The weather has been very funky since one week into Griet
and Wim’s visit to Irie. This resulted in each sailing trip becoming “slightly”
different from how they usually are in this part of the world where the wind
predominantly comes out of the east (going west should be a breeze!). Our days
of departure were now based, not on the best day to go, but on the least awful
day to go…
Bluuurgh
Sailing from Moorea in the Windwards group to Huahine, in
the Leewards group of the Society Islands, should be done overnight, since the
80-something miles cannot be covered during daylight hours and you do not want
to arrive in a new, reef strewn anchorage in the dark. It would be Griet and
Wim’s first ever overnight passage and they were looking forward to it and the
assigned night watch. For Mark and me, new territory lay ahead. We thoroughly
prepared Irie the day of departure and around 5pm, we lifted anchor and left
Opunohu Bay in Moorea, for the main town of Fare in Huahine. As we sailed NW
alongside the sunset –and close to the wind, since a rare north wind was
predicted for the whole weather forecast! – deceived by the mellow conditions,
I went downstairs for a nap, while the rest of the crew stayed up.
Not much later, the first squall hit us and the sea state
deteriorated, with stronger winds to come. Mark and I made sail adjustment
after sail adjustment, while getting wet by the rain, and in my case: becoming more
and more seasick with every movement of myself or the boat. A couple of hours
into the trip, I was pretty much useless! Wim was eager to do his shift, but
after ten minutes, he had to wake us up, since another squall popped up out of
nowhere, and we needed to adjust the sails again. Mark decided to be on watch the
whole duration of this crappy, squall ridden night, while I had my head into
the toilet and the others rested in their bunk. In the morning, the wind had
shifted so far north, that we couldn’t make the reef entrance on the NW side of
Huahine and a couple of tacks were needed to safely reach the choppy anchorage
of Fare.
Biking around Huahine
Nui
The day of our arrival in Fare, everybody was exhausted, and
a relaxing day on Irie was had after a late breakfast. The following day, our
guests explored town and went for a snorkel on the shelf nearby, while Mark and
I focused on some work before going shopping in Fare’s decent and “affordable” grocery
store (Super U) and obtaining water on shore. In the evening, we took advantage
of the Friday night vibe in “the city”! We joined happy hour (5-6pm) at the
beautifully located Huahine Yacht Club and had a tasty dinner there as well. It
was the most buzzing atmosphere Mark and I have experienced in all of French
Polynesia!
On the next day, Griet, Wim and I rented bikes to
circumnavigate Huahine Nui, while Mark worked again. The rain cleared once we
went ashore, but the clouds hung around for most of the day. This meant that
the temperature was all right for our sweaty expedition, but the pictures came
out relatively dark. All the important sights are located on Huahine Nui, while
Huahine Iti, the smaller island to the south (both are connected by a bridge)
has mostly peace and beaches to offer. The bike proved to be the best way to
explore the island – there was only one massive hill where we needed to jump
off and push our wheels vertically in front of us.
:-)
The road is paved all the way and started out flat. We
followed it in a clockwise direction, passing a big lake on the north side of
the island, before we arrived at the extensive marae of Maeva. We visited the
ruins and the on-site museum, where big signs provided information about the
set-up of the platforms and the ancient royal site. We skipped the hike up a
hill to see more of the stone remnants and peddled on to the Maison de la
Vanille. There, a friendly woman showed us vanilla plants and beans and
explained the time intensive work of vanilla production. Our French vocabulary received a good boost! Then, the rickety mountain
bikes brought us past interesting looking V-shaped fish traps before we reached
a little harbor in Faie, from where a free pearl farm visit was possible.
The three of us hopped in a local boat to reach Huahine’s
only pearl farm in the middle of the lagoon on the east side of the island.
Here, some women explain the process of pearl farming and offer you a chance to
buy your favorite pearls or jewelry, for more money than I can afford. The
owner of the farm, an American called Peter Owen, also has his pottery on
display and for sale here. We continued on to a place next to the river, where
sacred blue-eyed eels hang out. These massive, slippery creatures do have blue
eyes and look impressive, but are docile. A crowd gathered, while some of us
tried to take pictures and touch the slimy animals.
