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Living the experience of solitude on an uninhabited tropical island, away from everything and everyone, has become a dream that can be achieved, thanks to an adventure provided by a French authority on Tromelin atoll within the Epars Islands, 560 kilometers north of La Reunion, in the Indian Ocean.
According to "AFP", the French Southern and Antarctic Land Administration organizes residence trips that rotate every three months on Tromelin Island, which has an area of one square kilometer, with the aim of securing a French presence on it, or even implementing programs for studies and protection of plant and animal species.
"Today we have very few opportunities" to live the experience of living on an empty island, says Emmanuel Kajo, 43, a former soldier who is participating for the second time and heading an expedition that will stay on the island for three months.
Kaju, who is passionate about botany and masters all construction trades, adds: "Going back again, why not? But not immediately, I rather want to discover another island," stressing that whoever is chosen to embark on this adventure must master sufficient manual skills that "enable him to problem solving or finding alternative solutions.
After three months of voluntary isolation, Kaju and his two colleagues, nurse Eriel Pietro and environmental officer Cami Loughran, are nearing completion as they await the arrival of the Land Authority's ship, the Marion Dufresne, bringing to the island their new trio.
The island, whose highest point is seven metres, is dotted with beach bushes a mere one meter tall, peeking out from among its branches the seven species of Tromelin Island birds.
From one bank of the island, the other bank can be seen without any barriers, except for a row of coconut trees at the northern end of the island that forms a path to the living space, which is a large building surrounded by other smaller buildings.
The arrival of the Marion Dufrene every three months is a happy event for the three Tromelin Islanders, bringing an end to their isolation, but also grueling tasks for them; They must take care of about 20 people while they pack their belongings, relay information to the new mission, and receive tons of goods, including food, water, building materials, etc., by helicopter.
While Emmanuelle paces back and forth between the helipad and the living base, hauling metal containers with a small tractor, Ariel, 46, unloads boxes of frozen and canned food, and visitors help her store them neatly in the huge kitchen.
Ariel, who has been working in the field of nursing for 23 years, says that what made her excited about the idea of participation is that it allows her, to show various skills, and it gives her the opportunity to live on a deserted island. She jokingly expresses her annoyance that no one needed treatment during her stay, but explains that she was not complacent during this period.
She also recounts that she and her two teammates shared “daily tasks” from the beginning, as each of them had a day in which he was responsible for cooking or cleaning the common areas of the dwelling, in an effort to avoid household chores becoming a “source of conflicts”, but she confirms that this system of shifts “was not without helping each other,” whether it was his work time or not.
While Ariel's participation focused on the tasks that were assigned to Kami, for example, counting the number of green turtles that come to lay their eggs on the beaches, or counting the nests of one of the seven species of birds that nest on the island, but also "scare" the hooded gannets to prevent them from laying their eggs The runway is not in use, but it should be preserved for emergencies.
Each of the team members at the base has his own small white bedroom, which contains a bed, desk, wardrobe and sink, in addition to the common sections, such as the dining room, library and gym.
"I didn't live on Tromlin Island, I worked in Tromlin," says Ariel, considering that she is happy to "experience this adventure," especially since it is her "last job as a nurse," as she decided to stop practicing this profession she loves to avoid "exhaustion."
While the ship ferries everyone to La Reunion Island by helicopter, the Marion Dufresne sails back south, to Crozier and Kerguelen.