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Experiencing Moorea

Jul 6th, 2012
by Sara.
4 comments

Leah and her new friend Natalie snorkel with stingrays at Moorea

One of our main life philosophies is to spend our money and time on experiences, not just on acquiring Stuff. When we are (hopefully) old and looking back on how we spent our lives, these are the memories we will treasure. I think our five days in lovely Moorea will be one of the highlights.

Wondertime and Convivia kids building fairy homes in the mountains of Moorea

Petting stingrays

Chilling at the cruiser-friendly Bali Hai hotel

Riding horses through the pineapple plantations

Life Goes on in Tahiti

Jun 26th, 2012
by Sara.
7 comments

We’ve been in Tahiti for over two weeks now. Tahiti – sounds exotic, huh? Beautiful women everywhere, tattooed muscled men, white sand beaches, showers of flowers. But we arrived in Papeete with a list of things to do and despite our initial decree to just enjoy this island paradise and not focus on the list so much, we’ve found that a city is a city, no matter how exotic and the list always wins.

Leah talks to Grandpa 4000 miles away

We’ve shopped, we’ve washed the boat and many loads of laundry (albeit at $9 a load in the coin washer everything’s been washed in the sink). We’ve visited the giant Carrefour store (a sort of French Walmart) a number of times bringing back cartloads of crackers, pasta, chocolate, cheese, meats, produce and boxed French wine. Our diesel and water tanks are full, engine oil changed, calls made to family, our few bills paid.

It hasn’t all been work here though; we met up in the park with friends to celebrate an 8th birthday, Leah had a slumber party with another 6-year-old girl on an Australian boat we met here, we took the bus to the Tahiti museum for a field trip one afternoon. The girls were delirious with delight when we treated them to Happy Meals at the downtown McDonald’s and I must admit my strawberry shake tasted like mana from heaven.

After sampling the ordinary delights of Tahiti we were all set to sail to Moorea in the Tahiti-Moorea Rendezvous this past weekend. On Friday I got out a mirror to look at a tooth that had been aching a bit for the past few days. Back in Mexico, I had gotten a long-needed crown (my first) on one of my molars. Apparently this crown was temporary as it had developed a lovely hole right in the bottom surface and I could see my tooth right through it.

We got on the bus and headed downtown from our anchorage near Marina Taina. There was an English-speaking dentist right across from the yacht quay so we went straight to his office. Happily he saw me right away. “I am obliged to remove your crown,” the French dentist said. “Ohay,” I replied with my mouth open, palms sweating. He poked and (after numbing the tooth) drilled around for a bit. “You come back Monday for a root canal,” he stated. Oh boy.

Shopping with Holly, Papeete Marche

Later that night we met another American family on a boat and the dad happened to be a dentist. We talked for a while about my options. “Honestly, since your tooth is on the top and in back and it will just end up coming out eventually you might as well have the thing pulled now and get out of Tahiti,” he opined. As thrilling as having a tooth pulled in Tahiti sounded, that was my gut feeling too as the tooth had given me loads of trouble over the years.

We stayed in Tahiti over the weekend and arrived at the dentist’s office Monday morning. I spoke to him of my desire to have the tooth extracted rather than undergo weeks of expensive visits to try to repair the half-rotten thing. He refused. “That is just stupid to pull out a perfectly good tooth! Crazy! I won’t do it!” I paid my bill for the previous visit and left with my head spinning.

Two hours later, with another dentist’s name in hand we are back on the bus to this office which is near the marina. I am in tears the entire ride. My crownless tooth is killing me now. I don’t want to pay $1000 to a complete asshole for a root canal and another crown that will take two weeks to complete. I want to leave Tahiti; we only have three weeks left on our visas and the rest of the Society Islands to see. But right now, I want to get on one of the planes that take off every few minutes from the airport the bus is passing and go back to the places I know. I want to drive my car to my old dentist’s office in Olympia. The girls hug me, say “feel better, mama.” Living so close together we share so many things, emotions included.

