I'm currently staying on an atoll in the Indian Ocean, 7 degrees south of the equator. It is heaven on earth here. A few days after arriving we had a big fish cookout, where I actually ate raw tuna mostly, which had been caught earlier in the day. I also had something called a Wahoo fish, which was pretty good. Apparently it looks a bit like a barracuda, without the teeth.

Also, yesterday I had the opportunity to go mountain biking on this trail that went through the palm forest. It wasn't very hilly, but between the palm fronds everywhere and the coconuts, it was very challenging. Thankfully the sun was kept from beating down too hard due to the low but full canopy along the path. The trail ended at a Filipino village next to a particularly active Indian Ocean, which was churning out nice 6-8 foot waves for us. I've never personally seen waves like this, and it was awesome. Nearby the Filipinos had erected a shrine to Mary, which made the area a bit more quiet, despite the crashing waves.

Coral and tidal pools were in the area, and you could see the small fiddler crabs darting among the rocks as tiny bait fish swam in the shallow pools made in the rock. There are crabs, lizards, and various sea birds everywhere throughout the island, and occasionally you can spot a turtle or exotic fish in the water. Seashells litter every stretch of beach. In short, this is a perfectly pristine island the likes of which I have never seen.

This is Paradise.