Hoping and expecting to find a sandwich for lunch or at
least a grocery store, we searched and asked around in vain. The only place to
find food, apparently, was all the way back in Fare, so we struggled up the hill
to the Belvedere – from where the view is pretty nice – with empty stomachs
and kept on biking afterwards. We completed our loop, screaming down the hills,
once in a while jumping off for easier progress uphill, and slowing down
towards the end of the journey because of decreased energy and sore bums. All
the roulottes (food vans) and most stores in Fare were closed, despite it being
Saturday… Lunch break? Short work day? Luckily, the Super U was open and saved
us (me) from starvation and crankiness!
:-)
It was 3pm and the sun had come out. After the late lunch, we stocked up on
more water and retired to Irie for a deserved shower and cocktail in the
cockpit! For Sunday, we planned a nice and extensive brunch, followed by
snorkeling and relaxation…
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| Dinghy dock in Fare, Huahine, with Irie in the background |
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| Nice hotel with pool on the beach in Fare |
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| Drinks and dinner at the "booming" Huahine Yacht Club |
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| Marae in the settlement of Maeva |
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| Museum on the grounds of the marae |
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| General information about a marae |
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| Vanilla beans on the vine |
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| Vanilla plants at la Maison de la vanille |
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| Little store with vanilla products and souvenirs at the "vanilla house" |
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| Fish sheds in the V-shaped fish farm |
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| V-shaped fish farm - the fishermen trap the fish in the points of the V |
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| The only pearl farm in Huahine |
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| Oyster and her pearl |
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| "Sacred" blue-eyed eels |
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| Vanilla plantation on Huahine |
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| Biking around Huahine Nui |
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| Pretty stretch of water between the two islands in Huahine - the weather is clearing up! |
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| Another vanilla plantation in Huahine's interior |
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| Raiatea seen from Huahine Nui |
At 6am, Mark’s internal clock wakes him up. Starting work
early has three advantages: the cooler temperature still allows a decent level
of concentration, office hours in the US and Europe are way ahead, and he
doesn’t have me around to distract him. An hour or so later, I join him at the
table to do some work on the computer as well, after having a look outside to
appreciate the beautiful surroundings. Mid-morning, we have a small breakfast
and then, it is back to our computers, or we do boat chores or run shore
errands. It is already very hot and nothing can be done without sweat streaming
down our faces, whether we are inside the boat or outside in the cockpit or on
land.
After a late lunch, we feel lazy, but napping is not our
thing, so we try to read, write emails or relax a bit, before it is shower
time. We jump in the ocean around 4pm, when it is still hot enough to enjoy our
“bath” and our towel has time left to dry outside. Sometimes we swim to the
beach and back for some exercise, or, on a cloudy day, we go for a little walk
to collect fruit. At 5pm the day is mostly done and we have a glass of yummy juice
with a little snack, while we prepare and cook an early dinner. By 7pm, we are
in bed. It is dark – the relentless sun finally gone - and we enjoy a TV show
or a movie on the laptop. Mosquito netting keeps the buzzing creatures out. 9pm is bed time, and after a night with many
interruptions because of rain, wind gusts, visiting cargo ships, noise on shore
or waking up in sweat, the cycle starts over again. 
Fridays are different. Mark drops me off in the town of
Fare, where I try to sell some unneeded household items and make a bit of money
for the evening happy hour at the Yacht Club - the happening place in French Polynesia. Sometimes, we grab a bite
to eat as well, or we meet new friends, like last Friday, when Melissa and Scott
invited us over for a fun evening on their boat Kaimana. Our last bottle of
Tequila was put to good use, something we “regretted” the following day! 
During this monotonous life in the tropics, we are surprised
and inspired by the “special events” that occur once in a while. On the evening
of Mardi Gras, our friends Marie and JP invited us over for traditional French
crêpes on their boat Domino, and Chinese New Year was celebrated with fireworks
in Fare – something that was absent here on December 31st.
One
morning, I rented a bike and pedaled up to the marae of Maeva. This time, I followed a hiking trail up a hill to
see some different ruins. It was a pleasant walk, mostly in the shade, but the
humidity was high in the jungle. To cool off, I biked to the edge of motu Ovarei and snorkeled the coral
garden, which held some pretty surprises. The ride back at noon was brutal
without any shade, but at home, more refreshing salt water awaited!
