I recently wrote about the exciting journey to the Pacific island of Maupiti at the far west of French Polynesia. Look Maupiti up in the Internet and it is the impossibly small tip of an ancient volcano lost in the middle of the huge blue Pacific. You have to zoom in a long way to find it.
The volcano that originally created the island is slowly sinking back in to the ocean leaving a small mountain to climb and a huge reef all around the island to anchor behind. The island is green and fertile, the sea is many hues of blue and the locals are friendly. Another piece of paradise.
Together with Nicole and Georg from SY Mikado, we climbed to the summit of the island and enjoyed the panoramic views out to the reef and beyond to Bora-Bora on the horizon. Our boats were tiny little vessels floating in the aquamarine lagoon. A few days ago we watched Disney’s “Moana”, and thought “that is where we are!”
Manta rays come in to the lagoon to be cleaned of parasites by cleaning fish. We swam over to a rock that is used as a “cleaning station” and watched majestic mantas queuing for their turn to be cleaned. Nature is unbelievably well thought through and watching huge mantas swimming just below you is incredibly impressive. A few days later we saw a local family knelt in the sea stroking a stingray lieing on the sand next to them. When they stopped it slid away only to return.
We considered taking the bikes ashore to cycle round the island but we decided we could easily stroll around the thirteen kilometer circumference. It was a pleasant walk with the sea on our left and gardens and forest on the right. A local gave us a breadfruit and grapefruit and we found mangos, limes and basilica growing wild. Once again we plan our menus around what we find.
Sybo arrived in the lagoon a few days ago and Mikado left for the Austral Islands this morning so last night we had the “Mikados” and “Sybos” over for dinner. Heidi’s legendary corned beef lasagna had been requested as main course and was followed by Maupiti Tiramisu with home made yoghurt and local grapefruit. The previous evening we had enjoyed tuna caught by the Mikados. It is hard living in the middle of nowhere.
I hope you still realise how lucky you both are. Miss you both