Hey Mum,

I just woke up to a beautiful sunrise here in Aratika, Tuamotus. Jamie is still in bed as it is only six o'clock. We are the only Yacht here and apparently this atoll has a population of only 50 people.

Yesterday we went to the one and only shop here on the island and asked if they knew where we could get some pearls. She (the shop keeper) told us to wait a few moments then came out with about five different zip-lock bags with pearls in them. We traded a bottle of rum, a finger puppet, a Koala key ring and a bag of small plastic toys for four big pearls, four medium and a whole bunch of small imperfect ones (which are groovier than the perfects).

After that, we took our dinghy to the beach where there were three huts. We asked if they had any fish. The man thought we wanted to eat and was offering us to come inside and eat with him. So generous. We declined as we didn't want to impose. He then asked his two daughters who had just turned up and they said, 'sure!' with bright smiles. They took us to a pen near the entrance to the lagoon and one of them got in and caught us what I think was a blue parrot fish (as it had a beak). It was a beautiful fish and I made poor Jamie kill it. Sad. It was delicious. The women were insisting that we give them nothing for the fish but I dug out two straw hats and two more Koala key rings, which the people seem to love.

I then put some of that fish (the guts and stuff) into our lobster net which Robert and Kelita lent to us. 15 mins later I pulled the net up with no lobster but four more fish! We weren't sure whether we could eat them or not because of fish poisoning that occurs in coral eating fish. The locals know which fish are ok and they seem only to fish just outside the lagoon so we let these fellas go.

Tomorrow morning bright and early we head for Kauehi.

We are enjoying a very serene anchorage after the rough seas we encountered getting here.

Love,

Is