15 stops to Nice

This is the starting point at the harbor in Huahine of the Hawaiki, a race that leaves here and goes about 60 kilometers to Raiatea (this place is thought to be where the first polynesians settled) then circles this island and Taha’a again 60 kilometers then goes to Bora Bora.  What I love about these boats is they are simple beautiful and ingenious! This was the technology that allowed the Polynesians to travel so far, the outrigger.  What a sleek profile. They are 6 in a boat. and they  navigate by wind, and currents.  This is arrival of the outriggers in Bora Bora. Yesterday we went out to a bay just a bike ride away.  Very calm.  Yves went out snorkeling alone and met two sharks swimming straight at him, they passed him , one on each side of him. So he said he had his back to one of them. I’m glad I wasn’t there. I will not accompany him so far out. Inchallah.   Today we go out snorkeling again on a boat tour.

These are the sort of umbrella trees that cover the hills, it looks like every leaf is positioned to be in direct sun. This is a photo of the roof of a traditional Long house. The logs are strapped together with a fiber maybe from the breadfruit tree, no nails involved. In the early european visits the “vahiné” would trade themselves for a handful of nails. The captains had to prohibit the sailors from going ashore in fear of their ship falling to pieces. These young free polynesian girls are very beautiful!   We hiked up a hill to a “marae” which is a ceremonial platform for yes, ceremonies. There are many sites in Huahine, a island now of 6000 inhabitants.  Here is Yves next to a large banyan tree that has engulfed this site. Can you see him? This is a marae near the sea, there are many up in the hills that are so nice because you get the trade winds up there and it is cooler.  I stopped to rest in one site that was the most sacred on the island and it was so calm and s...

Keith Haring type stele on a stele  Sacred Eel Lovely polynesian women.  This place reminds me of the Hawaii I knew as a kid.  Here are some of the flowers but there are so many types of hibiscus and gardenias.   We dove again on a reef yesterday but there was lots of current and we ended up grabbing rocks to keep from being pulled down current but while hanging on a rock we saw a huge school of large barracudas. Very stunning with their stripes. Done diving on Huahine for now. Today we rented a car and went to a small museum of history and culture. I loved the illustrations of tatous.  There is a huge tatou festival in Tahiti held once a year. Lots of tatted people show up and are tatted on site. Apparently the Marqueses had the best tattoo. Sorry I don’t know how to rotate these but you get the idea. Some of the designs are styalized faces and were to protect them from evil. others are images of animals representing qualities like health, luck, fertility or st...

 Here is a breadfruit tree.  The tree that Cap. Bligh of the “Bounty was to bring back from Tahiti to be able to feed slaves cheaply. It seem that fish or meat and cooked breadfruit (called this because it tastes like bread when cooked) could give a man enough nourishment to survive. Well Bligh was a survivor after being mutinied. Here are some photos of the crafts, à tiare and a shell macrame.  We had.a drink at the yacht club  and watched the sunset. Bora Bora is in the distance.  That giant pufferfish kind of looked like this.  It’s skin is toxic and it only has 4 teeth, 2 above, 2 below. This is the only place you find them in schools. It’s funny how some fish rush up to you like guard dogs.  Very territorial.  The skin of the fish is toxic like fugu, puffer fish and dolphins will play with them to get intoxicated.

 Today we went diving in the La Passé Avapeihi in Huahine. It is a passage that connects the lagoon to the open ocean.  The visibility wasn’t the best but still you had at least 50 feet. We were 4 divers with a monitor, Jordan. There were lots of Black tip reef sharks and large Gray sharks with a group of  Trevaly fish and many other colorful fish. We also saw a type of large porcupine fish and the dive master said they were poisonous.  Dolphins will play with them and become a little intoxicated for fun.  Tetrodon I think is the name of this big pufferfish. Look it up it is a strange fish.  Same family as Fugu. There are  crabs that live in holes on the side How they decorate palm trunks. of the road. Horses are kept in small pastures.  It is very rural.  Pictures will follow but none of underwater so you’ll have to believe me. We woke this morning to a chorus of roosters.  Everyon must have them here for eggs and meat. But most people...

This is our airbnb in Huahine, an island about 30 min. by plane from Papeete.  It is warm 76 F and there are afternoon showers but we were able to go for a swim. Yves saw 2 eagle rays from our swim on the beach. There are mounds of coral with colorful wrasse, surgeon fish and angel fish.  We could see Bora Bora from a distance from the beach. Money is in francs and118 francs makes about a dollar. It was not difficult getting here from SFO with the company French Bee. Just an overnight flight and 2 hours difference. There are breadfruit, banyan trees and many palms. The roosters are crowing and mynah birds are cackling. In “Mutiny on the Bounty” Marlon Brando came to Tahiti for the set and fell in love with it.  He bought an island near here called “The Brando” . I am trying to upload more photos but internet is slow.  

Our little compound with “Roscoe”, ever vigilant. Barbara at Pleasure Point The twin palms.  The spring is showing it’s colors but it is still cold. Cyril will drive us up to San Francisco tonite. Flowering tulip magnolia. I’m trying out my blog skills. Nectarine blossom. I hope the bees come visit this beauty. I will miss all of the little family and the Portland contingent.

Here are our dates, flights and some accomodations.  This from someone that hates to fly.  

 Well it is the sunday before our departure and I am establishing a blog to illustrate our voyage.