DO OVER in Iles Sous le Vent with ROB
13 August 2014
Photo: Rob joins the Andiamo crew adding some fishing luck
How time flies when you are cruising French Polynesia! Three weeks have already whizzed by since we returned to Tahiti for Robert's much anticipated arrival. Now, as our new crew member brings a fresh infusion of enthusiasm, we three are not only retracing our steps through The Society Islands in a rare DO OVER opportunity but also, paradoxically, finding that a boat feels BIGGER even with four now on board.
To be honest, while overall we have done quite well these many months together in close quarters, we have also at times seen how three can indeed be a crowd, regrettably catching ourselves engaged in various permutations of 2-out-of-3 on the other. Not only is Robert a low-keyed, considerate soul, who is easy to be around, but his arrival has provided a much needed relief-valve. Eric now has a buddy with whom he can fish, dive, surf, hike, joke, watch and re-watch DVD's, exchange stories from back home, devour internet time and dissect every nuance of a surfable wave. While Eric and Robert are off doing their own thing, David and I, rejoined as a couple - a team of two - now have more time alone just chillin' on the boat or exploring things ashore that may not much interest 25-year-olds.
Case in point: Six weeks ago in these Leeward Islands we raced through Huahine during Katie and Ben's whirlwind visit without forming much of a lasting impression - focused then, as we were, on more vacation-mode activities. But on this second go around, with the boys off surfing, David and I - the dynamic do-over duo - rented bikes for a wonderful ride all along this laid-back island's inland lakes and mountainous interior. Our first stop was the well- preserved, multi-slab Marea Maohi; an archeological treasure complete with a restored thatched temple that now serves as a free museum. I was especially drawn to the ceiling-to-floor tapa cloth which depicts in detail the sacred ceremonial rite of centuries past. Leaving this revered site, we hopped back on our bikes already feeling raindrops which eventually forced us, some miles down the road, to duck under a shuttered snack to wait out a 40 minute downpour. Standing and dripping, we munched on our slightly backpack-squished but amazingly still-crusty jambon et fromage baguettes, huddling under the rusty corrugated roof. We waited so long our quick-dry clothing almost did, but I did not mind at all; indeed it made for a special, us-against-the-world moment. Resuming our cycling in a drizzle, we stopped briefly to see the "sacred eels" who live in the murky roadside river (not quite grasping what makes them sacred) just before encountering the challenging hills up ahead. Intermittently peddling and pushing our heavy mountain bikes over the steep grade towards Huahine Iti, we gained lovely vistas over lush valleys while nary a car drove by (the antithesis of our nerve-wracking Moorea bike ride). We finished our four- hour ride along the coastal road back to the tiny main village of Fare, returning our bikes and pausing to buy some local artisanal wares - capping off a delightful Do Over Day.
Additionally, as luck would have it during our Do-Over sail to Raiatea, both Robert and Eric hooked fish - skipjack tuna and mahi mahi, respectively - so we had some very happy sailors - filleting off the stern, celebratory beers, photo shoot, fresh fish for dinner, you get the picture - happy pumped-up sailors....well, until the rains came. As multiple days of squalls persisted, we unfortunately found that the Do-Over experience was not extending to our weather this go around. Nevertheless we ventured on to Tahaa, the next island in this protected lagoon, to check out its unique coral gardens. Here we experienced some of the best shallow water snorkeling we have ever done, even if it was in the rain. Happy, wet sailors.
Finally, during a brief lapse in stalled fronts, we seized our chance and sailed out to Bora Bora. Here we have enjoyed three sun-filled days, delighting in our own second chances and double takes in this beautiful place. We introduced Robert to "the quintessential view" (David's words), snorkel outings with miniature seahorses and massive manta rays and even bargain happy hour drinks at quirky Bloody Mary's and not so cut-rate ones at MaiKai...and then the rains resumed.
"Stuck" now as we are in Bora Bora - and pretty much Do-Over saturated - we are awaiting our weather window to depart not only The Society Islands but French Polynesia at large. Our extended visa expires on Friday and we are ready to say adieu after our memorable four month's stay . But we need at least five days of decent weather to make our passage to the Cook Islands where we will rejoin the world of English speakers and continue to push on towards Tonga, Fiji and finally New Zealand. And it is not looking promising. Another week of unsettled weather is in the forecast. As Floridians we find this not only frustrating but also counter to our image of Polynesian Winter, for back home , "the dry season" holds dependably true to its name. As another squall disrupts lunch and we once again gather up and stow the cockpit cushions, Eric, our resident weather guru, reminds us of that dirty little Polynesian climatologic secret: the fair-weather South Pacific trade winds are some of the LEAST consistent of all the large-scale global weather patterns. Subservient to the whims of weather, we nonetheless ready ourselves for an eventual departure. We fill up fuel tanks, review clearing in procedures for our next ports, complete the necessary paperwork and WAIT. We take inventory of our boat's stores and make up that final provisioning list and WAIT. Knowing full well that ocean passages grant no leeway for Do Overs, we humbly and powerlessly WAIT.