WR is at Huahine

While we were at Tahiti our oars and windlass arrived. It is good to have a fully functioning windlass again, and the oars arrived in the nick of time since our outboard motor has quit. After Dan joined us we rented a Suzuki Samurai 4WD to drive around and over the island. We drove to the one lake on the island, which is high in the mtns. The track was rough dirt, but we didn't need 4WD for that but instead for the narrow paved part, which we read was inclined at 37 degrees. We needed the low range for that.

From Tahiti we motored to Cook's Bay on Moorea. From there Dan and I hitched a ride to the ferry dock on the east side of the island and hiked back over a ridge that gave us great views of the interior of the island. The next day we tried to hike to the summit of Mt. Rotui, ca 3000 ft. elev. This was along a narrow steep track with the sun beating down. When we were about 4/5 of the way up the appeal of a cold gin and tonic overcame that of the summit and we turned back as clouds smothered the summit. (Susan: they joined me - filthy and bleeding from scratches from the brush - for lunch by the pool at the Sheraton, where I spent the morning at the spa. Best massage I ever had.) After about five days at Cook's we moved on to Opunohu Bay, which has one of the classic views of Polynesia. From here Dan left to fly on to Huahine to stay in campgrounds. We followed a few days later, again motoring overnight in no wind. Once through the pass we anchored off of Fare, the main town of the island. The town looks like it must have looked years ago with trees over hanging the main street, which is dirt.

While we were here Dan caught a freighter for Papeete, from where he flew home. The next day, which was yesterday, we raised anchor and motored south down the west side of the island inside the reef to Avea Bay. From here we walked around the southern tip of the island on the beach, past groves of coconuts and stands of banana trees. We saw an ancient marae, a stone structure where human sacrifices were held.

As we walk along the roads leaving our tracks in the dust we notice no other tracks. This is because the dirt has been raked by the locals. The roadsides are often beautifully planted and tended. In places there are holes in the ground under the trees and as we approach we notice some movement there. The shy coconut crabs are scurrying into their holes. These are chunky little critters, said to be good eating.

Kit and Susan