Good Times, Bad Weather

Beautiful Moorea.

How the kids spend their time when not in the water.

What laundry for 11 looks like.

Enjoying our time under the sun in Moorea. 

On Sunday, we got up early and joined the Huahine branch at the local Mormon church. Martin even helped teach Sunday School.

When we got back to the boat, Sue had laid out a spread.  It's amazing what it takes to feed a brood like us on a Sunday afternoon.

Again, I am being a bit overly dramatic.  We didn't eat ALL of that in one sitting, but we were close.

On Monday, we decided to climb to a beautiful lookout high up in the mountains of Huahine.  The guidebook made it sound so easy to get to, so we jumped off our dinghy and started the hike trying to find the trailhead.  It was a little more difficult than we first thought with 7 kids in tow and we soon realized that the hike was going to be a little more lengthy than we anticipated.  Knowing the kids weren't going to last, we decided to hitchhike to get to the mouth of the trail. After a few failed attempts, this lovely family saw us in peril (they mainly saw all the children) and pulled over and offered a ride to the start of the hike.

Once we got to the mouth of the canyon, we quickly realized that this wasn't going to be an easy hike, yet we knew we were now invested.  "Maima and Frederick" soon became our very best friends because there was no way that Maima was going to just drop us off seeing our situation.  Instead, what was just supposed to be a trip for them to the grocery store to buy a local newspaper, turned into a trip up the mountain to let us take in the view.  We all laughed because there was no way that we would have made it to the top since it was a good 4 kilometers up, and our small children were already getting tired.

The next day proved to be fun because Sue issued an invitation for "Island Night" on Amara.  That was enough to get the kids more than excited.  Their costumes went on for hours before the official night began... because who can resist a little island wear?

My sister and her family, ready for the festivities to begin.
Lily all decked out for Island Night.

This special night calls for pulling out the fine china.

There is always a kids table for the littles.

The next day, we went on a hike to see the three waterfalls that was a "must see" in our guide books.  Instead, we found ourselves halfway up the mountain, stuck in a bamboo forest and it was getting dark quick.

We never saw those waterfalls, but it did make for a good memory in trying to get there and getting lost while realizing we had gone off the path somehow.  Of course, when that happens in my family, instead of us getting scared, the jokes start to come out.  I never get too nervous about getting lost because Martin has an impeccable sense of direction and truthfully, he knew where we were the entire time.  The problem is, we left the map to the waterfalls on the table back on Amara, so it had turned into a guessing game.  So, instead of finding the waterfalls, we chalked it all up to making a fun memory.

All is Not Calm

I can't help but think that my blog today is going to be similar to other cruisers blogs because we are all experiencing a lot of the same weather.  It's a cool 80 degrees.  That would seem idyllic to most, but add in 25-28 knot winds, some pretty good rainfall and then, to me, it doesn't seem so paradisiacal.
I have to keep reminding myself that this is winter time in the southern hemisphere.  The days are the shorter and the winds are at their strongest outside of typhoon season.

Amara has done an amazing job in shielding us from the cold, rain and wind.

I couldn't help but think of the story of the Odyssey and how it relates to Amara as of late.  Like Odysseus, I feel like we are getting blown across the sea, with Poseidon on our tail.  Although we never actually received a leather bag full of all the winds from Aeolus, it does feel like someone has opened the bag prematurely and we are stuck in a windstorm that we'd like to break free from.  Then throw in a few showers here and there.  I have yet to hear the sirens calling and there are no Trojans in sight… thank heavens!  All I can think is, "Hold on until Thursday" since the weather report says the worst is over by then.

Unlike Odysseus, we are still on course and it won't take us ten years to get to our destination (unless we choose for it to).  It's hardly fair to compare our "waiting out the storm" to Odysseus' Odyssey, but I can say that I understand Homer and his story a bit more as each day unfolds on this big blue sea. It really is about the journey and joy of discovery.  Even better, I have been able to enjoy it all with my family.

Monday, we ended up in Ta'ha' in hopes to wait out a few windstorms. Even in unfavorable weather, it really hasn't reduced our desire in having fun.  We are still able to go snorkeling or diving everyday.  We are just making the best of it and hope the sun will show her face soon enough and blow out that pesky old wind.

This past week, we also stopped in Huahine and took some time out to enjoy the beach for a few days.

The sun was out all day.  It was just those gusts of wind, mixed with pelting sand that cut our stay at the beach short.  Luckily, the beach was right in front of a lovely new resort and we decided to seek refuge in the restaurant where we enjoyed a great lunch as a family.

In fact, it was so good, and well, let's face it, I love a nice resort, that we took Sue and David out that evening for dinner there as well.

After a day on the beach, we went to go see the famous stingrays.  We were a little caught off guard by how quickly they come up to you.  They are just like little kitty cats coming up to you for a nuzzle.  The little kids were a little caught off guard at first, but they quickly jumped in to give it a try.




If anyone ever makes it to Huahine, this is a definite must.  Luckily, since we had our own dinghy, we just drove out to where all the paying customers were.  Again, another advantage to having your own boat.  It really was something that we'll talk about for years to come.

