Cleaning the boat, for example would be a good start. Both inside and out, the boat needed a good clean; after so many days at sea, and with the waters around this bay known for a plethora of sharks, Joel has managed to do most of the cleaning of the topsides in the dinghy. Not easy work, with the constant swell rolling into the bay; but better than having to check over your shoulder every 5 seconds! Not only did we need to wash the boat but the piles of clothes that did eventually get worn, and give ourselves a good scrubbing as well!
As we arrived on Saturday we went ashore to see if checking at the local police station (Gendarmerie) was an option. Surprisingly they were open and after the paperwork we leisurely wandered about the waterfront village looking at our new surroundings.
Later in the week we noticed there were several other families anchored and through the friendly atmosphere at the dinghy dock found out people’s names, destinations and where everyone was from. A lovely family from Switzerland have been cruising for years with their 3 children under 8. And another family, with girls aged 2 and 5 started in the BVI like us and will end their sailing in NZ at the end of the year. They have been just ahead of us throughout our cruising, but we finally caught up with the crew here in Nuku Hiva. We had a lovely picnic one day at the site where the 2nd Marquesan festival was held, looking at the statues and tikis there. Isabelle and Gracie couldn’t believe their luck at being able to play with two new friends and they have been wonderful companions during our stay here.
We have seen quite a few boats come and go while we have be here this week, and soon our turn will come to go on to further adventures. We may not have internet access again until we reach Tahiti, which may be in 3 weeks as we have plenty of smaller islands and atolls to discover along the way. We look forward to reading and hearing from you then.
Thanks to everyone for your comments on the blog and your emails. We very much appreciate receiving them and love reading them. Unfortunately we don’t have easy internet time to reply to many, but please don’t be put off and please keep posting and emailing!