Quest sails west from Polynesia to the Cook Islands.

Last stop in French Polynesia: Mopelia Atoll

After leaving our friends from Del Rey Yacht Club in Raitea, French Polynesia we traveled west with the intention of heading to New Zealand to avoid the hurricane season. Before re left French Polynesia for the last time we visited Mopelia Atoll. This was quite an experience since the break in the reef was very narrow and we experienced a six knot out flow and a significant side wind. I was truly terrified. Once we negotiated the narrow entrance we had to wind around the coral heads before finding our anchorage at the windward side of the atoll. I don't think we got any photos of the entrance because we had our mind on other things. This seems to always be the case when we're in hairy situations. But, once we got the Quest safely anchored we found ourselves to be in a fantastic photo op location - beautiful clear aquamarine water and bright sunshine. You can see how flat the atoll is and how exposed the area is to storms and high waves and tides. Unfortunately we had lost the use of two good cameras on this trip and were now reduced to using throw-away cameras. I've tried to improve the images as best I can! I think you still get the idea of the limited circumstances found on Mopelia.

We then got our dinghy launched and decided to explore the atoll. The closest thing we saw was a boat hoist (with a boat in the hoist), so it seemed reasonable to go there!

Here we met Victor, one of seven residents of the atoll. Since the supply boat had broken down he did not have the fuel to visit his parents by boat, so we offered to take him there in our dinghy.

Having visited many different remote areas we were not surprised at the living conditions there, but subsistence living is not what most Americans are used to! (left)

This is the kitchen area where Victor's parents live. (right) We brought fresh vegetables which he put in the oven to keep them from insects and animals (dogs and chickens). You can see that the table is set inside a tin can to prevent insects from crawling up on the table.

Victor was kind enough to bring down a few coconuts and offer us a refreshment of coconut milk. This was an easy task for him, but we knew that we would have had difficulty.

Victor's sleeping quarters (when he's visiting his parents) is an "A" frame structure. In case of high waves he would not get wet! (right)

We went back to Victor's place in the evening and celebrated Scott's 65th birthday. (left) It was probably one of the most memorable birthdays Scott has ever experienced. Victor had caught some lobsters out on the reef the day before and marinated them and put them on the grill.

We brought a chocolate cake we had just baked on the Quest and that was a huge hit!!! (right)

Victor provided the latest music. He had CDs and a boom box that was energized with a solar charged battery. You can see why we are fascinated with meeting people who live in out of the way places. All peoples are intelligent enough to figure out how to survive in their circumstances. It's always interesting to see what different people do to enhance their comfort. and how they utilize the world around them to provide food, clothing and shelter (and some comforts). By the way, we left Victor with some clothing and canned vegetables and fruits - rice too!

Entering The Cook Islands

The photos of Scott hoisting the nation's flag and the quarantined flag are so meaningful to me. I guess in this case it's the first English speaking country we've visited for almost a year. So, this flag is quite significant.  Since we hoist the flags as we enter the harbor of a new country it's a gesture that's loaded with happy anticipation - as well as some anxiety of entering an unknown anchorage in an unknown country.

So here we are against the sea wall where two days ago large waves were crashing up over the dock. (left) The power boat behind us is med moored with it's anchor chain attached to a big cement block in the bottom of the harbor. We were told that we were to do the same thing the next day when the power boat left. Marilyn and Tony are pretty happy to have arrived safely in the Cook Islands. They'll be with us another week touring Rarotonga.

Our tour around Rarotonga included a traditional lunch. On the right our guide prepares the coals and wilts the greens that will be wrapped around our food before it's placed in the fire pit.

The reason that some islands have a long rich tradition is because there are resources to support a significant population. Here (left) we've driven up into the hills and can look down on a farming operation that feeds the local population as well as provides crops for export.

Of course, an important resource to all the islands is a reliable water source. It's pretty obvious by looking at the lush vegetation that Rarotonga receives consistent year round rainfall.

The people of the Cook Islands are known for their woodcarving. This particular tiki is characteristic of the Cooks (that is, an amply endowed male figure). These designs are used in other applications such as fabric design. We were able to procure a bed cover and a couple of shirts printed with some very interesting woodcarving patters.

The view on the right is a typical view of the mountains and countryside of Rarotonga.

Our guide was pretty skilled at the traditional island living. It was quite interesting to see how imaginative native peoples are.

A large part of the native tradition has to do with navigating between islands and between island groups without the help of GPS or sextant. The dug out canoes are still made by the local people. (right) These canoes are paddled and sailed around and between the islands.

At the end of our tour we enjoyed a traditional meal served in the traditional way - on leaves and in baskets. (left) It was delicious. We had chicken, pork, goat, shrimp in coconut milk, squash and plantains. All served with a refreshing mango drink.