no worries atoll
Ripple2
Fri 4 Aug 2006 07:06
|
Tuesday 25th July 2006 - From Annies
Log:
Well we are now on our third Tuamotu, (there are
76) Toau. The Tuamotu 'islands' are actually clusters of small narrow atolls
which form a rough circle - they are ringed by coral reefs and have coral
'bombies' (shallow patches with coral heads you don't want to run into) dotted
around the edges on the inside of the lagoon. The 2 main industries here are
copra (dried coconut flesh used for soap and cosmetics) and black pearl farming.
So the atolls are covered in beautiful tall swaying swishing coconut trees
(palms) and the water is full of floats, under which are strings holding baby
oysters or mother of pearl. And bombies. Navigating inside the lagoons and
actually getting in and out (there's usually only one entrance/exit or pass that
you can get a boat through and it also lets the tide in and out so they can be
very choppy at times) is a very challenging business. Thank goodness for
polarized lenses.
These anchorages are worth the trouble - it's
mostly postcard perfect turquoise water, palm trees and white beaches (mind you
most or all of the beaches are made of broken-up coral, not sand. They need more
parrotfish here to chew up the coral and make sand). It is very isolated here -
there are supply boats and weekly flights to Papeete (on some islands) but
that's it. On Kauehi I found tomatoes and broccoli and thought I'd gone to
heaven. Oh, and being ' French' Polynesia I also found a gorgeous ripe
camembert, and it was Baguette Day (they come on the weekly flight from Papeete)
- so fresh baguettes! Darren had scouted a great picnic spot out on the point
and we feasted on the traditional Backpackers' Picnic of bread, chees and
tomatoes - in style. Plus a couple of green drinking coconuts courtesy of
Darren and his newly sharpened machete (thankyou Seddy). Talk about
idyllic....
Anyway back to supplies, it depends when you get to
the shop - before or after the supply ship/plane.On the next island there was
not a vegetable to be had - and Fakareva (try saying that after a couple of rum
and cokes) is a bigger island. Also No Baguettes - bugger. But we did manage to
find a delightful restaurant called Le Snack on the watersedge - we could see a
blue lipped clam in the shallows beneath our table. We indulged in a lovely
lunch which ncluded Warm Goats Cheese Salad - lettuce mon dieu! - fresh
baguette (I'm there) and finished off with a 'trilogie' of fruit tart (apricot,
pear, cherry), chocolate gateaux and a profiterole in the shape of a swan -
again, died and went to heaven especially with the petit expresso that came with
it.Mind you one beer cost US$6 so we just said "oh the heck with it" as you
do.
Darren went diving in Fakareva (just try saying
that..) and saw sharks - many of them - I have not seen one yet but I know there
will come a day. Just hope it's not soon. The motu (atoll) we are anchored off
at the moment is very paradisical. Just one family lives here - one sister runs
a tiny dive resort with 4 bungalows and the other sister has 10 mooring
balls in the anchorage and a little seafood restaurant where she cooks up
all manner of seafood - literally catch of the day including the local
lobsters - we are dining there tomorrow night, can't wait. We are actually on
the outside of Toau at a place called Anse Amyot it's like the
Polynesian Family Robinson here - they have chickens, pigs, coconut trees and
all the fish in the sea and hot & cold running yachties and all the
balls are full. there is a reef (of course) for snorkelling and spearfishing and
3 small motus within dinghy distance. Valentina, one of the sisters said she has lived here all her life and
loves to free dive for oysters and lobsters (15 -20 metres), she also cooks the
seafood dinners. Some boats stay for a few days, like us, some longer - she had
one boat stay for 6 weeks. Today we met a Swedish couple who are going to stay
in French Polynesia for the whole cyclone season - ie: till next May!! Oh to
have the time and money - and not to be yearning for home and family and
friends......
Well we are now on our third Tuamotu, (there are
76) Toau. The Tuamotu 'islands' are actually clusters of small narrow atolls
which form a rough circle - they are ringed by coral reefs and have coral
'bombies' (shallow patches with coral heads you don't want to run into) dotted
around the edges on the inside of the lagoon. The 2 main industries here are
copra (dried coconut flesh used for soap and cosmetics) and black pearl farming.
So the atolls are covered in beautiful tall swaying swishing coconut trees
(palms) and the water is full of floats, under which are strings holding baby
oysters or mother of pearl. And bombies. Navigating inside the lagoons and
actually getting in and out (there's usually only one entrance/exit or pass that
you can get a boat through and it also lets the tide in and out so they can be
very choppy at times) is a very challenging business. Thank goodness for
polarized lenses.
These anchorages are worth the trouble - it's
mostly postcard perfect turquoise water, palm trees and white beaches (mind you
most or all of the beaches are made of broken-up coral, not sand. They need more
parrotfish here to chew up the coral and make sand). It is very isolated here -
there are supply boats and weekly flights to Papeete (on some islands) but
that's it. On Kauehi I found tomatoes and broccoli and thought I'd gone to
heaven. Oh, and being ' French' Polynesia I also found a gorgeous ripe
camembert, and it was Baguette Day (they come on the weekly flight from Papeete)
- so fresh baguettes! Darren had scouted a great picnic spot out on the point
and we feasted on the traditional Backpackers' Picnic of bread, chees and
tomatoes - in style. Plus a couple of green drinking coconuts courtesy of
Darren and his newly sharpened machete (thankyou Seddy). Talk about
idyllic....
Anyway back to supplies, it depends when you get to
the shop - before or after the supply ship/plane.On the next island there was
not a vegetable to be had - and Fakareva (try saying that after a couple of rum
and cokes) is a bigger island. Also No Baguettes - bugger. But we did manage to
find a delightful restaurant called Le Snack on the watersedge - we could see a
blue lipped clam in the shallows beneath our table. We indulged in a lovely
lunch which ncluded Warm Goats Cheese Salad - lettuce mon dieu! - fresh
baguette (I'm there) and finished off with a 'trilogie' of fruit tart (apricot,
pear, cherry), chocolate gateaux and a profiterole in the shape of a swan -
again, died and went to heaven especially with the petit expresso that came with
it.Mind you one beer cost US$6 so we just said "oh the heck with it" as you
do.
Darren went diving in Fakareva (just try saying
that..) and saw sharks - many of them - I have not seen one yet but I know there
will come a day. Just hope it's not soon. The motu (atoll) we are anchored off
at the moment is very paradisical. Just one family lives here - one sister runs
a tiny dive resort with 4 bungalows and the other sister has 10 mooring
balls in the anchorage and a little seafood restaurant where she cooks up
all manner of seafood - literally catch of the day including the local
lobsters - we are dining there tomorrow night, can't wait. We are actually on
the outside of Toau at a place called Anse Amyot it's like the
Polynesian Family Robinson here - they have chickens, pigs, coconut trees and
all the fish in the sea and hot & cold running yachties and all the
balls are full. there is a reef (of course) for snorkelling and spearfishing and
3 small motus within dinghy distance. Valentina, one of the sisters said she has lived here all her life and
loves to free dive for oysters and lobsters (15 -20 metres), she also cooks the
seafood dinners. Some boats stay for a few days, like us, some longer - she had
one boat stay for 6 weeks. Today we met a Swedish couple who are going to stay
in French Polynesia for the whole cyclone season - ie: till next May!! Oh to
have the time and money - and not to be yearning for home and family and
friends...... |