Ae fond farewell
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Fri 7 May 2010 06:24
|
May 6th 1955 Local 0526 UTC (May 7th)
10:15.28S 141:12.98W
We have finally left the paradise of Nuku Hiva and
all of the friends we have made there.
On Monday we stayed in the anchorage of
Hakatea and Mai and Alexander (correct spelling now - not Ma'ee as I was
spelling phonetically in earlier blogs) stayed aboard with us so we could make
an early start to Taiohae to get fuel and gas.
Mai was taking limes to the Aranui - a freighter
that calls once a month - for onward shipment to family in Tahiti and Alexander
decided to come with us as well. On the way there Alexander announced we should
all go to his house in Taiohae for dinner that night and together with our, and
their French cruising friends we feasted on an incredible banquet in their
home.
Before the dinner however, Mai and Maria took
us on a tour of the island in her fathers 4x4 pick up and we had a picnic of
fresh mango and coconut on a hilltop overlooking Controller bay. Mai is the real
original Marquesas man and it seems there is nothing he cannot do. He
produced four cold fresh coconuts and with a few swift blows of his machete he
had the top off them and we had the most refreshing cold drink we have ever had
and certainly in the most beautiful location.
We brought gifts of "Hebridean" liqueur and
wine to Alexander and Oscarina in some little way to try and thank
them but this in turn led to us being given more gifts! We were given
a full bottle of home produced honey (my favourite) the next day and Trish
got a beautiful hand made bead necklace and I a garland of shells. Mai had
earlier that day given us more fruit and a bottle of a Marquesan "home brew"
which he produced in his house from Guava.
The next morning it turned out the promised
fuel was not available and eventually we got 500 litres instead of the promised
1600. Anyway this should do us till Pape'ete. We invited Mai and Maria and Tehia
and Alexander to lunch at the Pearl lodge and had a very relaxing and tasty
lunch overlooking the bay and Rhiann Marie which Maria had earlier very
skillfully "parked" at the anchorage.
We said our fond farewell's to Maria but not after
she presented us with an incredibly beautiful Tiki carving from her family home.
We were taken aback and did not know what to say. The gift giving just did not
stop and we were completely humbled time and again.
Finally we tore ourselves away from Taiohae to sail
back to Daniels Bay (which I think we can now christen "Mai's Bay) with Mai and
Alexander with the intention of sailing for Tuamotos after
midnight.
Mai was really working hard on me to stay for a
celebration of my birthday at the weekend. He suggested we go spear fishing the
next morning and on a hunting expedition for goat or wild pig on Friday. He was
really tempting me.. however we had to get moving on.
Before leaving our boat we had a last cold beer and
Mai asked for our guitar so he could play one song ........... you know the rest
of the story!
We sang late into the evening in Marquesan,
Tahitian, French and English, and Mai and Alexander stayed the night
aboard.
I was very tempted to stay for a goat hunt and
Hangi and birthday party but we really really had to move.
So with heavy hearts but fond memories we finally
left at 0900 this morning. Mai had lit a fire on the beach and waved us away out
of the bay before calling us on his new VHF and wishing us a good life and that
we would soon come back home. Home, which was his home but also ours he
said.
We are almost in a state of shock at the kind warm
and friendly reception we were given by the people we met and befriended in the
Marquesas but we will never forget Mai, Maria and their family and
friends.
Of course an 0900 start is far too late for us
to cover the 520- miles as intended, to the atoll of Kauehi in the Tuamotos, in
two nights at sea, where we intend to spend a few days before cruising
Fakarava, Toau and Rangiroa. It hasn't stopped me trying though and we will see
how we get on tomorrow as it is not just a case of arriving at the passes into
the atolls in time- you must do so with good light and during a tidal gate an
hour or so after high or low water. I will keep you posted.
To all those in the UK:
For goodness sake go out and vote and please please
please lets try to get a government who are not hellbent on raking in everything
they can from us in any way they can only to wrecklessly and incomptently
squander it in Orwellian style. Think. It's our money, our blood sweat and tears
not "theirs". Nuff said.
|