Still in Tahiti...

But, we are just about finished with all of our provisioning and projects. Plus, our formal checkout from the Society Islands has been completed. We just have one more French formality to go through in the Tuamotu and that's it until next year.

Laundry Day

It might not seem like a treat to folks with washing machines, but finding a good laundromat that is affordable has been a luxury that we taken advantage of here in Tahiti. These machines hold two loads of clothes and give everything a great spin. We still hang everything on the boat to dry, but this sure beats hand washing!

Polynesian fishing boat

The fishing boats are definitely unique to Polynesia and they zoom around the islands. The boat is steered by using a joystick that goes side-to-side versus a wheel. Plus, the pilot is on a raised platform so that he can see the reefs better - makes sense.

Waiting for the fishermen

Since we haven't been able to catch a fish for awhile, we decided to try a different approach. We dinghied down to an area with a lot of fishing boats and waited... No boats came in with any fish while we waited so we gave up. Doug and Carol tried again the next day - still nothing. We aren't sure if there are any fish left, but we will keep trying!

Beautiful Tahitian girls

As we wander around town, it is always a treat to meet some of the young people. Just like kids everywhere, they love to ham it up for the camera.

Tourists!

Hopefully, we will be able to leave Tahiti on Friday and sail over to Moorea. We are waiting on a weather window for our crossing to the Tuamotu. We love Moorea and figured that would be a great place to wait and enjoy some water sports and clean the bottom of the boat and dinghy - it is starting to collect some pond scum. Always some fun to be had somewhere!

PS: We highly recommend using the Papeete Agency that was organized through the Pacific Puddle Jump. It costs us $188 (for two people) for the service, which included clearance into French Poly, bond exemption, and duty free fuel. Plus, the agents in Nuku Hiva and Papeete were so helpful and gave us lots of free advice and drove us around. Very nice people. We figured that the amount of money we saved on fuel alone more than paid for the fees. Next year, the cost will go up a little, but it should still be a great deal.