Pursuit

We left Raroia in the Tuamotus Islands. It was a beautiful anchorage. So quiet and peaceful, but sharks like crazy. In the cruising guides they make reference to the fact that Rarioa has a lot of them. They were everywhere though. The morning we left there were at least 5 sharks swimming continuously around the boat. They were waiting for the "other white meat" to have a swim. Not today boys. I was starting to get a sweat on though when we were pulling up the anchor and the chain was caught under some coral. We did a bit of finagling this way and that and freed it up, so I didn't have to put on the scuba gear and dive it. Thank God! They were only black tip reef sharks, but I still don't feel comfortable when I have to dive with sharks. The Raroia atoll was made famous when Thor Heyerdahl's craft, Kontiki, grounded on the eastern side of the atoll in 1947, ending his voyage. He proved that Peruvians could have sailed from Peru to settle in the South Pacific, but he realized that a balsam raft will only get you so far.

We were happy to make landfall in the Marquesas. The wind and seas made our landfall on an island called Ua Pou (pronounced: Wah Poh); our best choice. Sometimes it is easier to take the direction the winds and sea give you, rather that try to beat to the island of first choice. We figure we will be here a month or so and with that, it doesn't matter where we start from within the Marquesas chain. They are all close day-sails now. When we arrived, we put the dinghy in the water and got ready to head into shore. The dingy has started to develop a small leak though and I had to pump it up first. Another little job on the list! Patch the dinghy. That first evening, we were walking around and a local lady and her family were selling crafts on the side of the road. We were looking at the things she had for sale and talking a little, even though my French is not so good. I am digging deep into grade 9 French to piece it together though, even though it's a bit messy, but it's not bad. Enough to communicate. I really liked a necklace, carved like a tiki and Tara liked a ring. When I asked how much, she said it was free. She loves Canada and Canadians and wanted to give it as a gift to us. I wanted to pay, but she insisted. The people here are so incredibly friendly. I felt so good. The next day when we went to shore to explore the island, some locals met us at the dock and gave us a big box of mangoes, papayas and breadfruits. What a great place. Then we grabbed the bikes from the dinghy and with a burst of energy decided to bike to the other side of the island. Not a great decision though, on a volcanic island with peaks in excess of 1200 metres. Talk about switchbacks and steep climbs. I felt as if I was taking my bike for a walk up the hillside most of the time. Lots of rests. I was so happy when we finally hit the summit and it was downhill for a while. But it didn't last long. Finally I said to Tara that the next truck that passes by, I'm sticking out a thumb. Here comes a truck... yes, we grabbed a ride from a local guy named Pierrot. He is a cook and has a small restaurant in Hakahetau, on the other side of the island; where we were heading. He makes a daily drive to the airport to meet the "Canadian Made, Twin Otter Airplane" that services the island, which he was so pleased to inform us about. It arrives almost every day and he sells sandwiches and things there. When we arrived in Hakahetau, we biked around the village and went to a beautiful waterfall. The Manfred Cascade. I needed the refreshing swim in the pool at the base of the falls after sweating like crazy on the bike ride over. I'm out of shape! Pierott had invited us back to his restaurant afterwards, which was nothing more than a room off the side of his house with three tables, but what a meal! His Marquesian wife made us a local dish called Poisson Cru (raw tuna fish, marinated in lime juice and soaked in coconut milk) with a side order of breadfruit, which was prepared almost like french fries. That combined with great local beers and Pierott's great stories made for an amazing evening. The best part was that later that evening, while totally stuffed from the meal and in no shape to bicycle back across the island in the dark, he loaded our bikes up in his truck and drove us back to the other side of the island. At the dinghy dock, the box of fruit we were given earlier in the day, or so we thought, was missing. Some local kids must have decided to hop in the dingy, eat some of our mangoes, smash a few off the engine for good measure, then take the rest of the fruit with them. Thanks for ending a great day like that kids... Punks! On the way back to Pursuit, we stopped by at a tug boat that was dredging the supply ship dock area, and told them what happened with the fruit they gave us earlier in the day. They were very disappointed too, then one local went into their cabin and came back with another big box filled with mangoes and pamplemousse (grapefruit) to replace the stolen fruits. We thanked them again and then headed back to Pursuit for a great night sleep.