Leaving Bora Bora

It's always hard for me to say, "goodbye."  Especially when it's saying "goodbye" to family.  We plan to pull up anchor tomorrow morning and head to the Cook Islands (mainly to Suwarrow) and hang out there for a week and snorkel.  We have been told that it is some of the most amazing snorkeling around.  So, of course, we have to go and see for ourselves.  I am just sad to leave my sister and her family.  They plan to stay through the remainder of the week and then head for home to San Antonio, Texas.  I just can't believe how quickly time flies when family is around.  I am sure I will shed some tears when it's time for us to part ways.

After Suwarrow we will head to Tonga and stay there for the remainder of August.  The worst part of the whole itinerary is that I will be without internet for about 3 of those four weeks.  We still have our satellite so I will still be able to post, but it just makes it a little more difficult… and a little lonelier for me.  Sometimes, in bed at night before I go to sleep, I'll whisper to Martin, "You're my best friend. You are all I got."  Then he says the same back to me.  Thank heavens that I do have my best friend on board, but having said that, I still love to stay in the circle of my large family and friend population through social media (I'm addicted to Instagram… especially when living on a boat).  So I will have to suck it up for a few weeks and learn to entertain myself through other mediums other than technology.

Suwarrow consists of a population of two.  Two park rangers that are stationed on the island for six months at a time.  This will prove to be a little difficult for me because I love "civilization" and although a deserted island sounds heavenly to some, for me, not so much.  I love people.  I love being around them, getting to know them and hearing their stories.  I love the idea of being a part of their lives if only for a little while.  If it wasn't for the snorkeling in Suwarrow, I would have to give it a pass.  However, Martin has me convinced that this is something that we can't miss just because there aren't any people!  Plus it's right on the way and it will be a nice pit stop.

After our stay in Surwarrow, we will head to Tonga.  Both passages will be around 5-6 days to get to each location.  From Tonga, we will head to Fiji and stay in Fiji for the month of September.  From Fiji, we will set sail for Vanuatu and New Caledonia, and then on to Brisbane.  From Brisbane, we will make our way down the coast into Sydney harbor.

It all sounds so easy when I type out our itinerary on this post, but I know it entails a lot of sailing and, quite frankly, the sailing part is a little difficult on me because it requires me taking my 3-4 hour shifts at the helm (and we all know how much I love being at the helm—not so much).

When not at the helm, all hands are on Lily.  Literally.  I probably don't discuss Lily enough on this blog because I feel like I have on my last blog about her, but because of Lily's delays, she doesn't play really well on her own.  She doesn't follow a movie for more than 2 minutes and she always seems to be reaching for some object that shouldn't be reached for meaning; we have to stay on our toes keeping this girl entertained or she gets into trouble—FAST.  Which entails an iPad falling off the table or a cup flying to the ground.

It's okay, I wanted it this way.  I wanted Lily to have her mom and dad's constant attention, but in the reality of things, it gets to be a little taxing on both Martin and me.  Sitting on the ground playing with toys after a long shift at the helm is less than ideal.  I so want to start her back on a nap time during my time on the flybridge to relieve Martin a little, but naps have proved to be fruitless because then she refuses to go to sleep at her 7:30pm bedtime.  I know that I am preaching to the choir right now and how dare I say that "playing" with my daughter is tiresome, but it is.  I love my time to read books, to blog and to just get caught up in my thoughts.  However, I find that to be difficult with a little pair of four-year-old eyes looking up at me as if to say, "Wanna play?" with an undeniable intensity.  So I do… or Martin does… or sometimes we sit her between us on the bed and throw her toys while I type out a new post with one hand and using the other to hold on to her to make sure she doesn't go over the bed.  Same with Martin.  He has gotten to be quite skilled at reading a book and playing with Lily simultaneously.

Okay, enough of this silly little problem.  We'll work it out, we always do, and Lily most certainly doesn't feel abandoned by her loving parents.  It's just the guilt that sets in on me and I always think that I could do more.  The truth is, I probably already am doing more… and so is Martin.  We love this little girl to the moon and back, and would do anything to see a constant smile on that cherubic little face.