Like Odysseus, our journey continues...

The Kimballs Arrive in Papeete

On Monday, I was so excited that my family would be there that evening, that I decided that Martin and I should go and greet them at the airport.  We hadn't plan to see them until the next day (after they got settled), but I thought it was silly since the marina was so close to the airport and I was just dying to see my sister sooner rather than later.  So, I insisted that we go and surprise them the traditional Tahitian way… with leis and lots of hugs and kisses.

The entire gang all together ready for our next adventure.

Bella, their youngest, was too tired and decided to find a snooze on the closest flat surface.
The next day, we all took off and drove around the island to take in the sights and stop at a few beaches along the way.

Our first stop was at a Mara's grotto just outside of Papeete.  Colton, the oldest of my sister's brood, took Lily around in her backpack.

Lily was a little more than excited to be riding on her cousin's back.

Next, we went to the botanical gardens (Jardines Botaniques) and even got the chance to take home a few coconuts.

After a quick picnic at the ocean we took the kids to the Arahoho Blowhole and pretended that we didn't know that the "blow" would be so forceful when standing close to it.  Our first two victims were my nephews, Colton and Clay.
After a days full of activities, we headed to Louis' brother's home (Jeff) where we met up with him and his family. Jeff was so kind to take us up to the top of Mount Aorai. (Just an FYI, the pearl crop that we saw being harvested in Takaroa was just sold by Jeff.)  We were so excited to hear that news.  Amazing!

Jeff took us on a jeep ride that I don't think that we'll ever forget.  We got in the truck thinking it would be an hour or so, but instead, it turned into a four and a half hour adventure up into the canyon.  We saw ancient burial sights, climbed up to a natural waterfall and slide and drove around and saw all the other spectacular waterfalls.  It was a beautiful drive in spite of it being a bit bumpy…. okay, really bumpy.  Which simply added to the fun we were having.

Little did we know at the time, this jeep ride was going to be the highlight of the day.  The kids loved riding in the back of the jeep as we rode up the mountain.  Jeff's boys, who didn't know we were Mormon yet started singing Primary songs.  The boys were astonished that we were singing songs that they knew so well and quickly joined in singing the Primary songs in French.  It was great to see barriers quickly fall away as they joined in with us in song.

After a little hike and playing in a natural water slide for an hour, we took a little rest high in the mountain on Jeff's Land Rover.  We couldn't believe how beautiful it was up in the mountains of Tahiti.

The kids loved every minute of the adventure.




After about four hours of riding up in the mountains, we figured that the kids would be good and tired by the time we got to dinner.  We were right.  By the time we did get to the restaurant, jet lag and a full day of activities had done the kids in and they could barely hold their heads up to eat.

We leave for Moorea tomorrow where we plan to do more scuba diving and snorkeling.  I can't wait to just spend time with my sister, her husband and their kids.  We have two weeks chalk full of activities and we hope to keep the kids good and busy.  There is so much to do when you live on a boat, and we are hoping they get caught up in the island life like Martin and I have already done.  There really is no adventure close to this, especially for kids.  We want them to have this memory of visiting us in the South Pacific for the rest of their lives.  I think that we are doing a pretty good job!

Back in Paradise

Today is Sunday, July 21 and it is 5:00 am.  I find that this has been the only time where my thoughts are my own, especially since we have my sister and her family on board.  I have written out a few posts and noticed that these next few posts will be more like photo logs.  Hopefully, I can steal some more time next week to write about our sailing plans and some observations that I have made along the way.  The kind of stuff I really like to blog about.

However, right now I have readers sending me emails asking, "Where are you?"  So I write quickly before my 11 guests wake.  Because once they do, it will be about making our guests feel welcome, fed and entertained (all of which we have had great success with already).

The only downside to currently being in paradise is that it has been a cool 90 degrees with 12-18 knot winds at times here in the Society Islands.  As I type, the wind is blowing so hard that AMARA is more like a ride at the county fair than the strong vessel that she usually is.  Her body seems to roll with the waves and is being pushed by the winds in circles, giving me a 360 degree view every time the wind picks up and swings AMARA around.  In fact, our sail from Moorea to Huahine yesterday brought us up to 30-knot winds all night.  My sister and her family asked for adventure and well, we are giving it to them.  The wind should die down next week by the time we get to Bora Bora, but before then, and like I said—it's still a warm 90 degrees out so I am hardly complaining.

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Saturday, July 13

Martin and I arrived in Tahiti late Thursday evening and hit the ground running (as usual) but this time with an incentive.  My sister, Courtney, and her family were coming the following Monday to meet us and join us on AMARA for our journey from Tahiti, to Moorea (10 miles from Tahiti), then on to Huahine (90 miles from Moorea) then on to Fa'a and lastly, to Bora Bora.

Before they came, we knew that their was lots that needed to get done before they came, i.e.,  food shopping, possible purchase more pearls, and, of course, we couldn't miss out on another opportunity to dive to the bottom of the ocean and feed the sharks!  Oh, and there were a few minor boat repairs that needed fixing but we had our priorities!

