third time is a charm

How many times does it take to attempt a trip to the museum before you actually make it there? Well in this case, the first try was on a Sunday and the buses don't run there. After walking for 20 minutes in the heat, we gave up and turned around. The second try we waited at the bus stop for 20 minutes, baking in the 90 degree heat, being passed by buses that didn't stop. I had been battling sinus headaches all week and couldn't sit there breathing exhaust anymore. So finally on the third try we made it to the museum. Was it worth it? Moderately. It was nice to read a bit more about the islands that we have been seeing and we enjoyed the gardens outside. The kids got more enjoyment out of the Sprite and ice cream afterwards. I think they were impressed though by seeing things in a museum that they had first hand experience of. The shell collection was the favorite, and it was not near as big as ours.

We did finish school this week. I wouldn't say we finished on a very positive note, but we've put it behind us and are looking forward to enjoying the next few months of "vacation." Ellie is reading chapter books now on her own, so I think she will continue to read all summer. Carter is still enjoying the occasional reading and writing lesson and I encourage him at his own pace.

This last week was a milestone week for us. We celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary, our 1 year anniversary of living on the boat and our 10 month anniversary of leaving Bellingham. That's a lot to celebrate. Over the last year on the boat we have learned so much and the hard times are getting easier while the fun is getting more fun. We've had some very serious talks about our cruising future and we've come up with the "one island at a time" philosophy. We know that at any time we could head north to Hawaii or keep going to New Zealand. We have a couple more months of flexibility and then will have to make a firm decision. Every month gets easier for the kids and I, but it's still hard. We're learning to be proactive in seeking out "the fun" and seizing the moment when opportunities arise. I've learned to grocery shop for months at a time so we are not restricted by the need for stores. Pete has fixed just about everything that needs tinkering and the boat is in fine shape. That leaves more time for R & R, which is why we did this in the first place. Our determination to see the museum is just an example of the frustration of traveling and the rewards of making things happen.

Sometimes flexibility and determination are critical to accomplishing errands with no car in a strange place. In the midst of trying to see museums and sights, we also had some chores to get done in the city. Propane, fuel and groceries topped the list. Our first attempt to get propane failed miserably. We attempted a combination propane & grocery trip on Monday. We hauled all our empty bags and the empty propane bottle several blocks to the gas station. I was to take Ellie and shop while the guys dropped off the bottle to be filled. The grocery store was just closing for a 2 hour lunch. So, I went to find Pete and he was being told in French that it was too late for propane today, come back Wednesday and it would be ready by Friday. Foiled again. So Pete took the propane bottle back to the boat and I walked the 1/4 mile the other way to the other grocery store. You have to put coins in the shopping carts there like at the airport, and of course I didn't have the right coin. So I lurked around until I found an abandoned cart and started in. You should see the cheese aisle in the french grocery store!! Pete finally caught up with me after landing the dinghy virtually in the parking lot of the store in between the shanties that line the beach. The family living there let him walk through their yard so we didn't have to haul a month worth of groceries back the 1/4 mile to the dock where we usually left the dinghy. Check groceries off the list, we're provisioned up for a month again. Pete went back to the gas station on Wednesday only to be told by a different clerk that it was a holiday and no trucks were coming, so please come back Friday and it will be ready by Monday. Strike two on the propane. So finally a group of guys went together and bought bottles full of butane and drained it into our tanks. They then returned the empty tanks and got their deposit back. Another errand is done. We'd now been in Tahiti for a week and had only managed to check in with customs, have a brief look around the waterfront, get groceries, propane, internet and do the laundry. We were a bit frustrated.

My good friend from high school arrived early Thursday morning. We wanted to be all done with errands by the time she arrived. We generally try to be realistic about what we can accomplish in a day. But on Thursday we went crazy and did four things. We finally made it to the museum in the morning, had a snorkel in the afternoon, finished washing all the towels and then went into Papeete to watch a local dance school put on an outdoor performance. Poor Carrie had been up most of the night but she trooped along and even helped wring out the towels. The dancing was great, the girls were smiley and elegant. The young boys came out afterwards and stole the show with some break dancing and acrobatics. Carter is referring to it as "the actions." All in all a great day and it redeemed our Tahiti experience.

Today, Friday, we motored over to Moorea where we will spend the next few days. It's quite beautiful and much quieter here. There is a long public beach just half a mile from the anchorage and the snorkeling right off the boat is terrific. We'll try to see several bays on the island in the next few days and then take Carrie back to catch her plane next Wednesday night. We're looking forward to a nice relaxing time.

Thanks to all of you who e-mailed us in the last couple of months. We finally were able to check it in Papeete and will try to get back to you all in person soon. Love to you all, Kellie