We're halfway through the 3 night 4 day passage to the Tuomotus, an archipelago of atolls southwest of the Marquesas. We have 10-15 Kn. on the beam and we're averaging 7 Kn/hr. Leaving the Marquesas after 5 weeks was a bittersweet experience. After visiting almost every anchorage, meeting almost all the cruisers and eating in just about every restaurant, we felt it was time to move on. The Marquesas are a truly special place - no wonder Gauguin, Melville, Robert Lewis Stevenson and others spent so much time there. There is a renaissance of the culture happening and most of the islanders seem to appreciate their paradise. It's been such a treat to walk through a village and see young girls and men practicing their dance or to sit in the cockpit and listen to the drums and singing. Around 4 in the afternoon, the young men head into the bay for their outrigger canoe practice. This is a tiny spot in the ocean that is relatively unspoiled and we feel very privileged to have experienced it. As we head to the Tuomotus, we're on a new stage of our trip. Instead of high, lush, green volcanic islands the atolls are (very) low, dry coral rings with a lagoon in the center. And black pearl farms!! Til next time, "apae" (good bye).

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