We find the new office easily and this dentist sits me down to examine what is left of my tooth. He is much friendlier with a clean, modern office. After taking a quick x-ray we discuss the options. I tell him that I would really prefer to remove the tooth. “That sounds like a fine solution. You can come back tomorrow to have it done,” he smiles warmly. I make my appointment and we walk to the store for ice-cream before heading back to the boat to cook dinner.

Update 27 June: The tooth came out quickly and without a hitch yesterday. The dentist was excellent (Dr. Dairou), I couldn’t feel a thing and three things were confirmed:

1. The more nervous I am about something the less of a big deal it really turns out to be (see: “Rounding Cape Scott”).

2. Keep trusting my gut: the tooth’s roots were all twisted and wonky and the dentist said a root canal would have been impossible.

3. As Leah suspected, the tooth fairy does not bring money for an a adult tooth. I only got a new toothbrush and a packet of dental floss. Boo.

Flirting With the Islands

May 14th, 2012
by Sara.
9 comments

We are currently on Nuku Hiva, the last island we will explore in the Marquesas before we sail the 500ish miles to the Tuamotu atolls southwest of here and after that the Society Islands (Tahiti! Moorea! Bora Bora!).

Over the last four weeks we’ve flitted among these sweet little jems floating lazily in the warm South Pacific getting to know each one as much as one can in what feels like a rushed first date. But our short time on each has been long enough to get to know each beguiling girl just enough for her to steal our hearts.

Our first days on Hiva Oa left us feeling starstruck: we were bowled over with all the new sights, smells and tastes of this foreign land, especially made all the more luscious after nearly a month of sea and sky and salt. We fell in love with the people on Tahuata: so many smiles, so much generosity and kindness. And the singing!

Fatu Hiva, oh my, Fatu Hiva. She is the mystical queen lying in the southernmost corner of the islands. The breathtaking green pillars of her crown rise straight out of the sea. She can be a little difficult and doesn’t seem to welcome visitors; you have to anchor on a tiny ledge off one of her strikingly steep vales. But once you creep ashore and gaze upon her unbelievable beauty – towering peaks, deep dark green valleys, waterfalls, powerful rock sculptures – you know you are surrounded by magic. She is called the most beautiful island in the world. I believe that.

Hitching a ride is easy in the Marquesas, in fact the locals will practically demand you get in the back of their pickup when they see you walking with kids.

We pressed on to Ua Pou, sailing the 100 miles overnight directly from Fatu Hiva. In the little shallow harbor we dropped our bow anchor and then our stern, nice and snug for our planned two-day stop. Ua Pou taught us about island time: five days later our anchors were still happily buried in her mud. Each day there was spent doing just short of nothing, excepting just taking in the beauty around us (especially the outrigger paddlers that would practice around our boat every evening) and of course the lovely spires Ua Pou wears. We strolled to a magasin for ice-cream bars, splurged on a poisson cru lunch at the Snack Vehine, stumbled upon a traditional Marquesan dance show put on for the Aranui passengers. As the girls rolled around in delight in the quiet surf, we sat on the beach under the palms by the rowing club, chatting with Xavier, a most curious retired French ex-pat who now spends his days getting to know passing sailors. Despite the many excuses to keep spending easy days in this pleasant harbor we sailed on to Nuku Hiva.

After a week on this grand island, we’re coming to see that she is multi-personalitied and that alone is reason enough to love her. The town of Taiohae, where we are anchored now, is the metropolis of the Marquesas (though with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants still feels distinctly like a village). We are smack in the enormous crater of a volcano, so of course the bay is beautiful and greener than even the Northwest springtime. There are well-stocked stores here (about 1/8 the size of a typical Trader Joes), a hospital, a few exquisitely expensive restaurants (mainly serving pizza). Each time we walk along the waterfront boys gallop by on horses.

