The day before we left south Fakarava, William taught me how to paddle an outrigger canoe. Whereas I would not want to cross a large body of water in one, they are fast and fun! I am going native. Later that night Silas and William came out to the boat to play music and hang out. They were very impressed with our GPS system - they said we were like the Mafia or the secret police. Dad showed them their homes on Google Earth and they were blown away. It is a pretty cool perspective that as of yet most people in the world have not seen. We drank Hinano beer and played music late into the night and we were all sad to depart.
Making new friends made me realize how acutely I miss my friends. My San Diego homies, my Santa Cruz buddies, my Punta de Mita amigos and the wonderful people I have met on my travels, yes, I miss you all. Not to say that I am not making friends with the people here, obviously I am (when there are friends to me made). But, there are a few small issues with the friends I make here: 1. the locals I make friends with I spend a few days with and then will probably never see again; 2. the cruisers I make friends with all have their own itineraries, speeds, and destinations so it is hard to keep track of each other; and 3. most of the cruisers out here are a solid 30 years older than me. Granted, there are some young people out here, but they are few and far between. Basically, what I am saying is that I do not have a companion with my same interests in activities.
Am I complaining? Maybe a bit. But even in the most beautiful places in the world that many people only dream of visiting, even with the bill footed and every comfort imaginable (on a sailboat), its not all peaches and cream. I think the tropics have kind of a bipolar atmosphere - one minute it will be bright and sunny and calm and the next minute it will be pouring rain, windy, and (almost) cold. Feelings here can be the same way - sometimes I get swallowed up in the beauty and majesty of this place, other times I just want to be away from it. But I guess we all feel that way sometimes, regardless of where we are. C'est la vie.
It's funny. I consider myself to be pretty salty. I have crossed the Pacific Ocean a few times, cruised Mexico quite a bit, am (almost) six months out en route to New Zealand, and have been sailing my whole life. Then we meet these people who have been cruising for ten years with no destination or plan to stop any time soon. They tell stories about sailing up the Gambier river in Africa and having to watch out for hippos and baboons and crocodiles in the anchorages. They tell stories of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope and Tierra del Fuego, Easter Island and Robinson Crusoe Island. Mexico? Ha! The kiddie pool. And of course they have been here before, and were kind enough to take us to their favorite snorkeling places where we saw morey eels and lion fish. I had only seen lion fish in an aquarium before, but they are much cooler in the wild - dangerous and exotic. Look, but don't touch.
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At 5/28/2011 9:15 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 15°48.18'S 146°09.13'W
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