Huahine (pt 2.) Novemebr 27 2005

Hello everyone.Well, we got the watermaker parts, installed them, and took off for Huahine around the 8th or 9th. Thought I'd really have very little to report as Huahine is pretty laid back. Of course I was wrong. On Rendezvous Cay, the excitement never stops. As we enthusiastically left the dock in Raiatea, we fired up the trusty watermaker. Ran great---for about a half hour!! On arrival, we trouble-shot everything we could think of and concluded we had a problem with the low pressure feed pump (yeah I know, this is boring). Well, yes we did. In fact I don't think the thing has worked in a few years,(it was really rotten) but somehow changing the valves must have triggered a problem. Of course, it's another spare we don't have. Okay, maybe I could have gotten a cheaper one from West Marine, but we were in a hurry and our boatyard said they could get one in a few days from Tahiti so I didn't order it from the States. To shorten this up, they got the wrong pump. I had to order one and we're still waiting (it's now 3 weeks later), and just try and get water in sleepy old Huahine! So tomorrow (11/28), we're off back to Raiatea to get the FedEx from West and get the thing finally working. I guess the good news is, it will be essentially brand new when we're done with all the replacements!Okay, so we had full tanks and just decided to chill out here and enjoy ourselves. You will recall we found the only real "happy hour" bar in French Polynesia last trip over, so it could be worse , right? Definitely right. first, after about a week here, we wuz robbed!! That's right, nice safe Polynesia has thieves, and thieves with brass balls. These guys actually boarded the boat in the middle of the night while we were all sleeping. I mean, c'mon, we're smart enough to lock the boat when we're not there, but not while we're aboard. Well, we do now, except the pricks stole the key to the dinghy and the boat, so we have to "chain" ourselves in. Insurance only pays off when there is evidence of forcible entry. They really didn't get too much, but they used poor Rose's tote bag to collect their loot and it had her personal stuff in it. Not passports or anything, but her bank card, irreplaceable pics, driver's license and address book. They hit my wallet for about $500, but, thank God, left the empty wallet. Got both our cameras and our phone--forget that number I sent you--and, tragically new bottles of Vodka and Jack (another great thing about Huahine is they have Jack for $10 less than anywhere else!!) We've made some friends here (poker game, etc.) and they were pretty sure it was a couple of known "bad" boys, but the Gendarmes are pretty useless recognizing we're essentially tourists. The same two just hit one of these friends this week, and they nabbed one red-handed, so we'll see if anything is recovered. We're not holding our collective breaths, and have a new phone on order and Rose is reconstructing her addresses.But that's not all. The $800 patch to the dinghy has started leaking. Our only alternative at this point is to buy a new one and we're keeping our fingers crossed that Tahiti will have something appropriate at a reasonable price before this seam lets loose altogether. In the meantime, it's back to jury-rigging something so the thing will hold air.Okay, that's the bad news. We still like it here. The good news is the captain won at poker, and we've had a great time since all the boat problems. A few days after the robbery, after waiting for the wrong Tahiti pump, we took off to the south side of the island to a place called Avea Bay. It is what one thinks of when one thinks of the South Pacific. In a large lagoon behind a reef is a mile or so crescent white sand beach which remains unspoiled except for a few small pensions (family hotels) and a restaurant. The water is crystal clear and about 85 degrees which was nice as we were washing in salt water given our shortage of fresh water. We arrived on a Saturday, reconnoitered and discovered this restaurant, Chez Tara, that did a Tahitian feast on Sunday for not too bad a price. Decided we needed to try this just once with stuff cooked in leaves in a pit, Poisson cru which is marinated fish in coconut milk, etc. The food was just okay, but the ambiance was incredible and the people down here on the south side of Huahine are the nicest!!. Rose and the captain managed to get pissed and, on return to the boat, managed to keep drinking, excused Joey (to anywhere but the boat) and proceeded to go skinny dipping among other fun and gratifying activities. That evening we managed to have a music fest with the lovely Rose discoing the night away on the back deck Ah, paradise, this is what it's supposed to be.The next day or so, one of the guys I met playing poker outriggered over to chat. He lives down there, is from California and a former professional surfer. He's the one that got married on Thanksgiving and invited us to the reception which was a blast. Another Tahitian feast with roast whole pig, and a bunch on other island food. They had a live local band and everyone--but us of course--was decked out in Polynesian gear, leis, flower tiaras, boar's teeth, pareas(sarongs), etc. Had another great time, and what a way to spend Thanksgiving, especially as there is not a turkey to be found in French Polynesia! Talk about a bad week for poor Monty(the groom), however. As if getting married wasn't bad enough he was hammered with some really bad news. Seriously, one of Monty's surfing buddies had flown in for the wedding, and on the Sunday before was surfing. They have some wicked waves here at the passes and the guy got swamped and didn't come up until it was too late. Then the day before the wedding he got the news that one of his childhood friends had died in a plane crash. He's going to the states for his honeymoon but will have to attend 2 funerals and had to make all the arrangements to get the one guys body back while he was trying to get ready to be married. The good news is Tahitians never travel alone and he has 4 or 5 sisters and friends accompanying him on the trip with his bride. Having just read a book on Captain Cook's travels to the South pacific, I'd say Monty will have his hands full!!!Well, that's about it for dull old Huahine II. We'll report again from Raiatea. After we drop on Joey 12/13 for his trip to Tahiti to see his chick and on to the states, we're coming back for Huahine III for Christmas and, probably, New Year's. As if anyone ever calls us, I'll send the new phone number when it arrives. Cameras are already waiting in Raiatea, and at least the robbery solved my problem of what to get Rose for Christmas. Unfortunately her birthday is in January and I'm stumped so any help you can offer will be appreciated!Tim, Rose, and Joe