Bora Bora! We arrived at this famed island after a gorgeous sail from Taha'a. The departure from which was spectacular, as we shot through the pass in the coral reef: with massive waves breaking on either side of us.
Thursday we'd had a wonderful morning (it started early with 7AM departure from our anchorage - which meant arising at 6 to get the coffee etc rolling - to get to Alain and Christina's by 8) Alain packed so much into the 5 hour 'Vanilla Tour' which in fact covered the entire island; the history, heritage, plant origins and medicinal purposes ... all delivered in a gentle velvety French accent. It was magnifique!
The rest of the afternoon we lounged, napped, shopped (at Sophie Boutique) kayaked, cocktailed - all from our 47' catamaran HUDSON .. It was another super day.
This morning we had a more leisurely pace, but still were off by 8AM for our departure to Bora Bora. The sail was beautiful, uneventful (in a good way) and after eyeballing Mai Kay Marina (which was packed) we came to Bora Bora Yacht Cllub where we tied up for water (alas the ice was gone) then picked up a moring, and mostly lounged, swam, laughed a good deal, before dinner at BBYC.
SO much is going on and at such a nonstop pace of wonder after wonder after wonder, i have little time digest and write.
Ironically, I am having technological issues ... I think I've killed the Canon Rebel for good.
Yes, I admit I am a camera killer: i have hard on them. But it simply doesn't want to work. I've tried new cards, batteries, etc - I htink it is tired after so much rough traveling here & there. But I have my backup camera ... althoug that one does not want to charge: not via my laptop, not plugged directly into the wall, etc.
So I am wondering how Im supposed to 'work' - do take pictures for the guest and for articles and for my blog and .wonder also, is this some sort of sign that I'm not supposed to be shooting? Bizarre. I am trying not to let it get to me, becuase if I do I will totally wig out.
Been cooking and cleaning a lot and had a tiring day. Breakfast & lunch aboard (plus cleanup), mooring, docking, refilling water, dumping trash, remooring, did a bucket of laundry,and when the dinghy didn't fire up, paddled the boat to BBYC. So fairly exhausted - as I should be at 11:30 I suppose, so good night OX
SATURDAY
Another fun day following a fairly sleepless night. The cat swung wildly on her mooring as rain squalls pummeled through. In the crew quarters - accessible only by a top hatch - this means you are trapped: unless you choose to fling open the big hatch, exposing youself and your bunk to the torrents of rain, dash across the deck to the salon, and check hatches. Instead tonight, I dogged my hatch and hoped that everyone would fend for themselves. They did.
We did a foray into town today: souvenir shopping for some, a light & early lunch, but for me more grocery shopping. This is a fascinating hobby: grocery shopping in foreign lands. It is always a mystery to see what they do and don't eat in other cultures, and other peculiarities: like the lack of eggs in French Polynesia. Presumably a bout of salmonella led the islanders to slaughter all their hens, so we cannot get any oeufs. 'Makes certain types of baking - and my planned Mother's Day quiche & brunch - a bit impossible. We'll make do.
We got a r/t lift from Bora Bora YC (charming new management) downtown, then returned to the cat, stowed all thenew provisions (and massive quantities of beer & wine) then headed sw to an anchorage off a motu where the surroundings and snorkeling were amazing. Where the channel ended the cobalt water was streaked with neon greens and electric blues ... we did a little swimming in the shadow of Bora Bora's famed silhouette, then headed to Bloody Mary's for a big Saturday night ... closed! Impossible! We had nine crazy women ready to dance on the tabletops but for some unannounced reason it was not open.
Instead we had bbq'd tuna (we got from some fishermen late yesterday: marinated with wine and herbs, and dressed with a wasabi mayonaisse) plus fried rice with freshly stir fried veggies. We have been fairly well fed: breakfast and lunch or dinner each day, plus cocktail hours ... I try each day to get a jump on whatever meal(s) we are going to serve aboard and honestly, the prep and cooking and cleaning up can be exhausting. But tonight, as everyone howled around around the table, and the revelry continued on the foredeck where these women - many strangers until this trip - laughed and joked and really connected, makes it worthwhile. Although my writing is suffering ... and my photography nil (I looked into buying a new camera in town: a cheapie Nikon Coolpics would be 350K CFP - roughly $400 US: forget it! So funny: how my goal was to write and shoot and here I am, hands tied as far as doing either. Well how nice.
Just 10PM but we hope to leave for Maupiti tomorrow: weather permitting. No news is good news, I suppose!
XOXO
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!
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