Thumbs up for Moorea!

Moorea lies about 12 miles north of Tahiti and seems a world apart. No large towns sprawl along her waterfront and the beaches and lagoons look like the postcard photos. On Saturday we spent the morning lounging on the beach and snorkeling. The coral grows right near the beach, so you can swim and sun bathe alternately all day. The fish are a lot more tame than anywhere else we have been. Instead of hiding in the coral, they are swimming freely among the swimmers. Pete is enjoying the underwater housing for the camera and taking tons of photos. The kids have fun finding the different species in the fish book in the evenings. They are quite proficient in pointing out all sorts of varieties now. The butterfly fish are lunch plate sized and the anemones house small black and neon blue fish. If fish aren't your thing, you can gaze at the topless French tourists.

Unfortunately the wind piped up and blew 15+ through the anchorage all day, making dinghy trips wet and bouncy. Some breeze is welcome though to cool off. We're on the south side of the island and the wind seems to funnel through between Tahiti and here. We've also had some rain at night, although luckily not much during the day. Today is overcast, so we might use the time to sail around to the north side of the island. We know 2 kid boats up there and our kids are asking to go join them.

Last night we enjoyed a Polynesian buffet and dance performance at the 4 star hotel nearby. There you can have dinner for $60, a beach front bungalow for $250 per night or an over water bungalow for $550. The dinner included a whole roasted pig, a whole grilled fish, breadfruit, raosted plantains, chicken skewers, goat steaks, local fruit and numerous unidentified dishes along with a sushi bar. The dessert bar filled with tortes, mousse, fruit and ice cream was worth it for me. The kids just wanted fruit and ice cream, and they were gracious enough not to charge us the $30 children's price. We had great seats to the show and got our pictures taken with the dancers afterwards. I still can't figure out how they shake it like that. Ellie was really impressed and has requested a coconut shell top to go with her grass skirt.

Going to dinner from a cruising boat has it's difficulties. I am used to it now and don't think twice, but having a guest on board reminds me of how crazy this can be. With the wind ripping through, we decided to wear shorts and change into nice clothes at the hotel. It also didn't start til 7 p.m., so we had to negotiate the 1/4 mile trip though the coral heads in the dark. We laughed a lot as the spray hit us and we peered into the night for the markers. Pete did a great job of navigating and we arrived just fine if not a bit damp. We anchored the dinghy right off the beach at the hotel and blended in with the hotel guests just like we belonged there. We're experienced now, so we don't forget things like turning on boat lights so we can find it again. That was a tough lesson to learn early on on moonless nights.

Carrie is having fun and beginning to wonder why she didn't book for two weeks. I think she'll be glad she's leaving when we sail overnight to Huahine next week. Her tummy wasn't holding up too well to the waves.

-Kellie