We motored out of the main bay on Nuka Hiva and headed for this little bay a few miles west that has many things to recommend it; the one that we were seeking is good water for our tanks. Unbelievably, the tap water in Taiohae, the largest town in the Marquesas, is reported to be not fit for drinking. Everyone we spoke with told us we would find good water here, and we did, but it's a process, moving 5 gallons at a time in our one jug. Michel, Daniel's son and successor to the property was welcoming and friendly, and got even friendlier when the Admiral plied him with a flask of Brandy and chocolate cookies; she has a real future in the State Department. We gathered 25 gallons before the Captain surrendered; more tomorrow. The Captain promises to worship the water maker henceforth. We had internet access when we were in Taiohae and FedEx is winging our replacement water maker motor and pump to us; LA, Honolulu, Auckland, .we're thinking next week

Today we thought a nice hike to the waterfall would be great. One guide book says three hours round trip, the other 1,800 meters; it took us 5 hours, 4 river crossings, and the last hour in the rain. Spectacular, but exhausting. Locals flagged us down at the end of the hike and insisted that we come in for refreshment; icy cold pamplemousse juice from the refrigerator (they have a nice solar array) and bananas. We'll take prints of our photos of them up to them tomorrow.

Fruit grows everywhere; bananas, papaya, mango, limes, oranges, pamplemousse, and things of which we don't know the names. But it's important to know that it all belongs to someone. Just because a mango is growing alongside the road doesn't mean you can pick one off the tree, as that tree is in someone's "terrain," or property. What's dropped in the road seems to be fair game. That being said, the locals are quite willing to trade fruit for tee shirts or other goods. This small bay is the first place we've encountered outright gifts. When we went in for water Michel gave us 4 pamplemousse. Today, after our hike, the couple who gave us juice also wanted to gift us pamplemousse. Susan declined on the grounds we already had sufficient, and tried to explain it conflicted with Steve's medications. Looks like a grapefruit (though larger), smells and tastes like one (though sweeter)-presumably has the same chemicals. Then as we were leaving the beach another man insisted that we take three pamplemousse; we now have a gunnysack full.