That's Rosita on the left, Augustine on the right with her dog Whiskey at our picnic site

OK, we've rallied

Thanks to our new Marquesan friends Augustine and Rositao, we've got our groove back.

We are anchored in the small bay of Hakahau on the island of Ua Pou, approximately 30 NM south of Nuku Hiva. We arrived here Saturday mid day, after a fast sail in lumpy seas. One other boat was here, a French boat owned by Jacque and Francoise, a delightful couple who invited us on their boat for a beverage and conversation. They have been cruising for several years and plan to circle around the Pacific, eventually coming to Seattle. We exchanged boat cards.

On Sunday we went looking for potable water to fill our tanks. Our water maker is working fine, but it's always nice to fill the tanks with fresh water. We found it up a main road, well marked, two spigots coming out of stone tikis. Everyone gets their drinking water here as the tap water in their homes is not potable. We followed some singing to the church and sat outside to listen. The a cappella is amazing how it builds into a rich sound that brings tears to our eyes.

A short time later, as we were leaving the dock where we left the dinghy, our two 5-gallon jerry cans in hand, a truck stopped and the driver said (in French) "where are you going?" I said, we go for potable water. She said, "come, come, get in". We then spent the next 5 hours with Augustine and Rosie. They helped us with three trips hauling water, and each time they returned to the water spigot to pick us up, they brought us fruit from their garden, pamplemousse (grapefruit), mango, bananas on the stalk, and papaya. By the third trip, things were loosening up, and they stopped at the store for beer. We then found ourselves on a picnic trip to a famous valley with a beautiful beach. They brought breadfruit (really not quite as bad as people report, but not our favorite) and this amazing raw fish that we ate with lime and raw vegetables.

With my dictionary and poor French we were able to express to them how special it was that they were sharing their life with us, that it touched our hearts. We think the experience was special for them as well. We gave them wine, a pair of sunglasses (Rosie had broken hers), some nail polish, a t shirt, Trader Joe's lotion, and two toys for grandchildren. They gave us more pamplemousse.

When we returned to the boat, we jumped in the water to cool down. This is the first we have swam in the Marquesas. The water in Taiohae Bay was not inviting, plus we saw sharks. The water here is turquoise, soft, comforting, like the cool evening breezes.

Our plan is to leave this week for Rangirora in the Tuomotus. We had planned to see two other Marquesan islands, but the SE wind would be at our nose, and the sea condition would make that an uncomfortable voyage. So we are headed southwest. It should take 4-5 days to get there so we will post our position as we progress. We are looking forward to new adventures after being rejuvenated by the Marquesans, a beautiful people whom we will never forget.