Moorea, Tahiti and Huahine

Swimming with the rays in Moorea was great, you can stand in waist deep water and you are surrounded by numerous stingrays—the local hotel has a history of feeding them squid so they come immediately. We took some sardines but only the small fish were interested. However we were able to touch the velvety skin of the rays, being careful of the stingers not wanting to emulate Steve Irwin.
The anchorages here are stunning and we enjoyed an independence day dingy round up with the Americans.
We then headed back to Tahiti to do our check out and attend the opening night of the eight day dance festival. The specialty of these Polynesians is the wonderful drumming which is breathtaking. They have large numbers of drummers who perform alone and with the dancers. The dancers on this night were all solos competing for the top spot. They have amazing “wriggling butt” abilities with both men and women performing—equal opportunity wriggling with very sexy athletic men as well as pretty women.
The next day we were joined by a couple to crew with us until at least Raratonga. They had been crewing on another boat we had been meeting from time to time but they were very unhappy on the boat, the captain is a very controlling man and had been controlling their lives as far as refusing to let them go ashore in the dingy and withholding food. They are Marcie and Don from Illinois who have a boat in Panama have cruised for six years and we get on well with them. They will find a place onshore when Diana comes and again in Raratonga when Anne and Harvey from NZ join us so it will be fun to share watches and activities with them.
We did the night crossing to Huahine with light winds and then entered a pass into a lagoon at this wonderful island. We had been told by cruisers that the islands get better and better and we would have to concur. Even though Moorea is probably the most beautiful so far Huahine has very few tourists and is very low key and our favorite. The people are used to cruisers and are very friendly. The town has a great supermarket and we had a great bike ride around the main island. We had not had the bikes out for a while so it is nice to get out again. Some of the hills are pretty steep but I kept reminding myself how my less than fit body must be benefiting!!!
That night we had been told that it was the winners of their dance competition night to perform a wrap up so we all went. This was free and had much more of a small town atmosphere than the Tahiti festival. There were large groups performing and they got Ken, Don and I up as part of the white middle age gringo contingent to dance with them and entertain the audience with our non athletic “wriggling butts”. It was a lot of fun even though we did not feel that dance would be a big part of our future.
The next day we motored to Avea bay at the other end of the island which is the place which I certainly would choose to have my beach front property. It is lovely with white sandy beaches and great snorkeling in lovely coral in the bay. We saw Nemo who had been avoiding us even though the fish books all feature him. He is very pretty and it was a treat to watch him in the anemones.
The reef protects the bay and apparently has great lobster in the new moon—we are now at the full moon and they say they will not come out of the coral as it is too bright. They do get the sea urchins at this time though and we did taste them—they are similar to eating oysters but small amounts are enough and Ken did not get a lot of enthusiastic response when he wanted to go out to the reef to get them.
We had a pot luck on our boat with several others before heading back to the main town hoping to get a new propeller for our dingy motor—we had hit a coral head with it and it would no longer go full speed.
Next stop is Raiatea and then to Bora Bora where Ken will fly to Aaron’s wedding and Diana will join me. I am sure we will have a great time as there is not a lot not to like here—other than the prices---I have told her to bring liquor and money—the two most sort over items here.