Exploring Tahiti with Akio
Quartermoon
Mike Share & Sammy Byron
Sun 27 Jun 2010 11:00
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Well Akio arrived on a kicking Saturday night in
Pape'ete.... everything was closed! Including the bar we arranged to meet in so
we headed to the boat for a few of the world's most expensive beers. Hinano is a
local brew which is pretty good but the locals like it a bit too much; so the
French government tax it to death, making it almost unaffordable to even enjoy a
few (unless you are lucky enough to possess Polynesian or Aboriginal genes where
you can get hammered on 3 ;-)) Supermarket prices are $3USD for a 33cl
can! Even a coke is $2USD. So we are taking it easy here.
  Next day we hired a car and as soon as we started
driving it started to rain... and rain.... and rain. In fact it was so
torrential we saw pretty much sweet FA of the island! We made it to Teahupoo
and the break was huge (albeit through binoculars through the car
window until the rain ended even that). Akio and Sammy walked to a viewpoint
whilst I slept in the car. They arrived back sodden and saw a fairly typical
Scottish vista of bugger all. At least it was marginally warmer.
 It's not all bad though, the food is pretty good -
had an awesome T-bone (first in 6 months at least) and a pile of fries for the
bargain price of $16USD. Not in a nice restaurant you understand, a food van -
the open-air food court is very cool, a bit like Singapore as there are lot
of Asians here. Did I mention this place is expensive?
 Seeing as Akio had mentioned a passing interest in
sailing, we headed off for Moorea, a mere 10 miles or so distant,
20 miles between anchorages. And in sun! The wind was all over the place as we
got out of the lee of the island, then it was a nice constant 15
knots. For about 5 minutes. The seas got worse and worse until we
had breaking 4m waves all around us coming from every which direction. It
was like sailing through a surf break with 35 knot gusts. Akio didn't seem too
phased as the water is a little warmer than San Francisco Bay when you get
drenched. And so we arrived in Moorea.....
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