some fishing line to make a necklace.  One necklace will have from about 100

to 1000 bits of shells on it. We bought a few from some villagers for 20

kena. A kena is worth about 50 fijian cents, so we got a pretty good deal.

We all really miss you,

Dana