Enough said.
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REMINDER:  Remember to check back on our blog and check our location on the map during our next passage (right hand side bar).  I love having the GPS follow our trip and map out our locations.  Probably mine and Martin's mothers love it especially.

Since I won't have internet for awhile, here are a few more pictures of our stay here in Bora Bora.
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Friday night, we went to a mini-Heiva festival put on be the Bora Bora LDS (Mormon) Stake.  It was magnificent to see all the members performing.  I especially loved watching the children.  They were all so beautiful and boy, did they have the moves in those little hips.  One word-ADORABLE!

Our friend, Gael getting her hair done before the performance.

I stole Gael's headdress for just a moment...

Gael is the one second from the right in the first row.  This was a beautiful number of all the members singing a song native to their culture.

Apple is alive and well in Bora Bora.

After an evening of dancing, we joined the members on a motu (island) the next day as they headed for Hilton hotel's private island for a day of entertainment for not only the members of the church, but also for their guests.  It was their way of doing missionary work while getting the members involved.

Here, the members and people from the town would stack up on the barge that would take them to the private island for the stake's all day activity.  It was so fun.  So fun, in fact, that our family joined in and participated in the races.

Martin doing the banana race.

Bailey pretending to be in this leg of the race...

As well as cute Leah...

But not Courtney.  She was a contender!

Bailey and Trent participating in the sack race.

Gael was also a participant.  I think we cheered the loudest for her.

…and Martin following up the end of the relay.

Of course, we couldn't pass up the tug-o-war.

…and, of course, we won!  (Not without the help of some pretty strong Tahitians.)

Lexi taking it easy with me on the mats.

As well as Bailey and Lily.

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After a full day of fun, my sister and her family went for another scuba dive.  I loved these pictures so much that I thought I would share some of my sister's photos of her family diving.

Colton and Bailey showing some sibling love… or at least trying.

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Also, I wanted to post a few pictures of the place my sister and her family stayed at while on Bora Bora.  They had their own little island all to themselves.  I loved the place they stayed at and wanted to share a few photos of their house.

The living room.

The kitchen.

Outside dining.

One of the bedrooms.

The outside shower.  (Don't worry, there were some modern ones also available in the rooms).

It's all in the details.

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Here are some other random shots of our last days in Bora Bora.

Sue and David with a picturesque view of Bora Bora behind them.

Enjoying a little relaxation with our fancy juices at the Bora Bora Yacht Club.

What a beautiful sunset.

Lily loves her Happy Hour.

Lily ready for church.

My sister and her family arriving to church on their new little dinghy provided by their rental.  We loved having them join us and they will definitely be missed we leave tomorrow.

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UPDATE:
Sue would like me to properly display the true beauty of a Pavalova that she makes and to not think that the one that she made for Island Night is how it should be properly presented.  So in order to keep the chef happy, I am going to do just what she asks.  Behold, her masterpiece!

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ALSO….

WRITE TO US!

PS.  We love hearing from you on my FB page and through emails.  Martin isn't convinced how big of a following we really have (which is really quite busy!).  Not too shabby for just being starters with this and with little to no advertising.  Would you mind taking a moment and wishing us fair winds and safe seas directly on our blog? It would mean the world to us to read your comments and help us to know we aren't so alone on this next leg to Suwarrow.

As always, thanks for following our adventures at sea.  I'm afraid to pinch myself in fear that this is all a dream.  We are doing this!

Fun Photos of our Stay in French Polynesia

Next Tuesday we plan to leave Tahiti and set sail for Suwarrow in the Cook Islands.  I am excited to get on with our travels but sad to leave Tahiti behind.  We had such a wonderful stay here.  The people are so kind and giving.  The scenery is intoxicating with it's lush, green peaks, beautiful waterfalls and perfect climate.  Throw in the lagoons with their turquoise waters and this makes it a dream-like setting for any traveler chasing the sun.  I can see why this is the destination hotspot for many honeymooners…  and me.

It's not going to be easy to leave paradise behind.  However, I say that "tongue and cheek" because our trip for the next four months is going to bring us more tropical settings and even more beautiful waters and views that will be just as noteworthy.  So maybe it's the people that I'll miss even more.  Maybe it's the fact that I spent a lot of my time here with my family, and family makes it all the more memorable.  I start to think about my family leaving and it makes my heartstrings tug a little more than usual. I have really loved sharing this time that Martin and I have had here with them.  We'll have these memories forever and many of them are unforgettable and stories will be shared for years to come.

