The Voice of America had an item about protecting your internet security. The piece was presented by the United States government and an arm of the BBC called Internet Uncensored. It was aimed at the people of Syria so that they could use the internet without the government's knowledge . Of interest to us is their recommendation that gmail has the best email protection and Mozilla the most secure browser. Always erase your browsing history, blah, blah.
These volcanic islands are spectacular with their highly eroded mountains, dramatically sculpted bays and cliffs, sort of like the Grand Canyon with the ocean next to it. If you like geology, you would love these islands.
Barry always liked a "Far Side" cartoon that shows Darwin arriving in the Galapagos, looking at the iguanas and saying, "Oh, wow!! Lizard City!" So on our last trip when we arrived at a spot with a lot of something, Barry would say Oh, wow!! Moray Eel City! or Urchin City or Octopus City or whatever. Yesterday we were at Fairy-tern City in Hane Bay. They nest in the trees of the town of Hane and surroundings. It must be mating season because they flew in pairs dancing closely. Or maybe it is always mating season given their abundance.
Getting ashore looks a bit dicey here. We leave the camera and guide books behind. Yes, Barry had an interesting time in the dinghy trying to land. He declined to use the beach the locals use. There a reef just off the beach blocks the upcoming waves. After his "interesting" experience at his chosen place he successfully lands at the local spot and two burly local teens helped him carry the dinghy up off the beach away from the shore. Lesson learned: next time do as the locals do. We walk into town and stop at the small museum. It is closed, but we look through the windows to see what is there. Some very nice items. We visited the magazin. After a prescribed amount of time that they give you to struggle with your French they decide it is less painful to use the little English they know. I think they are shy about using their English. Next to a box of moldy carrots was a box of new potatoes in excellent condition. Barry is thinking "potato salad". We picked out some and inquired about fruit. They went home and got a handful of their personal bananas to give us.
We always check out the churches in these little out of the way places. This Roman Catholic one had fantastically beautiful wood carvings. The pulpit was carved from the root stump of a large tree getting more finely detailed as you rose from the stump. Mary & Jesus were Marquesan. The altar was natural stone. This island is known as having the best wood and stone carvers in the South Pacific and this Catholic Church showed their skill at the highest level. On the way back to the beach, we visit a wood carver working away in his outdoor covered shop. He was finishing an 18" high tiki made of rosewood. It was a carefully proportioned copy of an ancient stone tiki. The carver had an old book published by Hawaii's Bishop Museum full of pictures of tikis and other artifacts. His workmanship was of the highest quality. After we launch the dinghy and row back to SUNRISE, we look at the guide book. The wood carver was the caretaker of the museum. DANG! That night we fall asleep to the drumming and singing of Marquesans practicing for the festivals and contests which occur in French Polynesia during June and July. This has to do with Bastille Day, July 14, which has been turned into a celebration of Polynesian culture.
Our next anchorage was at the SW corner, Baie de Haavei, and was a birder's paradise. The bay is guarded by 2 islets, nesting grounds for Sooty Terns and Blue-gray Noddies. There were several hundred birds. On one islet local bird egg gathering is allowed, the other off limits. I think the fact that locals take the eggs explains strange behavior we observed; the birds would circle and mill around in a disorganized fashion high over our boat. I think they were frantic that we had come to steal their eggs. What do you think? The anchorage was not recommended but we found the sweet spot for the anchor and were secure all night. Very, very beautiful! We were alone in a peaceful paradise of birds, stars and islands.
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