Contrary to the rather cold welcome we got in Aukena Island, this place is totally different. Hervé and his wife Valerie welcome all sailors for a BBQ every Sunday. The moment we beached our dinghy, their little boy brought us flowers to put into our hair and they gave us hugs and kisses and a huge smile. Wow, what a relieve to the rather coldish general attitude in the Gambiers. We chatted a while and then he explained us the trail to the south end of the island. The boy apologized for not being able to guide us �...it's a home school day for him, so he is busy. Hervé told us to go south and see Marcel. He would then tell us where the trail leads into the woods. It's a very nice, park like path along the church, lined with flowers and fruit trees. When we got to Marcel's place I called him and said: �" Hervé told me�" �...I couldn't continue , Marcel cut me off and shouted at me :�" What did Hervé tell you?�" He looked at me very grim and walked away. OOoff another weirdo I thought. I said �"I didn't want to disturb you�"! �"BUT YOU DO!! �" he barked. �"I just need to know how to find the trail�". He already marched off towards the trail and we followed. I managed to start a conversation and when he said he was from New Caledonia and he was a Kanak , I told him about my visit to his island. He warmed up right away and as we talked I was able to hold his hand. I just held it and he didn't pull away. He liked it and we continued talking like this. He then apologized three times for his harsh greeting and explained that he was a loner and he didn't mean it that way. Ok, cool and off we went past his fruit trees and his pigs. Soon we were on a trail that was very much overgrown. Except for a few pigs this trail had not been used for a long time. It took us more than an hour for a short 3 kilometer trail. Most of it over tree stumps and heavy long grass with the occasional vines that trap you're feet. We finally got to Eduard and Denise's place and I asked him if we could rest for a while under his tree. He led us to his bench on the beach and Denise came with a big bottle of ice cold water. We chatted a bid, although it seemed difficult to understand his mumbling. It sounded like he had trouble talking with his new dentures. Never the less it was interesting to hear their life stories and after an hour we started our way back and he guided us along with a warning about the aggressive wasps. �"Be careful, they are in the sun and protect their nests, they are not in the shade�"! Ok, I thought, we went thru this trail an hour ago and didn't see any wasps. So off we went, a bid faster than when we came and all looked good �....until�....they came like mad all over me and bit me on my hand, arms and under my sleeve. OOOoa ahhh sharp pain and they seemed everywhere. �"Run , Rolf RUN�" Daniela screamed from behind and so I ran , until I reached a shady spot and started to lick my wounds. Shit�... that stuff really HURTS. Daniela gave me an antihistamine to ease my paranoid borderline phobia of allergic reactions that I NEVER have�...but just in case. The pain eased after 5 minutes and we had a few more sunny patches to cross. I was a bid worried, I didn't want more than the five bulges I already had. If you walk slowly and wait until they are off the path it seems to work .Not waving my walking sticks in front of me calmed the situation as well. Without any other attack we made it back to Marcel's place and greeted him, happy to have made it safely. He shouted again .This time he ordered me to come to his house. �" HERE not THERE �" he barked, �"DON'T STEP INSIDE!!�" I followed his orders and waited on the exact spot. But then he came with a huge bag of lemons and ripe bananas and refused to accept any thanks. �"THANK THE LORD�" he said, and so we did. We did a big �"Thank you BON DIEU�" as we walked along the pretty old church. We came home much later in the afternoon than we thought and I sank into my bed after a big lunch and snored away for a while. The next day was the big BBQ. In the morning Hervé got 6 surgeon fish and three parrot fish with his speargun. He never comes out with no fish and he seems to know which ones are safe and which ones to avoid with Ciguatera. Naturally I had to ask him, how he can tell the difference. Some people look at the ants or flies if they stay away, or they feed it to the cat first. �"So what's your secret?�" I asked. Hervé replied with a big grin : �"I feed it to the sailors ha ha ha�" The fish and food from all sailors was delicious and we had a great time. So far , no Ciguatera! Too bad I had another exposure with a French yacht. Hervé pointed out to me that a steel yacht had come very close to me. And yes indeed, it looked like she was 2 to 4 meters behind Yelo. I found the captain, but he assured me that everything was fine. This is the usual response from a French sailor when you tell him that he might have done something wrong. I told him I was very uncomfortable with his steel boat so close�...but he stayed in his hammock and when I asked him what he thought I should do, he just shrugged and turn away from me. His friendly wife saw all this and she decided to come out with my dinghy and look at the situation. She saw that it was way to close and since the wind changed his anchor was now under my boat�....impossible for him to move out. So we witnessed what always happens with French yachts: The wife tells the captain to get his ass moving and he usually obeys and does what she says!! Impossible to talk captain to captain. We had to go out to Yelo again and make sure he can get out and after 2 hours of useless arguing and maneuvering, we were all back at the BBQ . �"Désolé�" he mumbled and moved over to the French section of the public BBQ. Now all French looking at me with a grim face�... But we had great talks with Americans, Austrayyylians, Germans and Turkish sailors. All great fun and I am sure to come back to Hervés place. The next day we stocked up with fruits and veggies from his garden and traded with some powder milk. What a wonderful family!!

Now we are anchored near Eduards and Denises house between Agakauitai Island and Taravai. The weather is a bid cloudy and windy, but nothing to worry about. We have no phone, no web, no TV. Yesterday a bunch of men came to this island and soon after they went into the bush a pig was screaming for his life. They carried the thing to the boat and off they went. It seems easy to get your bio meat: just go to any island and grab a pig from the forest. It was sad to see the pigs sister searching her along the beach. I would have loved a pork chop but the murderers left without looking at me. I love pork every once in a while, but I never felt bad for them as an animal with their strong bond for each other. This time it was different, I felt bad for the remaining piggy. But what the hell, they have a happy life on those islands, until the hunters come and in a few moments you are pork chop!!