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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Feb 24, 2015 08:00 PM Ua Pou - Marquises
Stone pillars touching the clouds above the little port. Local people welcoming us with dances and their lovely songs.Flowers and kisses... In the early morning I was climbing the hill with a cross overloking the tiny settlement of Hakahau. Great views from that hill but the sun is hiden most of the time. In the afternoon we are sailing to the other port on the same island.
Later: the ocean was too rough in the afternoon and captain decided that we cannot land. Bad luck!
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Feb 23, 2015 08:00 PM Nuku Hiva hike
Largest of the Marquises Islands but still wild and undeveloped. For thesecond time after 17 yoars I see this wonderful landscape od high green mountains. In 4wd vehicle it is oossible to cross the island from the little port to the opposite side. Then I took a rather sweaty 2- hours hike to the pass with a great views of the next bay. Lovely people playing ukulele and singing in many places... Great day!
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Feb 21, 2015 08:00 PM Takapoto - what a name!
My third ship on this voyage has ambion to be the little cruise ship, so they keep cargo in the front and do not allow passengers to go there.
I stay in the cabin with 7 other persons from different countries. Five of them are ladies... The entrance is directly from the deck. Meals are good but no any choice. Since the ship has French flag the wine is also included - oh, la la!
Since the morning the ocean was rough and it was rocking quite well. With 1,5 hour delay we reached beautiful atoll of Takapoto.
Landing in the barge. When we were already in the barge 10 minutes of unexspected warm and heavy rain sprayed us very well. No roof, no escape! I am wet, wet, wet... Can you see these piles of coconut shells on the picture?
600 people live here and copra is main activity. PALMS, PALMS...
Nice church and at a community center internet works quite well. Ask locals for the password - they are very friendly.
I am going to snorkel in the lagoon (ship provides snorkeling gear for free). In the evening we are sailing further north - to the Marquises...
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Feb 20, 2015 08:00 PM My second freighter - to Marquesas!
Today I am boarding my second freighter -- "Aranui 3". Aranui has much better opinion then other, similar ships operating from Papeete to the polynesian islands. . Loop voyage is scheduled for 14 days. I should be back in Papeete on March 6th.
Internet situation en route could be difficult so again please do not panic if there will be no messages from me. That's budget traveller's life!
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Feb 19, 2015 08:00 PM Kisses from Manihi
It seems that today I am the only tourist on Manihi. The Island is very small but they kiss each other many times every day. I as a guest also have my daily allowance, which is very pleasant, because local ladies are very pretty :)
Do you want to know exactly where is Manihi? Just copy this link to your browser: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=-14.45958,-146.05814
Today I must say goodbye to Manihi because another freighter is already waiting for me in Motu Uta port in Papeete. I fly there. Mr Petero took me by boat to the next motu and then his daughter delivered me by car to the deserted airstrip. Twice a week little turbo- prop plane is arriving here to colect passengers, going to Papeete . Today there were only 6 of us... Charming lady at the plane checked my boarding pass and gave me a kiss. Is there another airport where they practice such a custom? Departing guests or family members often receive hei made of flowers. Just look at the picture... Bye-bye lovely Manihi!
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Feb 18, 2015 08:00 PM On Manihi atoll...
I spent a lovely day on the main motu of Manihi Atoll, walking around, meeting people. Chatting with them. This island with 4 little churches, school, college and post office is only about 1 km long, so you can go end to end in 20 minutes. After a day everybody knows you, and you know everybody. People are lovely, flowers around, very calm. A real paradise on the South Pacific!
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Feb 17, 2015 08:00 PM Ash Wednesday on Manihi
In the morning we found ourselves in the middle of the lagoon of the big atoll Ahe. Ahe is well populated - I saw many white dots- houses in the green of the motus surrounding big and deep lagoon. People in the small boats were aproaching our ship from different drections, buying goods directly from the ship. So we worked like a sailing shop!
It is only 2 hours sail from Ahe to the beautiful little atoll of Manihi. Here I said good bye to the ship and I must say that I did not cry after five days/four hard-core days aboard - but it was an interesting adventure.
No hotel or guesthouse here. Just at the tiny dock I found a hospitality in the private house of Mr Petero. They invited me to attend Ash Wednesday mass in the little catholic church. They were singing beautifuly. Great place, no tourists at all.
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Feb 16, 2015 08:00 PM Three beautiful atolls in one day...
Today I saw three beautiful atolls in one day: Niau, Apataki, Arutua. It was possible because theyare not far each tothe other. Ùuuù i ternet is almost dead, sorry - imagine how far I am from the well- organized world...
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Feb 15, 2015 08:00 PM Rangiroa - the biggest atoll of Tuamotus
At 6 am I recognized that ship is not rocking! We were already in the lagoon protected from the wind and ocean waves. Soon we docked in one of two settlements on Rangiroa - Ohotu. Rangiroa is the biggest atoll in Tuamotu Archip. - 80 kms long and 40 kms wide. Only northern motus are inhabited - few of them between Ototu and second settlement - Avitoru are connected by bridges. No wonder that having 6 hours to explore I decided to walk to the other village. The only, 15 kms road goes along the ocean's coast. In Avatoru there is catholic church to see with great St Mary's grotto decorated by pearl shells. If you are able to survive the heat you can camp here for just 14 USD per night. I met nice people and had opportunity to take some good pictures. Mid way between Avatoru and Ohotu there is airstrip with daily flights to PPT. Quite big amount of rich tourists fly here to dive and snorkel. Locals offer 1 hour boat rides to so called natural aquarium, where you can see plenty of fish (1000 CFP pp). But I saw yellow sharks in this transporent water even from the ship. Dolphins were jumping along for goodbye when we were sailing out of the Tiputa Passage to the ocean.
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Feb 14, 2015 08:00 PM Sailing the blue Pacific
They didn't tell me that the breakfast is served at 5 am! When I came down at 6, the table was empty - both passengers and crew have a big apetite! Patrick found for me baguette with margarine and jam. Half an hour later I saw a fish on one of the lines that we have thrown into the water. The fish was 1 m long at willbe prepared for tshould reach Mataiva - our first atoll in the early afternoon, but who knows... Since morning we are sailing through the deep blue. Only at 4.30 pmI saw the land on the horizon. This was Mataiva - flat, green atoll has 10 kms in the diameter and only 250 inhabitants. The channels heading to the lagoon are not deep and wide enough for the ship to go inside. So our ship was drifting outside of the reef and they put me on the motorized ponton (barge) stored on the deck. Then ship's crane took us up and launched down to the water. For the first time in my life I was launched in the boat by crane... Then ponton found the way through the narrow passge in the reef and soon we landed in the dock built in the channel. We had about 2 hours before sunset to explore. Not much to see... There is a little church. Walk to the lagoon took me 10 minutes (beware of the dogs - throw coral stones if they are too agressive). Opposite motus (islands forming the atoll) were visible on the horizon. Hinano beer in the little shop costs 260 francs :) Then I crossed the bridge linking motus.It was interesting to see their coconut plantation and how they manage copra plantation and dry coconyt meat.
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