PB native enjoying time in one of world's most isolated places

Editor's note: this is the second part of a two-part story.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri, native Lara Christy arrived on Ascension Island from the United States in mid-April. After three months, it is safe to say she is enjoying life on the remote island in the south Atlantic Ocean.

"Ascension and Saint Helena (800 miles to the southeast of Ascension) are both UK territories, and the residents from Saint Helena are native islanders who have a unique dialect with a British accent," said Christy, a nurse who was seeking a better work/life balance. "There are two currencies here on the island, with both (British) pounds and (American) dollars.

"Most current residents are from the UK, Africa, the Caribbean, the Philippines and the U.S. It's enjoyable to become acquainted with all of these different cultures."

Ascension Island is a volcanic island with very poor soil -- but that has not prevented it from becoming home to some interesting biodiversity.

"In the 1800s, Charles Darwin and others brought in various species of plants and animals to the island, so the variety of flora and fauna here is very odd," Christy said. "Some nonnative pine trees were planted so that ships could build new masts and continue their journey if they were stranded with a broken mast. The U.S. base has a hydroponic system so they can grow some of the foods that we eat on the base."

Ascension Island has an auxiliary airfield shared by the U.S. Air Force and the Royal Air Force of Great Britain. Christy now works in the medical clinic for the U.S. base.

Christy said the drinking water comes from a reverse osmosis plant, in part because the island does not receive much rain -- plus the tropical sun keeps things warm year-round.

"Because we are a few degrees south of the equator, it's currently winter, but it's still very mild weather in the 70s on most days," Christy said. "There is volcanic pea gravel on almost all ground surfaces, and it's called 'klinka.'

"The klinka is very abrasive, and it wears out shoes and tires quickly. It makes for some very adventurous hiking, with slippery surfaces and steep hills."

The higher elevations of Ascension are cooler, however.

"There is one area called Green Mountain, and it is cooler with some elevation gain, and has more diverse plants, including a bamboo forest," Christy said. "There's a great view of the island from Green Mountain, and from there, it's evident just how remote we are, with views of the ocean stretching to each horizon. There are beautiful beaches here and great sunsets."

Ascension Island is about 1,000 miles from the coast of Africa and 1,400 miles from the coast of Brazil. The nearest island, Saint Helena, is 800 miles to the southeast.

Ascension Island also has "fantastic" scuba diving and deep-sea fishing, but both are somewhat curtailed because of a large population of Galapagos sharks, Christy said.

"On any night, you can go to the pier where there are lights, and see at least half a dozen sharks greater than two meters in length," Christy said. "The fishing has become more difficult because sharks often take fish off the line before they can be landed."

Rogue waves are common here, and it's important to always keep an eye on the ocean when hiking on the rocky coast, she said.

"Waves can surge and sweep people into the ocean," Christy warned. "There is an almost constant strong wind here, and although the temperature is high, the breeze helps keep it tolerable."

Because of the lack of grass on Ascension, Christy said there's a golf course on the island that has been deemed "the worst golf course in the world."

"The people of Ascension have a great sense of humor about the unique nature of this place, and they find interesting ways to entertain themselves," Christy said. "Ascension is a geologist's dream, with lava fields, obsidian, craters, and other oddities to explore."

With Christy having a lifelong love of the wilderness, she seems to have found her niche on Ascension Island.

"Remote/austere medicine has always been an interest of mine since I've always been a wilderness lover," Christy said. "I've taught remote/austere medicine on the side for the past seven years or so, and I decided to look for a really remote place to work and have an adventure.

"I like challenges, and having few resources in a remote area is certainly one way to challenge ourselves."

Christy is visiting the United States, but will fly back to Ascension in August for "a couple of months" before her travels take her elsewhere.