Papeete blows!

A happy me on a deserted beach in Fakarava
Sea Otter anchored in Nuku Hiva's Daniel Bay
Our secret spot in Fakarava

Well.... actually Papeete is fantastique as usual, but....typical of the weather we've seen so far in the Pacific, it's not behaving as per normal. It is now blowing 20+ SW!? across the reef behind which we shelter. The swell is over 6 metres so the surf is breaking over the out lying reef and creating some very interesting conditions for all us boats behind the reef! And there is about 200 boats anchored along the few miles of reef south of the town. Large chop, eddies, fast flowing current and small swell. Everybody is bobbing, rocking and rolling about. YUK. So much for escaping the rolly swell at Marquesas and Tuamotu's to the protected Tahiti.

Anyway, it is nice to be here, we are all cleared in, gased up, watered up and fooded up. Though the journey to the Marina dinghy dock is providing some hair raising excitement today. Papeete is a busy city no. Freeways run along the western coast, lots of cars, lots of noise and lots of yachts. The prices are still surprisingly high. Yesterday lunch at McDonald's (trust me it IS a treat after eating cupboard food for over a month) cost us $25 Aud for two chicken burgers, two fries and two drinks!! A six pack of diet coke will set you back 510 CPF or $7.20 Aud!!! Don't ask about some other basic items. I looked at buying cheap fins for snorkeling at the large Carrefour' supermarket (like Target on steroids) but they would have been $45.

Needless to say the night out at a restaurant for Geoff and my birthday's may prove to frightening to actually do!! We think we should go to the local food vendors near the markets on the broad walk and eat a toasted Croque Monsieur (toasted ham and cheese)

We are finding it a bit harder to connect with cruising yachties as we came from Mars (San Fran) not the usual route of Panama...so alot of boats have already got their cliques going. But we luckily have found some yachties we knew from the circumnavigation 13 years ago, so it is very cool to catch up. Plus we have met some lovely Germans who are coming to Brisbane for Cyclone season.

Hope to get our jobs done and escape Tahiti to Moorea and calm anchorages by early next week. We hope. Till the next entry, not sure when or from where???