Tahuata - the last few days
Pacific Bliss
Colin Price
Fri 18 May 2012 17:56
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Tahuata - the last
few days
We are now sounding really rather
smug, enjoying our time away immensley, it's never easy but a least
we're enjoying the experience more than not. On reflection it
has been really rather difficult for much of our time. The first
year was a rather a strain. It seems after that, one
just becomes more resiliant to the difficulties and perhaps more than
anything life on a boat becomes the norm.We still have our problems, living all together 24/7 is
not a normal predicament for many families in many cultures through-out the
world so it can, at time be more than a little strained. But
without a doubt the positives over the past year in Polynesia have tipped
the balance into the positive camp.
Luckily our distress over
leaving Ua Huka is softened by a lovely night passage, good wind and calm sea the only turbulence was in our
hearts having to leave the place, if we ever had a second home anywhere in
the world it would be here.
As expected our welcome to Hapitoni
on the island of Tahuata is loud and excited from the wild bunch of
children, Cosmo is a bit of a hit with the boys, surprise surprise, so
there all the kids come running to the break water shouting out the little
rascales name all trying to egg him in to the water and jump from the boat to
join them, but in trueth Cosmo is a wit of a woose. Lovely
to be back with our lovely family friends here, however Rose is
otherwise engaged 'at the Bingo' when we arrive.
   We left 3 weeks ago having given
pizza and sushi lessons, it's rather good to find Vanessa and Nadia (Rose's
daughters) making pizza when we walked through the kitchen door. Only It
seems the lesson has turned into a commercial enterprise, during the next couple
of days we see more than 30 of the things disappear out of the kitchen and off
to other homes in the village. So much for traditional food being wild pig
and raw fish!
  The
kidsBack to weather watching pre passage
making, it seems we need to either leave now this minute or throw our plans into
the lap of the gods. Colin is finding this decision impossible and is now
really rather stressed by the whole predicament. Given I'm always in the camp to
stay and Colin''s far better at bidding a fond farwell it's strange to see him
so torn. He loves Tahuata and the lovely family we're friends with
here.
      Ink drawing on
tapa  We go through many clandestine
conversations to help Colin ease his decision making about staying or
going. You know he really wants to stay, but finds it difficult being
behind our imaginary time line. Suspect this might sound rather
ridiculous given we're about 2 years late returning home, but he seems oblivious
to that worry. Anyway I manage to persuade him into staying a wee bit longer
that way he's not torn away from lovely Fredrik too soon.
It's said that mimicary is the best
form of flatery. My lovely husband definitely falls in to this
catergory when it comes to Fredrick. Fredrick, grand Marquesan father
and ruler of 10 children seems to have taken a shine to Colin and
vis-a-vi, Only cammelion Colin really hasn't quite got the grand
dimentions of Fredrick when it comes to his ritual relaxing-tummy-stroking
routine. Despite Colins best efforts of rolling up his t'shirt and
attempts to mirror the routine it's all rather farcical given the lack of
mass and girth he has to deal with.
  Hapatoni
flower-ladies preparing church for Easter  It's near to Easter when we
arrive and the village is getting ready for a time of great
eclisiastical worship, Rose and Fredrick are really rather devote
Christians so when the brothers from Hiva-Oa come to stay it's in the house of
family Teahu. Within hours of arriving I
managed to get roped into making Sushi for the brotherhood who
are visiting. Having given ourselves an extra few days and we opt to
go and collect Taffeta and his daughter off the plane from Tahiti, there on a
medical trip, only, half way there we discover they're unable to return for
another week so we end up dipping into a couple of our favourite bays for the
weekend.
 The bay next door to Eric
Hiscocks favoriteWe've seem many a Ray Manta but this
weekend the water is crystal and the Manta's are curious and it makes
staying a very wise decision. Then we go on a raiding party to collect
citrus for our friends in the Tauamoto's. We've made friends with the guy
in the bay so his garden is just open doors for us to gather what we want.
A few of the this seasons Pacific crossers have started to appear it's
strange speaking English for the first time in a year we realise
we've got to be careful not to be too 'know is all', we really have become
accustomed to the life here and obviously we're big advocates.
    We return to the village
for easter weekend, I suffer from some strange and extreme level of
exhaustion whilst Colin and Zinnia dressed in white attend a long (2 hour)
candle light atmospheric, evening church service all sung in
Marquasen. Followed by one of the strange evening meals, chez
Teahu.
    Miraculously the wind changes on
Easter Sunday, we' ve managed to swim with fornicating dolphins 2 more
times, frollic with majestic manta's for two days, fill our boat with
citrus fruit, wild meat, 4 regimes of Bananas and on the decks we have 5
enormous sacks mineral rich earth for soil-poor friends in the
Tuamotos. And we leave behind prints of family photo's.
   Family
photosIt's a relaxed and perfect end to a
land that we're all in love with.
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