Perspective

These manta rays in Bora Bora were about 14' from wingtip
to wingtip.

One evening at dinner, we were discussing the relative poverty levels of much of the world compared to the U.S. and other first-world countries. This, of course, was a rarity since most dinnertime topics seem to be either the boys discussing "strategy" about how to kill zombies in their one iPad game or us trying to explain why putting a piece of food the size of a baseball onto your fork is not considered to be good manners.  But I digress...back to world poverty. Mark chimed in with, "Well, we're poor, because we don't have a lot."

The piñata we made for Conrad's birthday party.

I can see how it might seem that way to a seven-year old who has lived and travelled on a boat for a good chunk of his life (especially the part he actually remembers). We live in a small space, compared to a house. We are careful to not waste water or electricity. Fresh fruits and vegetables are sometimes limited. We rarely have unlimited internet with which to play certain awesome zombie-killing iPad games. We don't own a car and most of our travel is at the blistering pace of 4 to 7 knots.

Now, we destroy it. The kids jumped into the water
after the candy that flew in after the piñata broke.

Mark's right that we don't have a lot of material possessions compared to folks on land. But poor? As we sit in a scenic anchorage in Bora Bora, our boat is more 'ocean-front' than any of the ritzy hotels with over-water cabins that surround us. We have the luxury of being able to explore places at a more leisurely pace than tourists that are limited by 1 or 2 weeks of vacation. Our family is together all the time. (Okay, that one can be a double-edged sword.  But considering how fast kids grow up, I would much rather err on the side of too much togetherness.) I think we're far from poor. You may disagree (Mark apparently does) or even question my sanity (you would not be the first). Vive la difference!

A view of our anchorage from the main island of Bora Bora.

Today, we head into town to stock up on fresh produce and top off our diesel, gas, propane and baguette stores before we head to the Cook Islands. The wind, waves and weather for the near future are less than ideal, as we bump up against our visa end. That being said, Wednesday is shaping up to be an acceptable day to leave. We have enjoyed our stay in French Polynesia but are eager for what's next.

It just goes to show, you can always find something to complain about

Snorkeling in Bora Bora.

One of our guidebooks quips that the best kept secret about French Polynesia is the lousy weather. We tend to agree with that (although everything is relative--we're not talking snow and freezing temperatures). Even when it's not raining, we have had to run our generator more than we have anywhere else during our two and a half years of cruising because of the cloudiness. We actually had to use jackets during a couple of passages for the first time since the Bahamas and sheets while sleeping. And yes, I am well aware that we are now complete babies when it comes to weather (what? it's not sunny and 80 F every day?!).  Luckily we have had plenty of postcard perfect days along the way too, but we did feel bad for the guests of a buddy boat of ours who unfortunately hit a really ugly streak of rainy weather during their 2 weeks here.  They still had a great time, as have we, since the beauty of the islands and the friendliness of the people transcends whatever the weather is serving up.

One of the floats from the Bastille Day celebration in Raiatea.

We have made our way to Bora Bora. The clear, shallow water and plentiful fish in the lagoon remind us of the Bahamas. The snorkeling has been fantastic and there are mantas, stingrays, and eagle rays everywhere. Good thing the water is so inviting, because the scenic motus (islands) surrounding the main island are privately owned and we hoi polloi are not allowed, even below the high water line. The rich and famous like their privacy. At $1,600 a night for some of the (relatively basic) accommodations, I guess you can't blame them. You don't even want to know what some if the private island cabanas go for...if you have to ask and all that.

Due to expiring visas, our time in French Polynesia is coming to an end. When we get a good weather window, we'll head west towards the Cook Islands. In the meantime, we'll squeeze in an early birthday party for Conrad while we're still in the company of most of the other kid boats.

Amazing experiences, all the time--um, no

 

'To our tormentors'

Conrad and Mark wrote the note above during the recent several-hour passage from Huahine to Raiatea. Inside, the note reads, 'Subject: Don't be lame and torture us.' The body reads, 'I will not be able to live without touching Mark for the rest of the passage.' There are very detailed pictures of how we are torturing them.

Happier times on a dinghy trip up the river
on Raiatea with our friends on Seabbatical

The note was prompted by our directive that they stop all games that involve touching each other because (1) they were getting too rambunctious and very close to hurting themselves or the boat and (2) the games would invariably result in one or both crying/whining/being otherwise intolerable.

Conrad on Justin's shoulders with Riley nearby.

Other cruisers are always saying what amazing experiences our kids are having as cruisers. On the whole, I think that's true.  Of course, to them it just a normal day. Hopefully one day, even if it's 30 years down the road, they'll look back fondly and realize how lucky they were.  Or they'll hold grudges against us tormentors and put us in a nursing home the first chance they get.

Fern tattoos.



The white pollen from the ferns contrasts well
with the boys' tanned skin.

Homemade donuts and lots of 'em. Sugar high, anyone?

 

Hanging out in Tahiti

We have a ton of great shots of Mark being mauled by the very tame stingrays in Moorea. He was remarkably unphased by having stingrays all over him (there's a great shot of one on his face on our Facebook page). Conrad, on the other hand, was having none of it.

Whether it's because he's smarter than the rest of us or just scared, the result is that the best shots are of Mark. The stingrays loved the wahoo scraps we fed them. They suck them up like an industrial-strength vacuum cleaner. Mind your fingers and other loose items. 

We have left Tahiti and Moorea and are making our way towards Bora Bora, in the company of plenty of kid boats. The weeks-long Heiva Festival, leading up to Bastille Day, makes things quite festive in the islands.

Orange Festival in Tahiti. The locals had lots of good-natured
fun at Matt's expense, who handled it like a true showman.

Drone shot of our anchorage in Moorea. Photo courtesy of
Justin Page on s/v Miss Behaving.

Belvedere (lookout) in Moorea. Finally made it after 3 attempts.
There may have been bribery involving ice cream...
We liked the locks on the fence.