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 31
st.
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!
On the weekend, we moved Irie back to Avea Bay, to celebrate
Mark’s birthday and to prepare for our sail back to Tahiti.
 |
| Va'a in Fare |
 |
| Marie of MV Domino, making yummy crepes |
 |
| Marie and JP on MV Domino, their impressive, self-built motor yacht |
 |
| MV Domino in Fare's mooring field |
 |
| Va'a at dusk with Raiatea in the distance |
 |
| Loads of coconut husks, after the coconuts are taken out to export as/for copra |
 |
| View from motu Ovarei towards the mainland of Huahine |
 |
| Marae Manunu on the motu |
 |
| Windward coast along motu Ovarei |
 |
| Hot and sweaty ride back to town along the airport |
 |
| Local vendors pass the time playing ukuleles |
 |
| The water off Fare (and Huahine) looks beautiful |
 |
| Snorkel time, off motu Ovarei |
 |
| Orange-finned anemone fish brushing against an anemone |
 |
| Sixbar wrasses on the reef |
 |
| Passage ways through the coral reefs |
Mark and I are making good use of our camper van and are
enjoying this particular style of traveling. We work first thing in the
morning, drive to our new destination(s), do some sightseeing or exploring, run
some errands in between, freedom camp based on where we end up that afternoon,
and are exhausted after dinner. It’s a little bit like living on a boat,
except, we don’t have to worry about the weather as much and we can just step
outside to visit places. But, we still go grocery shopping, cook our own meals,
buy diesel (way more than on Irie!) and are careful with water and electricity.
While we knew it would be relatively cold in New Zealand
(escaping FP’s heat was one of the reasons we wanted to come here in the first
place), we didn’t expect or realize it to be as chilly as it is. Yes, we have
become wimps after eight years in the tropics! Although, sleeping in a metal
box when it is freezing outside and seeing your own breath when waking up in
the morning, would be considered cold by most. It is ironic, how in French
Polynesia we wanted to stick our head in the fridge, because it felt nice and
cold, and here, we want to do the same, because the temperature in the fridge
feels nice and warm!
