Tahiti ended up being a really nice stop for us all. It’s definitely the biggest city we’ve come across in a long time and we weren’t disappointed. We really thought it might have tacky tourist feel but it really maintained the chill Polynesian vibes we’ve come to love.
Soon enough it was time to pick up my mom from the airport and start a little adventure with her. We decided to head to the island of Mo’orea nearby. It’s only about a three hour sail away and we’ve heard so many good things, so on mom‘s first morning after her arrival, we started the motor and made our way out towards a new island.
The passage to and from Mo’orea has a reputation for being rough and it didn’t let us down! Luckily the weather was beautiful and we made it in good time. Mo’orea is a really beautiful, hilly and lush island, very similar to the Marquesas, but not nearly as populated as Tahiti. We made it into the large anchorage of Cook’s Bay and dropped the hook. It also happened to be Mother’s Day that day so we did lots of celebrating and treating all the moms extra special.
My mom was a good sport for the bumpy ride and getting in and out of the boat on the dinghy, which is no small feet after you’ve turned 70 years old. We were able to head to town and walk around to explore a little bit, pick up some fresh baguettes and fruit and get back to the boat for a nice refreshing swim.
The next day it was Piper‘s 16th birthday! My mom had managed to bring a number of presents that we had shipped to her place and even a special present from Piper‘s best friend from back home. That was a really fun surprise for her. That same day we were able to go explore the local juice factory, which is pretty famous in French Polynesia. They weren’t actively making juice that day, but we got to see a good amount of production and we were able to taste lots of the flavors. There’s also a distillery there so we got to taste some adult drinks, too.
Mo’orea is just big enough and just small enough to keep you just busy enough. A few days later we dropped the anchor just outside of the bay but behind a small reef where the water was crystal clear and turquoise. We could immediately see spotted eagle rays swimming around our anchor . We were all able to get our snorkel stuff on and explore the sandy bottom. Somehow from not doing very much in a day, you sure get tuckered right out, but I think a lot of it has to do with the heat. It was really quite hot, close to 30° and over 80% humidity most days.
It was so nice to have some easy days while mom visited, especially exploring more of the town and sitting down at a cute little restaurant for a cold beer and some bread fruit fries and their Polynesian take on egg rolls, nem.
Before too long, we decided with the weather that was coming, it was time to head back to Tahiti so we made the slow bash back. It’s not far, but it is a little tough.
Once back in Tahiti, we had a day where we could explore downtown, which is really quite vibrant and cute. We were able to visit the big Papeete market and see all it had to offer before mom had to go home the next day. It really is a beautiful spot and we all had a good time, ending the day crashing at a tiny French crêperie where we all had our fill. And another cold beer (did I mention how hot it was?).
We sent Mom off pretty tired, but with only one bruised shin and then it was time for Matt and I to get our tattoos! This is something we’ve thought about for a long time and really wanted to make it happen while we were in French Polynesia. There is a really strong tattoo culture in these islands and every chance we’ve got we’ve been chatting with the locals about the details of their tattoos: how old are they when they start, how do they know when it’s time to get another, how do they choose the design? The Polynesian people are so open and responsive and we’re quite willing to share their stories and their culture. They recommend you come in to your appointment “with words” but not necessarily exact ideas. Let the artist work.
In downtown Papeete there seems to be a tattoo shop on every corner, so Matt and I had made an appointment at one for a Sunday morning. Lucky for us there was two tattoo artists ready to go and we chatted a little bit about what we wanted, but really, it was up to the tattoo artist. Also, they only spoke French, and even at that, it was reluctant. These were not chatty fellows.
Matt really wanted to commemorate our equator crossing with a turtle design of some kind, and really wanted to incorporate the Marquesan Cross, and so after a quick drawing on Matt‘s calf in red pen, the artist just went for it. I was really hoping to get something to commemorate our nautical miles that we’ve sailed and some cool designs around an anklet tattoo. In sailor Lore, it’s a tradition to have a swallow tattooed for every 5000 nautical miles, so I predicted how many miles we’ve done and are yet to do and decided to go with three swallows. That’s a lot of miles! The artist was able to work in some really beautiful design designs with special Polynesian significance while also having three swallows fly through.
Matt and I aren’t really cut out for tattooing, and we both had to practice our deep breathing throughout the whole affair. I’m not sure we have to do that again, but I’m really happy with the final result. Also, the best part about getting our tattoos just before we left, is that we wouldn’t miss out on any swimming. We’ll be trapped on the boat for a few weeks and able to take care of our tattoos and keep them clean and dry.
The worst part about this cruising lifestyle it’s always the goodbyes. Soon enough it was time to bid our friends farewell, but luckily for us it coincided with Matt‘s birthday so we all went out for happy hour dinner. It was so great to spend some extra time with some friends that we had made and it felt like a proper sendoff. It’s always bittersweet and hopefully it’s just an “see you later“.
We had our boat as well provisioned as could be expected, and we’re ready to head off from Tahiti to make the long trip to Hawaii, approximately 2600 miles. We all sort of had ants in our pants about heading off, a mix of excitement and nerves. This truly marked the official turnaround point on our adventure. We were finally going to be headed towards home instead of away from it. It’s definitely the longest way to get to places, but it is rewarding.
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