Sandy Attols
Zepher
Chris & Lyn Darch
Fri 24 Oct 2008 23:32
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Hi Folks,
This morning my bums like a baboons and I have a
sore head the explanation is as follows, we hired three ramshackle
bikes and did a 28 km bike ride, but a great day was had by all , it started at
the New Life Church , were you pick up your trusty steed , we tried two
days ago but only two bikes were operational , but yesterday was our lucky
day!
We started off by going to the south end of Lifuka island, lots for small shacks and
houses , pigs running freely along with lots of piglets , the odd dog lounging
in the heat of the day, the road ended about three km outside town then it was
onto a dirt road that took us all the way to Huhuapaonga Point , wonderful
"bounty bar" beeches all around us, the guide book say's you can walk across the
reef to the next Island "Uoleva Isle" at low tide buts its a three km walk
across coral beds waist height water in some parts and not a good idea on a push
bike .
We retraced our steps back up to the
main village of Pangai and into the Mariner Cafe , another one set up by a
yachtie who arrived and never left , dutifully signed the book, looking through
it the number of yachts passing through here has increased from 2004 (45)
2006 (90) 2008 ( 130 ) already with another 90 yachts in Niafu waiting to
come this way, not all will stop now as that
great enemy time is running out .
After a toasted sarnie we hopped back on our trusty
steeds and set off for the cause way that separates the two islands of Lifuka
and Foa, on our way past the Fuel depot we spyed a European style cemetery, a
plaque on the side said it was the graves of the London Missionary Society , a
large statute to there leader was most prominent , holding the good book thrust
forward whether you liked it or not ! in the surrounding area are also the local
graves which are much more colourful than the European ones ,its a pity they
didn't want to be buried with there peers, judging by the amount of
churches here which so far I have counted more than 18 these poor buggers
probable didn't now what hit them, Catholics, Weslyeans, and Mormons, I think at
the moment the Mormons are out in front because all there churches have been
rebuilt and are rather smart were as the others are all 1920's and rather run
down , this is the place to swear on a stack of bibles if you asked you could
probably climb to heaven on the amount of them that are in this place
.
We were collared by a wild looking American
who has been here 20 years, he ranted on about being one of the faithful and
that he had written a book explaining about how the book of
Revelations has been misinterpreted ! some buggers going to put it into print so
that should get a few people going !
We escaped the manic street preacher and made
our way to the runway crossing, it was closed awaiting the old Brittan Norman
Islander a plane, built on the isle of Wight Uk , it came in to land and then
they unlocked the gates and allowed us to cross the runway and continue on
towards the causeway , on arrival we crossed this rough concrete strip which
links the two islands,and started a slight up hill journey , this Island of Foa
being slightly higher than Lifuka, much the same is landscape and buildings ,
more pigs and dogs , with the occasional goat bleating on the road side,
all with horns so we gave them a wide berth .
After what seemed like ages we reached the
end of the island and were greeted by a magnificent view between the atolls, a
small guest house is perched right in the spit and we sat and had a well
deserved drink , with a nice easterly breeze blowing through my remaining
follicles we sat and soaked up the ambience of the moment .
Our trip was mared by a few mechanical
problems , Robs camera shutter got stuck half way across the lens after some
improvisation we jammed it open with a match stick and it seem to function ok,
my camera ran out of juice , two of the bikes chains kept jumping off , cured by
a large whack with a spanner at a small tyre changing hut .
After a rest we then made our way back to
Pangai, bums by now becoming a bit tender and speed significantly slower, by the
time we reached the Mariner cafe were were ready to wash the dust from our
throats with the amber nectar . Ikale ale ... darkness fell on the island
and we left the bar to make our way back to the boat Lyn AKA Cpt Fluffy was a
bit squiffy and as she had only here sunglasses on insisted on riding the bike
back to the jetty , she shouted keep talking and I will follow your voice !
Splat ! after extracting the giggling heap from amongst the collapsible boat
bike we pushed it the remainder of the way back .. onto the Z boat and back to
the big Z for cheese crackers and some first aid to the Fluffy one .. only
grazed elbow and pride I guess, although she was still giggling even when
the alcohol swabs wiped here grazed arm ...
Another day in paradise over we went to our
pits to rest our aching behinds !
A bunch of Rupert red arses .....
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