Makemo Atoll

Wednesday 5/24 Makemo Atoll in the Tuomotu Archipelago.
As soon as we had dropped anchor we realized we were someplace special. The sight of clear aqua blue waters all around the shore were quite a welcomed sight. Instantly we saw new species of fish swimming off the back of the boat that we have never seen before and can't find in any books. We will call them Pokenose for now as they have a fanciful straw shaped nose that
sits right above their mouths.
The first item of town you notice is an enormous concrete wharf that reaches out into the lagoon. Surrounded by light blue waters and always dotted with a few Paumotu children fishing with simple lines and hooks. At the head of the dock is a white snack shack we later learned is run by Fanny. Weren't we excited to find French fries for $2 and ice cream cones for $1. Best deal of our lives. We walked the entire end of this island from front to back, and side to side in about a half hour at least up to the first bridge. Of course as always with our luck, we hit it when the magasins are closed. You can safely say the town is about 3 large blocks deep and may 5 blocks wide. Beautifully paved roads, large white church with a steeple in the middle and with the arrival of the ship that day, everyone looked busy. The paumotu people are amazingly friendly and each one waving at us as they passed.
Each house is equipped with large black cisterns which connect to the house via the gutters for collecting water. Water and soil are a scarcity on the islands therefore you don't see quite the prolific gardens and fruit trees that we had seen in Marquesas. Very few breadfruit trees, many coconuts but no citrus, lime nor pamplemousse, no mangos or papayas, etc. Many cars and
lots of happy kids.

Thursday 5/25 Moorea and Capaz arrive. We helped guide them in at slack tide and let them get settled. We did get to working on projects that day as well. The depth sounder issue somehow resolved itself but then the regulator went out. That one is a biggie. If that doesn't work then there is no way to charge the batteries no matter how much gas, wind or solar we
have. Blessed we are with great help from Kelly boy and Tod/Noah on the s/v Capaz/Ark as they have amazing amounts of storage space aboard and carry two of EVERYTHING, including a Balmer regulator, exactly what we needed.
Without it, we would have had to cut our time short and head straight to Tahiti. Back in action.
That night on shore all week there had been a bit of a festival going on. We joined in the fun and stuffed ourselves with hamburgers and fries and watched the locals play bacci ball all night. In attempt to improve my Tahitian I started to chat with some local kids and the fun was on. We
quickly got past names and on to playing tag. Kelly girl joined in and had the kids teaching us the Haka. Makemo is known for its ancient history of fierce warriors and this is the dance displaying that. Some more handgames and lot of giggles are always great fun. It seemed only fair that we teach them something in return. Makemo may never be the same after Kelly girl and I introduced them to the electric slide. We also met the islands chief. He came to greet us and let us know that we were welcomed there any time.

Friday 5/26 The adults of each boat decided to take a morning snorkel and check out the scene before we introduced the kids to these waters. What an amazing sight. There is no way of telling what is down there until you dive in. Beautiful coral reefs dotted with all types of species of clams, corals, fish and the occasional black or white tipped shark. Yep, we swam with the sharks. They were amazingly serene and peaceful. You feel just like one of those little fish as you glide or dart along depending on your mood. And it is never ending, you couldn't possible get tired of seeing it. We took the kids back in the afternoon. Watching their joy of discovery and the comfortable nature with which they are embracing this new world is all the reassurance one needs that this lifestyle and adventure was the right idea.
Until next time,
Lisa and the boys

TheMartins on Ohana Kai
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