Pacific Bliss - Anse Anaho

Anse Anaho

Pacific Bliss

Colin Price

Tue 3 Jan 2012 02:19

Anse Anaho

But once we had pulled ourselves together we sailed around to the North side of the island to a bay called Anaho. On the way picking up a ginormous Mahi-Mahi, so we are back into fish again. Joy of joys we could at last start to enjoy our surrounds with great walks each day and the children found a beach with the most enormous crashing waves. With surf large enough to make Colin and I nervous Cosmo astounded us all by being fearless and positively thrilled to experience the monster 'Washing Machines', his head looked like a mear pin head against the size of the crashing wave above him.

Cosmo and Arnaud braving the wave

Beautiful bay - but busy

The great think about Anaho was that walks where a pleasure for everone. Everywhere around you was vast quanitities of fruit, flowers and seeds for the making of necklacess. Each day whilst we were in Anaho on the way back from the beach Zinnia collected a hat full of fullen flowers which she made into a crown or garland when she got back to the boat.

Walk across the other side of the bay

Dress making and beading.

But the best thing of all about Anaho has to be the Manta's. At 6 one morning we where up and fed and in the dinghy in search for Manta Ray. With the help of our little engine we scoot across the bay and then follow the crashing cliff face in hope of swimming with manta's. And we where in luck. We're lucky enough to have swam with eagle rays, grey rays but the giant Manta we've not managed yet but we're told the Marquesas is the place to do it. It has to be said we're all rather apprehensive and who would be if you've got a 3 meter monster cruising through the water to take a look at you not to mention the half meter gaping mouth. So it's not suprising the kids aren't keen to spend too much time in the water. But having got back to the boat and settled ourselves about any imminent danger Zinnia is asked to accompany Coco and Arnaud to swim with the mantas around their boat. We wanted her to go alone, that way she's inclined to be braver. So having been in the water for over an hour she returns with tales that leave Colin and I rather green with envy, She didn't swim with a mear 7 that we had been with earlier but with over two dozen, so close they could be touched.

Having met s/v Seal in the Tuamotos we've started to follow there lead and now on Fridays we teach the children History and Science which is always a massive hit. Here in Anaho having met a rather interesting chap, whos family have owned cosmo's favourite beach for about a million years, the Children have a leasson in the sand about navigation without instruments. And how he has taught folk for sometime about sailing from Tahiti to Hawaii with only the sun stars and birds to help. Amazingly they managed to lap it up and could still recite the facts even after a tumble in the waves.

sailing school Marquesain style.

Colin treated himself to a 6 hour mountain hike with our lovely young friends Coco and Arnaud. We think we're ill equiped sometimes take on a mountain hike but scaling rocks in flipflops is even beyond us. ohh to be young..................