We counted 45 boats anchored along with us in the rolly bay; the fleet practically dwarfs the town. The sailors here – politely, but still – compete to connect to the few free wireless internet connections and grab heads of cabbage and bundles of carrots at the 0400 farmer’s market on Saturday mornings. But just when I think the village might do just fine without all us visitors we are stopped today by a man and his two small sons who insist Michael, myself, Holly, Leah and her friend Ruby get into the cab of his small Toyota pickup for a ride back to the village instead of hiking the 1.5 miles downhill in the rain with all the children, tired, wet, muddy from exploring an ancient sacred site up in the valley. They let us off at the quay and the two boys see us safely off in our dinghy.

Family tiki, Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva

Just when the busyness of Taiohae seems like too much, just head up and around to the opposite side of the island. Here you will find Anaho Bay which is opposite Taiohae in many ways: the anchorage is tucked inside a perfect notch of land, just the right amount to make the bay absolutely still. A few days ago we were anchored there, marveling at the fact that our boat was not rocking back and forth for the first time in over two months. But that’s nothing; just when we thought we’d seen the most beautiful harbors the Marquesas had to offer, here was one even more lovely. Once our anchor was set all we could see was land all around us, Anaho wrapped us like a hug. And what a view! Steep towering buttresses of rock, a perfect rim of brown sugar sand and palms trees, a handful of small tidy homes and beautiful gardens nestled amongst them. We would have loved to stay longer than the three nights we spent there but the cabbages at that 0400 Saturday market in Taiohae were calling….

We’re still getting to know Nuku Hiva. She might end up being our favorite of these island girls – she’s got a lot of uniqueness to love. Tomorrow we head around the corner to Taipivai (this is where Herman Melville’s Typee takes place) and then Daniel’s Bay (this is where the fourth season of Survivor takes place) and we’re anxious to experience our own stories at each one. After that, we’re going to leave these island lovelies astern and it won’t be easy, not at all.

Three kid boats, bathtub-warm water, beach sand like sugar - paradise, truly!

First days in the Marquesas

Apr 17th, 2012
by Sara.
8 comments

Our last few days at sea the girls would tell us how they couldn't wait to run free on a beach again. Wish granted.

We have been in a sort of dream state here on Hiva Oa for the past five days. Most of the time we still can’t believe we are really here and have to pinch ourselves to make sure we are truly awake. It’s so beautiful here, so exotic. It’s everything you think of when you picture “French Polynesia” and even more. All new sights, smells, tastes, sounds. All delightful. The best part is we are home, floating in an amazing whole new world.

Our check-in process in Atuona took 10 minutes total, thanks to our wonderful agent Sandra, the friendly Gendarmerie and the amazing efficiency of the French Polynesian government.

Celebrating our arrival with the local brew.

Leah is enjoying her thoroughly Marquesan breakfast: pamplemousse (the most heavenly grapefruit ever) and a fresh baguette.

It doesn't take much to arrange a playdate on an island in the middle of the ocean; all you need are a couple of coordinates. Here, the young crews of Wondertime and Convivia are delighted to be reunited after we last saw them in La Cruz - 3,000 miles ago.

This one is for you Stephie.

Neither of us speaks a lick of French, which makes it even more interesting in this French-speaking country. We are slowing learning though, and the fresh baguettes, French cheeses, French chocolates and the sing-songy way every says “bonjour!” makes our language struggles wholly worthwhile.

The best produce deal is right from the grower....meeting up with the Monday produce truck in Atuona.

What $50 will buy in the Marquesas. We will savor those cabbages!

Sweet.

Action Packed Days in Sleepy Turtle Bay

Nov 12th, 2011
by Sara.
1 comment

I don’t know what it is about this dusty little Baja outback town but what should be the sleepiest little village on the coast is once again full of adventure for us. We first visited Bahia Tortugas nine years ago having sailed down from San Diego with a small entourage of other boats with 20-something crews. In the week we spent here, we somehow managed to pack our days full, which included kite surfing and BBQs on the beach, spending hours at the beach palapa slurping down 10 peso Pacificos with other cruising crews and even finding a hopping discoteca up on the hill one Saturday night.

