Pacific Odyssey - Leg 3

It has been an amazing day, a day of variety.  Though the island is small and quite isolated, everyone has kept busy and been very content to stay here.  The pass through the coral has a current that is strong and so the zodiac picks everyone up at 1700 hrs so the driver can see the coral and the bottom, getting everyone back to the ship before dark.  There are so many hues of blue in the waters around Aitutaki because there are many coral beds and ledges at different heights where the water deepens drastically.  Colours range from sandy white to non-gel CREST toothpaste blue, to gel CREST blue, to shades of turquoise, to deeper aqua, to light royal blue, to incredibly rich tones of royal blue and so many more in between.  The people on Aitutaki are very friendly and the pace is slow, the silence is desolately beautiful.  We walked a long way along the beach and it reminded us of Ducie Island, one of the uninhabited Pitcairn Islands, where the silence and desolation pounds in your ears.  We loved it. The lagoon was very wide, with coral heads strewn across the width of it and the water never much deeper than 50cm.  The boys and I snorkelled way out towards the reef, staying close to the surface, skimming the coral, and swimming among many small, colourful fish.  Tav and Jose went on a scuba dive off the boat this morning, quite deep, and swam among chasms in the coral where large fish swam with the smaller ones.  The seascape was incredible they said, similar to valleys and mountains on land. Throughout the day, more trainees and crew donned on snorkel gear and swam the 300ft. to the reef and played amongst the fish and the turtles and the moray eels.  Jose thought it was some of the best snorkelling and diving so far.  While Jose and Tav were diving this morning they found that our anchor had snagged on some old chain that used to be part of a mooring for a big American Navy Ship.  Skipper needed to have our anchor and line untangled during the day in case we drag at night and need to raise the anchor in a hurry to reset it and move away from the reef. Once it´s dark, it´s too late to have a look why the anchor can´t be raised and this could lead us into big trouble quickly.  Antony and Jordan were in scuba gear and Jose and Karen were at the bow working the winch and conveying orders from Skipper who was at the wheel and the engine controls.  With the use of an extra line hauled out of the forepeak on the outhaul, thanks to Caelen, and some clever maneuvers and thinking on the part of Skipper, we were able to free our anchor chain and save our anchor.  Ashore today there was a group of trainees who played soccer with some of the local kids:  Gillian, Tristan, Arwen, Tavish, Chase, Robyn and Elske had a great and sweaty time playing.  Yesterday the trainees returned to the ship saying there was a STARBUCKS on the island.  I thought they were trying to pull our leg, but it turns out that a woman from Northern California actually has a license and opened a pseudo Starbucks just four weeks ago. She was a stressed attorney wanting something else and ended up travelling first to Papeete, then to Rarotonga, and finally to Aitutaki, where she met her husband and now lives part-time.  She says that the move has added years to her life and she is so glad she went through with her decision to make a lifestyle change.  She has quite nicely set up a small part of a dwelling with a few chairs, some STARBUCKS T-shirts and other paraphernalia; she has the home-size Barrista espresso machine and the Starbucks beans and charges an arm and a leg for her coffees.  She loved chatting with the trainees today and apparently has no shortage of business. It is a bit troublesome to see the Starbucks logo here, but she´s done it quite tastefully and simply.  There are a few resorts on the island and from those visitors, she makes her living.  Gillian bought one of the Frappacino ´somethings´ and told me it cost her $8.50 NZ, which turned out to be more than her $5 bicycle rental for the day!  Clare, Carolyn, Leslie and Susan stopped by an organic farm and spent time chatting with the farmer.  He gave them bananas and papayas and welcomed them to look around the farm, ask questions and spend some time on the beach in front of the property.  Karen climbed to the highest peak to get a gorgeous view and got lost on the way home.  Fortunately she found the main track again and was able to laugh about it.  Waiting for the last zodiac ride back to the ship, Jacob and I found a spigot that worked, we were so excited.  We quickly bent under the spout and doused ourselves, rinsing off all the salt water, sweat and suntan lotion from the day.  Skipper and Karen saw us and joined in; rinsing in fresh water is a luxury and one that we always appreciate, it´s a gift when it happens.   We are leaving at 0700 hrs tomorrow for Palmerston. We are excited about what may happen there; we´ve heard great things. We have a beautifully clear sky, very dark, excellent for looking at the constellations.  Everyone on board seems quite content to be here, the mood is good, and the group is coming together nicely.  Tomorrow we celebrate Jacob´s 12th birthday.  Gillian would like to wish Andree a wonderful birthday.  Happy Birthday Andree, hope you have a great day, love Gillian.  This is it for now, good night,
Bonice.