I wanted to do a little "recap" of what made our stay here in French Polynesia so memorable.

First, there was our meeting up with Jeff and Morton Palmer and Jeff's family.  We loved his family in the Tuamotu's and then meeting Jeff and Morton in Papeete solidified our friendship with this wonderful family.
Pictured is Morton Palmer (top left) and Jeff Palmer (top right). At the helm are Jeff's boys, Mananui and Henere.

Going up the mountain with Jeff is an experience we aren't going to forget for a long time.

Other highlights and photos that I haven't shared...

Getting provisions for the Kimball clan to come for a visit.

Hiking to all the amazing waterfalls.

The beauty of Moorea.

Lily spending time with her cousins.


...and with her mama.

My sister, Courtney, and her lovely girls.

Lily enjoying the beach at Huahine.

"Island Night" on Amara.

Lily's love of coconut water.



Leah at the helm.

Our next boat... Dreaming.  This is boat is owned by a russian billionaire and we were mesmorized by how beautiful it was.

We made it to Bora Bora!!



Trent, Courtney and Lexi taking in the beauty of Bora Bora.

It got a little cold on the trip into Bora Bora, so I pulled out my foul weather gear.

Hanging out on Hilton's private island.


Bailey and I ready for a day of snorkeling.

Courtney and me stealing a few moments together.

Spa day.  Let the real fun begin.


Martin and me switching roles with David and Sue and fixing our own dinner.  It's about time.



The kids beachside at the Hilton.

Our friend Gael, who we met in town and became our new best friend.  She leaves for a LDS (Mormon) mission in September to New Zealand.

Courtney and Trent rented a home on a Motu (island) and this dinghy came with the deal.  Pretty sweet ride if you ask me.

More photos tomorrow about our day at the Bora Bora Stake activity and other fun photos.

 

The Beauty of Bora Bora

After fighting the wind earlier this week, we made the call to pull up anchor and head for Bora Bora.  I mean, if we are going to endure some less than favorable weather, it might as well be in the number one honeymoon destination in the world!

The seas were ROCKY during our 20 mile passage.  In fact, they were rocking and rolling so much that we all started to feel its effects on us.  Poor little Bella may have suffered the most.

Captain Dave doing far and above his call of duty.

When coming into the harbor of Bora Bora we were greeted by THREE whales just outside the atoll of the harbor's entrance.  We stayed there for an hour just watching as the whales played freely in the water, breeching and flipping their tails.  We finally had our chance to see whales and it was more than magical.

Once we made it inside the big lagoon, we were finally able to enjoy Bora Bora.

In one word, Bora Bora is beautiful.  It's definitely a destination resort kind of vacation, but the island itself has been pristine to wake up to each morning.

Yesterday, we discovered Hilton's private island just off of the main island and got permission to go over to it after 3:00.  A couple on their honeymoon had booked it until then and we were told it would be empty after that.  I think we were there at 3:01.  It was lovely and manicured and the kids loved playing in the turquoise water while snorkeling.

My sister, Courtney, and her husband, Trent, enjoying our own little "private island" experience.



Lily took advantage of the cabana's where she was able to strike her all too familiar pose.  We like to call it, "The Supermodel."

Lily also loved playing at the water's edge in the sand with her dad.

Today, we plan to do a few dives to see more sharks and then maybe take a walk around the island and try and discover some new adventure for the kids.  It really has been so fun looking at all of this through the eyes of the kids.  I am going to be more than truthful here; having six kids on board has proved to be a challenge only in that I want to keep them entertained at all times.  Having less than ideal conditions up until two days ago has upped that challenge.  However, after the past few days, the water has been calm, the sun has been shining and the temperature has been a cool 90 degrees.  I can't ask for a better setting for these kids.  Each day I arise early in the morning anticipating the days events with my family.  I have sure enjoyed this time with them and already miss my sister even though she still has 5 more days on AMARA with us.  It's been that fun with all of them.

More to come now that I have found wi-fi… All is good.