Of course, our time here this visit has been spent a little differently, but so far Turtle Bay has not disappointed us in excitement, despite appearances. Our first day here was actually pretty quiet as one would expect here; we spent a few hours just wandering around the town taking it all in. Nestled in barren desert hills, the entire village is covered with at least a centimeter of caramel colored dust which billows up each time a car zooms down a narrow dirt road. We found ice-cream at a small well-stocked tienda, fresh flour tortillas (a Baja specialty), and (can you guess?) a playground which was surprisingly new in the town square overlooking the bay and fisherman hauling their pangas out of the water.

Unlike wandering around other small towns in the U.S., however, where residents typically eye strangers with suspicion, when we would pass a local Turtle Bay resident we’d get a huge smile and a wave and a ¡buenas tardes! whether the person was walking or driving. We met a local woman who spoke very good English and enjoys helping passing cruisers; when she found out we were looking for tortillas she told us to hop in her car and she’d drive us the two blocks to the tortilleria. We thanked her profusely but explained that since we hadn’t been off the boat in three days we didn’t mind the walk.

Yesterday, on our second morning in town, we tune into the morning VHF net and hear an announcement that bocce ball will commence on the beach by the beer palapa at 1 pm. Now, back when we were kids ourselves cruising down here we always snickered a little at the old farts playing bocce ball on the beach. This time, we packed up a picnic lunch, the sand toys, swimsuited girls and a pocket of pesos for beers and arrived ready for bocce at 1:05 pm.

The delightful afternoon was spent doing what we’d come to Mexico for: spending time with members of our fellow cruising community as well as the locals who love to come and practice their English while we practice our Spanish. As a warm wind ruffled in from the bay, we enjoyed ice-cold Pacificos from Regelio’s La Playa palapa bar, shared appetizers and stories and plans with our new friends, watched as Leah and Holly made new friends of their own of all ages and nationalities, danced to music blaring from nearby speakers, and played several rounds of bocce ball.

We returned to Wondertime yesterday evening smiling from ear to ear after our fun-filled afternoon. We noticed that the anchorage had filled up considerably; apparently the FUBAR powerboat rally from San Diego to Cabo had caught up with us and about 50 powerboats had joined the (thankfully very large) anchorage. The VHF radio was buzzing with talk about the impending front coming through with southerly winds (again!). We’d been expecting the front to arrive this weekend and knew that there may be some light southerly winds that night but the really honking stuff was due to come today (Saturday).

As we fed the girls some dinner, read books and tucked them into bed, indeed the wind had come up from the south already; we soon had some lively bucking action going on due to the 2-mile fetch across the south side of the bay. An hour later, the wind abruptly died dead still. Then a few minutes later it came up again, clocking around 90 degrees to the west. This time the wind was coming off the hill to the west of town and the wave action was much calmer and we slept at last.

With the wind expected to pipe up again from the SW today, we ate breakfast this morning while underway to the south side of Bahia Tortugas where we’d be in the lee of the shore, a much more comfortable and safe place to be in a blow. Most of the boats anchored near town slowly trickled south as well and the fleet of 50 or so are all tucked in, hanging on as 20-30 knot winds buffeted our ships around.

A long windy day stuck in the boat turns into a wind measuring experiment for Leah with our hand-held wind meter

We’ve spent the day listening in on our VHF radio (think cruising boat party line if you’ve never listened in on one before). There was chatter about the boats being tossed about that were still anchored on the north side of the bay, [power]boats that had headed out to sea towards Cabo, originally attempting to outrun the front and limping back defeated, people requesting rides from the local pangas to a party being held in town for the FUBAR (and then the excitement of getting home in the dark across the rough bay).

So far, everyone is safe, anchor watches are being held and anchors are holding on tight. Just another action-packed day in sleepy little Turtle Bay.

*2300 update: the wind has dropped to nearly nothing and it’s raining(!) buckets. What will tomorrow bring??

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