The time has come, the walrus said...

Well, we did the hike and found the old pile of rocks, got bit by the nonos and best of all....met the young doctor at the infirmary who gracefully allowed us to fill a sack with pamplemousse from the tree in the yard!
I think we are "Marequesad out"! You know that feeling you get when you are travelling, that it has been nice but it is time to move on! Well, we have reached that stage here! The islands are interesting and the people have been very kind but they are all starting to look the same. I swear some of those old rocks were moved from the last island and re-stacked for our benefit..... I should not be so jaded as walking among them there really was a feeling that something went on in these abandoned
ruins long ago. But time is passing and our three months in French Polynesia is dwindling and the window to reach New Zealand before the cyclones start presses us to move on. Besides, there is always something more interesting around the next corner!
So we filled the water tanks and the four extra jugs on deck! That was several long dinghy rides and carting them up to the tap where we filtered the water into the tanks and lugged them back to siphon into the main tanks. All of that in rain and sun and heat and humidity and bugs! But its paradise eh!
Tomorrow we plan to make sail for the island of Hua Pou where we will officially check out of the Marquesas and then proceed to the Tuamotus. We have decided to take the conservative passage through these dangerous low lying atolls. It skirts the northern end of them and we plan to stop at Manihi and possibly Rangiroa. That will be enough challenge for this crew! Timing the passes an hour or so after slack water to avoid the 8 knot currents that carry you into the lagoon infested with coral heads!
Sounds like fun! Once inside though, the waters are sheltered and we can play with the sharks in the clear water.
And beyond the Tuamotus lies Tahiti and the Society Islands, which looks like an interesting place to explore before moving to Bora Bora where we will exit French Polynesia for the Cook Islands.