The first day after our arrival, we went to the Heiva festival where we saw spear tossing, coconut shredding (copra), stone lifting and my favorite, music and dancing.

The men preparing for the spear tossing.

Looks like they are still a good aim after all these centuries.

The aftermath.

Now for the dancing.

We were so lucky to have been here in order to get so much of the cultures of the Society Islands under one roof.

We even got to meet Miss Tahiti and Miss Papeete.

After the Hieva festival, we got in our dinghy and headed for the harbor where the canoeing races were going to take place.  We got there just in time to watch them take off at the start of the race.


We had the advantage compared to the people on shore because we could follow them from behind in our dinghy which made us feel even more a part of the race.

After the races, we headed for the grocery store to do our last bit of shopping before my sister and her family came to town.  We had Sue go ahead and do all the shopping and then we met her later to bring the carts back to the marina where we could load them into the dinghy.  It's quite the sight seeing three grocery carts going down the main street towards the marina next to all the traffic.


After the shopping adventure, we were ready for my family to arrive and couldn't wait for them to arrive on Monday.

Vacationing From Our Vacation

Running errands.  Endless errands.

Only one more day in the states and then Martin, Lily and I are off to Papeete, Tahiti to resume our adventure on AMARA.  Since we have been home, Martin and I have been moving at a breakneck speed.  I am afraid there is no end in sight.  There are still boat parts to be purchased, new swimsuits to be claimed (at least for me), books and movies to download to our devices, and there are friends, family, business and taxes that need our attention.

Lily having a much needed play date.

Our home looks like it was caught in a tornado, or has been ransacked by thieves due to our comings and goings to and from the house—only leaving time for a quick meal while standing over the kitchen sink.  Truthfully, I feel like I am running around in circles, wondering if there is an end in sight.  I keep telling myself, "You can do this now and sleep on the plane."  The reality of me sleeping on the plane with a four-year-old is next to impossible, but I'll keep telling myself that just to get me through the next 24 hours.  Maybe on Saturday, when we are back on AMARA, I'll be able to get caught up on that much needed sleep.

Lake Powell

Since we have been home in the states, we were able to enjoy a week at Lake Powell.  It was so fun to be with my family and dear friends and just sit down and talk.

This year, Martin and I didn't take our houseboat and instead went on our friend, Amy's, new houseboat.  It was our one week to just relax and not have a care in the world, especially about boats... well, at least about AMARA.  It felt weird for me to not have constant discussions on what to do next or where to go next on AMARA with Martin.  I am sure we both had her in the back of our minds throughout the week.  We are anxious to get back and continue our adventure together, but it has been nice to take a little break from it and just focus on life back at home.  We keep laughing that we took a vacation from our vacation.  Who comes home from paradise?

Until then, there is a house to clean, bags that need packing and more errands to complete before we leave early Friday morning.  We will make the most of the next 24 hours and then it's back to paradise and AMARA.

A few videos

Because I'm "time zone challenged" these days.  I thought I'd take advantage of still being awake at 4:30am and throw a few videos up for your viewing pleasure.  I don't think that I can get enough of being in the land of free and abundant wi-fi, so I may as well take advantage of my insomnia and be a little productive.

As an FYI... both of the videos posted below were made using our GoPro Hero 3.   It's a fun underwater camera and it helped us to get some great footage of our shark encounter, as well as, capture our trip through the Panama Canal.

The first video is of our shark "fiesta" in Fakarava.  It makes for a great screen saver if you turn down the volume, but I thought it would be fun to throw in the Jaws score just for kicks.  As I stated in a previous post, Martin and I dove with sharks over the course of 3 days and gathered footage which I spliced together for the short video below.  I especially love when one of the sharks got a little too close to the camera while Martin was filming and flicks the camera with its tail.  It was a thrilling experience to say the least.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.  It was really something I'll never forget because of the thrill of knowing that I was brave enough to swim with sharks.  Enjoy!

The second video is an extended version of AMARA and us going through the Panama Canal.  This time, the footage includes all three locks (it seems like going through the Canal was ages ago).  I put in a few fun facts about the Canal in the footage that I thought the viewers would be interested in knowing about the Panama Canal  If you have some time, take a look.  If you start at minute 3:15 on the video it shows the new footage that I added to the previous video.  Watch it, it's pretty fun and informative.  Plus, you get to see me running around 1,000 miles an hour (which is pretty true to life these days).

Leaving Paradise

Martin, Lily and I are currently back in the states.  We are visiting with our family and friends at one of our favorite places, Lake Powell.  We will be there for the week, then home for another week.  Then we are off again and back to Tahiti where we will be entertaining my sister, Courtney, and her husband, Trent, and their six kids through the end of July.

We love being home and spending quality time with our family and dear friends but we are also excited to get back to Tahiti to entertain my sister and her family while we explore, Tahiti, Moʻorea, Huahine and Bora Bora.  Martin and I feel like we finally got to paradise and then before we had a chance to explore and enjoy it, we had to take off for home.  So, it will be nice to get back to paradise and get on with our journey.

In the meantime, I'll be taking advantage of all the free wi-fi and post some of the fun videos that I have made along the way.  Stay tuned!