Kevin visits!! Part 1

We had seen the airport motu from the island of Mangareva when we biked and hiked to the Eastern tip of the island. We sailed Avatar down to anchor near the airport, where everyone who arrives by plane has to take a boat to somewhere. Inside the little breakwater is the ferryboat that people can pay to get to the village of Rikitea. Someone else is there to pick up guests for a pension.

We watched the fire truck do is manditory pre-run down the runway before the plane showed. All of these tiny airports are equipped with one of these fire trucks.

Finally the plane arrives!

And Father and Son are together again! How did he get so much taller than his dad??

Turned out several other cruisers were there picking up or dropping off crew members. We loaded our dinghy first.

Keven had brought us some real goodies! Most of them we ordered and had them shipped to his house to bring. New mainsheet blocks and new furling drum bearings for both jib and staysail were at the top of our needs list!

Kevin contemplates life on a beach in the Gambiers on the island of Teravai, after his long flight from San Francisco.

The tide was low enough, so we decided to hike around the next rocky point and check out another beach.

Wow, a deserted tropical beach, without a footprint in sight!!

Kevin, with all the boats anchored behind him.

Me with the tropical jungle growing right down to the sand.

Back at Herve and Valerie's house, they were getting ready for another potluck beach BBQ Sunday. Valerie is putting out the pots of food and the kids are already seated waiting for the word go, to dig into the food! The Rickman plates are set!

Herve cuts open a coconut with his machete, while their son Ariki, Valerie, Keanu from the Austrian boat Pakea Tea and Augustino from the Portuguese boat Huajuane all watching.

Kevin had never drank coconut water strait from the coconut! Slurp!

Valerie laughs as Kevin pretends he opened the coconut with the big machete!

One of the most popular games in the French Polynesia is “P'tong”. The rest of us call it Boccii ball. We had a grand time going all over the yard chasing the little “p'tong” ball, (which was sometimes a lime) with our big heavy shiny metal balls. Everyone stares to see who gets the closest.

Kevin with his finest P'tong throw, while Valerie watches.

The crowd oooos and aahhhs as Valerie is an expert P'tong player. We all wanted her on our team!

Someone got a shot of me, with the ball flying trough the air.

The Ladies, chillen after a tuff game. Sonja of PakeaTea, me, Birgit of Pitufa and out hostess with the mostess, Valerie.

The perfect spot to hang out and chat it up, under the trees.

The boys, Keanu and Ariki, are hamming it up for me, showing me the hang loose and hookem horn signs!

All the kids were out playing in the water, so Kevin decided he was one of the kids there, so he joined in the fun, splashing around and throwing the boys in the air. They loved it!

Teravai, the dog, rolls on her back and says, “are you guys STILL playing P'tong?!?!

The next day, Herve took many of us on a steep climb to a peak behind his house. He was ready to go with a big grin! (and bare feet!!)

Amazing moss was growing on these trees we passed, looking like a furry cover on their bark.

We had a great view down of the boats at anchor through the trees on the way up. Yes, this anchorage is the one surrounded by coral!!

We all stop for a rest as the hill is getting steeper.

Up we go, following Herve our fearless leader.

For a guy who is afraid of heights, Kevin is doing great here, climbing the last bit on all 4's!!

Thumbs up! We made it to the top!

It is kind of windy up here, but a great view!

Looking down at the church of St. Gabriel, built in 1868, and the old landing.

“What's up??” Kevin says. “I am cool with my barefoot Polynesian buddy beside me!”

Oh yeah, the going down is the hard part as we climb down this rock.

But Super Kevin is ready to face the leap, while the other cruiser, helps his wife down a steep part.

Some of the trees we passed were huge! And the hill was not flat anywhere. We actually slid on our butts going down the part behind Kevin here.

Back over on Mangareva, we checked out some of the ruins around the village. Not sure what these old towers were used for.

But they reminded us of sugar mills from the Caribbean.

We took the road along the shore and ended up right under Mount Duff.

We came across the ruins of the Rouru Convent, which at one time had housed 60 nuns!

The arched windows were still there, but the roof was gone.

Looking at my guys through the arched door.

Next stop on the ruins tour is the island of Akamaru. Another old landing spot with a “road” leading up to the “village”.

A lovely spot where an old boat hoist shed used to be with a view of Mangareva in the distance, behind a close off-laying rock.

The “road” was lined with tropical plants, but we don't think a car has ever driven on it.

Through the vegetation we see the bell towers of The Lady of our Peace church, built in 1841. We read that once a year, the congregation from Mangareva comes over here for a big party in Orange picking season.

Kevin in the spiral staircase, going up one of the bell towers.

Oops, no bell in this one, but an interesting view from the steps.

But the other tower had a bell. Who would ring it? and if they did, who would hear it? We saw not another soul, even though we saw a few houses around.

Crude old walls of a structure remaining in the courtyard next to the church.

It also had an outdoor cooking oven!

There is not a stick of growth on this part of the path, which led to a family's house behind the church.

Continued, next blog.........