Sunset Beach Motel

Before we arrived in Raiatea, Jerry decided it was time to take a little shore leave, so he made a reservation for two nights at the Sunset Beach Motel (catchy name, don’t you think??). He and Jock stayed there when they came in early July and worked on the boat when it was in the boat yard. It is a former coconut plantation that has been converted into a mini resort. There are about 25 little bungalows that are equipped with a picnic table, a kitchenette, a small shower and toilet, and a bed with a foam mattress. The first thing I did when we arrived was take a HOT shower. What a luxury! The funny thing is that while in the shower I felt like I was still in the boat, trying to keep my balance. We sat on the porch that overlooked the lagoon, drank coconut juice, and watched the sun set over Bora Bora in the distance.

The next day we called a taxi and took a ride in to Uturoa. It is the second largest city in Polynesia after Papeete, but actually, much cleaner and much smaller. It also has a farmers market in the center of town and on the second floor there are artisans selling jewelry, baskets, dresses, etc. Jerry was in the mood for a hamburger and we actually found a place that served them. We got something to cook at the motel for dinner and started winding our way back. Jerry saw a little store where Yuriko and her sister had bought some things last year and said we should check it out. The lady that owned the store was another Polynesian character. Her name was Flora and she told us about everything in her store. Tapa cloth, fish hooks, wood carvings, pareos, and finally….pearls. Evidently her family owned a pearl farm and she wanted me to try on everything she had in the store. “Madame, please, just for fun, let’s try this on.” Well, it was fun. With every necklace she told us about the pearls and why each particular necklace was special. She has a Japanese woman who strings and knots them with silk. Before we left I was the proud owner of a beautiful multi color pearl necklace. Thank you, Jerry. This is the best souvenir yet!

Jerry also bought a gift for Jock; a hand-made fishing lure. Flora had a story about this as well. She knew the man who made it over fifty years ago. Jock is a fisherman and was very touched by the gift.

The next morning we woke up early and went kayaking around the shore. It is amazing how shallow the water is for miles around. The fish and coral are so easy to see right from the comfort of the kayak. We stopped at the boat yard where the boat was stored last year and Jerry went and said hello to many of the boat yard workers he had made friends with. They were a variety of people, men and women, French and Polynesian, all working away on the boats and all with fascinating tattoos. I know I have mentioned this before, but I truly have never seen tattoos done in this fashion every before. I haven’t got the guts to ask anyone if I can take a picture of them yet, but maybe I will soon. The women have theses snake-type tats spiraling up their legs or around their waist and arms, finished with a sting ray or flower. The men’s tats are more tribal looking.

That evening, we went for a snorkel off the pier in front of the motel bungalows. Once again, thousands of fish were gathered around and we had fun swimming in this ocean aquarium when it began to pour rain. We looked back at the shore of the Sunset Beach Motel and a beautiful double rainbow began to reveal itself above the bungalows. What a sight.

On Friday, August 13, we returned to the boat and prepared to leave Uturoa. We fueled up, provisioned the boat, and took off south for the Faaroa River. As we entered the bay that led to the river, a Polynesian man was sitting in his va’a (outrigger) and began to paddle next to us. It really was a beautiful sight. The va’a was a dark blue, streamlined boat with an American flag decal on the back. He followed us all the way up the bay and watched while we anchored. Soon Jock and this man were carrying on a conversation in Tahitian. The man asked if Jock wanted to paddle his va’a. Well, Jock jumped down and hopped in the boat to try it out. It is a little more difficult than the natives make it appear. Jock circled around the boat a few times and then it was my turn. In French, I told him my name was Lisa, and then he said, “My name is not Jim, not James Bond, it is Jems.” He was so funny and was absolutely happy to let me pop into the outrigger and paddle away. It is so fast and goes straight easily, but try to turn and it becomes a challenge. As I was getting out he asked what we were doing tomorrow and I told him we planned to take the dinghy up the river around 10:00am.

The next morning I made banana pancakes (how many ways can you eat 50 bananas that are ripening at the same time?) Jerry made coffee and we had a nice breakfast on deck enjoying the sun and scenery. Who should come paddling up, but our new friend, Jems. He came to lead us up the river and after we started the journey we realized we needed him. The water was shallow with tree stumps and debris along the way. The river became narrow the farther up we went, the area became canopied with jungle growth and eventually the banks of the river were getting higher and higher. I must admit, I started to get a little nervous and wanted to turn around. The guys started teasing me about alligators and piranhas…not funny. Once again, we are following a stranger in a strange area, I don’t know how I would get back in this 2 feet of water…Yikes!! We pull over at a broken down pier and Jems pulls his boat on shore as we tie up. We climb up on this broken wooden pier and I look over at Jems as he starts whacking a bush with a MACHETE!! Oh my God!! Now I know we are going to be sacrificed. This guy wants our boat! No one will ever find us back here. Jerry and Jock thinks this is great and continues to follow him as he describes the flowers, trees and vines. Next, he cuts some kind of unusual fruit that I have never seen and says, “You eat. It good for you”. Okay, I hesitantly took a bite, then he immediately said, “It not good for me to eat”!! Here we go again; this guy is now trying to poison me! We continued back in to the jungle and I started to feel a little more comfortable. We ambled back to the boat and Jerry hopped into the va’a to try it out. Like I said before, they are difficult to turn. Jerry couldn’t seem to get it to put it in reverse and the next thing I know he went around the bend of the river in the wrong direction. Jock jumps in the dinghy and I knew he was going to take off to help Jerry get turned around, or at least take a picture of the comical situation. I said, “Jock, please don’t leave me, let me get in with you,” but he was worried about Jerry, so off he went. Suddenly I found myself standing on the broken down wooden pier alone with Jungle Jems holding a machete in his hand and no sign of Laurel and Hardy.

Eventually, the guys returned and we maneuvered our way back to the boat. I was exhausted from the morning events and curled up in my berth to read Men Against the Sea and take a nap. When I woke up I saw that Jock was napping so I saw took this as an opportunity to take a sun shower. I don’t particularly like the sun shower, but after a couple of days of sunscreen, sweat, and terror, I needed one. I have come to have a new appreciation for my shower in Napa.

The guys met another cruising couple that are anchored in the same bay and invited them over for appetizers and wine. This couple was from Seattle and had been out on the open seas for five years. They told us about their journey to Alaska, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Galapagos, Chile, Patagonia, Easter Island, Marquesas, and now here! They are in construction and when the funds get low, they put the boat on the hard, head home to Seattle to work for six months and then return to their adventure. This is not an uncommon story as we have heard similar stories from many of the people we’ve met. Yesterday we met a couple from Brussels doing the same thing and a young man from the Netherlands who has singlehanded around the horn. As much as they love it and I’m sure they are having the time of their life, it takes a special kind of person to endure this lifestyle for an extended amount of time. I’ve seen some wonderful things and had experiences that I could never have imagined, but I am getting a little homesick and am ready to come home. Next week at this time I’ll be back in Napa. One more week in Paradise…