Strike While the Wifi is Hot!

We can't blame this tropicbird for hitching a ride into Papeete. The weather was not the most pleasant during the last night of our passage from the Tuamotus to Tahiti.

It was a surprise to share our cockpit with a tropicbird. Poor thing wasn't feeling too well after hitting the mizzen mast and falling into the cockpit with its beak full of baby squid. After pooping all over the place and having a rest during the night it flew off as the sun rose and we sighted the island.

Sunrise reveals dark clouds all around us.

We've been busy in Papeete. Moving Bristol Rose from the anchorage at Marina Taina the 5 miles to the dock in town has helped us to get a lot done.

I don't want to jinx myself so I'll just whisper my joy at finding a connection that I can work with. Wow, it's been a long time, months, since we've been able to cruise the internet without cursing.

Diego checking out the surf breaking on the reef at Marina Taina, Tahiti

Time to catch up with all the things to do while connected, like email, blog updates, banking, forwarding mail, ordering stuff, you know, just being normal. We know what it's like to live without wifi - difficult.

A fine collection of dock party animals

Flora, the best party planner we know. Alex's 26th and Elliot's 21st. Thanks Flora.

Guys, you might want to think about sharing your birthday cake with the other guests.

Tom, Kim, m/v Emily Grace with Di and Gerald, s/v Whiskers, mixing it up for the camera

Alex and Ross, s/v Bubbles. We wonder how Ross is doing back at work now.

No reliable means of communication and then there's the worry of family and friends when we are silent for too long. Thanks for keeping an eye on us. Not being able to communicate via airmail through the SSB has been a big problem but we think we have a solution worked out until we can buy a new computer (with an English keyboard).

The market in downtown Papeete where you can buy fish to eat, shells, pearls and pareos to wear, fruit and vegetables, flowers, a cold drink, breakfast, lunch, carvings, etc.

So while we're in a hotspot, I've scheduled a few posts for coming weeks including an "anchorages" series, images from our time in the Galapagos, plus Elliot's underwater photographs.