Saturnday on Ua Pu

We're on another island now, called Ua Pu (pronounced 'wah-poo'). It's very beautiful and there don't seem to be any bugs on the beach. We're able to swim right off the boat and are beginning to socialize with a new set of cruisers. There are expensive groceries available, cheap baguettes and fresh water.

Most cruisers come to the south pacific in search of white beaches, coconut drinks, and pristine coral reefs to snorkel. We are in search of the ever elusive, rare creature, the "kid boat." Traveling with kids keeps us from just sitting back and relaxing as our retired peers do all day. When they are kicking back in their cockpits with a good book and a glass of something cold, we are being asked to play games, make snacks and find new sources of entertainment. It's been 6 weeks since we've had anyone to play with. So, we are ever on the lookout for other kids. When we enter a new bay, our first priority is to scope out the boats. If a new boat enters where we are, we check them out. We avidly listen to the radio and eavesdrop on conversations in case a hint of kid boat whereabouts can be gleaned. Boats with older kids give us tips on finding boats with younger kids that they have met along the way. We send e-mails to complete strangers who are rumored to have kids. We change our plans, make new plans, or wait around where we are, all in the hope that the kids will find playmates.

Here in Ua Pu, we have finally found 2 kid boats. They each have 11 year old girls and 9 year old boys. It's not exactly ideal because the kids have known each other for a year and are older enough than Ellie and Carter that playing is not as easy to arrange as we might hope. They have put us onto the fact that there are 3 more boats, currently about 100 miles south of us, who have a range of kids from 4 to 8 years old. So again, we are arranging our schedule and making plans to hopefully meet up with them. I got their e-mail addresses this morning, so my next letter will be to them. Hopefully we will hook up in the Tuamotus. We haven't seen Wyndeavor for 2 months, and are hoping to meet up with them in the next couple of weeks as well.

Pete is spending the afternoon hauling jugs of water from shore out to the boat in the dinghy. We've borrowed some extra jugs and he can haul about 60 gallons at a shot. We're hoping to fill up 300 more gallons before we leave. It's 94 degrees now in the shade. It makes the work extra tiring. There are 7 other boats here, this evening we're inviting them over for a dinner potluck. We enjoyed that form of socializing in Mexico and hope to make friends here too. I've spent the morning cleaning, and now better think of something to cook.

All for now, Kellie