Shakin It
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Tue 29 Jun 2010 00:04
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Monday 28 June 1315 Local 2315 UTC
16:31.86S 151:45.17W
Here we are anchored at the south end of the
legendary Bora Bora just on the edge of the reef. It is blowing 20 knots and we
are having squall after squall coming through. Not quite what you might
picture Bora Bora to be!
The night we arrived we stumbled into the annual
cultural festival in Bora Bora. It is like a cross between the National Mod
(whisky olympics), Island Games and Carnival. A whole temporary village is
erected in the town centre in traditional Polynesian style. With
restuarants and bars and stalls all surrounding a sand covered central
arena.
All the restaurants which wood and thatch, are
decorated in lush tropical and natural style and it seems one competes with the
other for the most stunning "decor". All the buildings are thatched and floors
sand covered. The food is all typical polynesian and the atmoshere is
joyous.
The central arena is reserved for displays by
diiferent villages of traditional music, singing and dancing. There also seemed
to be a judging panel and the performances were elaborate and extravagant,
but most of all captivating in their sounds and sights. Clearly this is not a
show for tourists but a cultural celebration. We were really fortunate to
stumble into this and we will never forget it. Apart from the cultural insight
let's be honest - who would not be impressed with fifty stunning polynesian
women semi clothed and in traditional costume, shakin it. I mean shakin
it.
My cousin Niall Afrin arrived yesterday having made
the journey from the Hebrides to Bora Bora to join us until Tonga. Today we all
went diving and swam again with sharks and this time a very large Lemon Shark
impressed upon us just how vulnerable and small we are down there. On
the second dive we encountered a couple of very large spotted eagle rays
performing an underwater ballet right beside us. I honestly thought they were
going to go the full nine yards right there in front of us but modesty finally
seemed to overwhelm them, and they swam off within a couple of metres of us
-bloody show-off's.
Right now its time to study the weather and
make our plans for the passage to Tonga - possibly via Maupiti a small atoll 30
miles west of Bora Bora, which apparently is more than a little challenging
for us to enter after this weather front passing through. Then we hope to go to
Rarotonga in the Cook Islands which has limited anchorage space, and then
hopefully Nuie. We will let you know as soon as we know.....
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