It’s 6:00am and I am just waking from a restful night.  I relish the quiet of the morning.  The seas are calm and unmoving, the breeze is light, the sun slowly rising, and it’s my birthday (back in January, this post is late).  As I linger in bed, I hear a slight ruckus outside and then the unmistakable tune of Happy Birthday.   Matt is greeting our guests as I stumble outside a little bleary eyed (it’s just 6:15am).  Two neighboring boats came over with a birthday surprise.  They had a super fun rendition of “Happy Birthday” blaring on a little speaker, a large bowl full of hot, freshly baked raisin bread and a cold bottle of prosecco!  Sweet.  I hug each of them before jetting downstairs to put on proper clothing!

We spend the next few hours enjoying the prosecco and bread and telling stories.  Marieke and Thomas from “Scooter” and Mirko and Nikko from “Yum Yum” bestowed upon me the sweetest gift of their company first thing in the morning!

Early Morning Birthday Celebration

Matt made a beautiful birthday post it card on our window.  Keep in mind we do not have access to Hallmark cards in the remote islands. – it was touching to see this thoughtful note first thing in the morning.

Birthday BBQ

Valerie and Herve host Sunday fun-day each week and this time it landed on my birthday!  So, we combined the two into a giant celebration.  Over 15 boats showed up to the anchorage (normally we have 5-6 boats) and well over 35 people.  Of course, I did not know most of them and some only spoke French, but they were all very kind and jovial.

We had a ton of tasty foods from all over the world.  Fresh caught Polynesian fish dishes, German and Swiss food, French food, and of course jello shots!

My birthday is one of the rare occasions that I will play volleyball. I am not naturally gifted in sports and tend to make a fool out of myself when I play.  But everyone humored me and our team won (probably a gift for my bday).

Several days prior to my birthday we had lots of rain and a few squalls.  But lucky for me, my birthday was a gorgeous day with just enough sun to keep us warm, but not too hot to wear you out.  We had the most beautiful sunset and moonrise.  That is the moon on the top two photos!

Spoiled Rotten

Valerie surprised me with a new, beautiful sand art.  It is a portrait of Matt and I.  Keep in mind that this is made with local sand and dirt only.  Sure, Matt has a mustache in the image and I have a flavor savor, but you can still see the likeness.  Did you see the detail of my Keishi necklace?

Another local friend, who is a jeweler, gifted me with a gorgeous pearl on a gold chain.  It completely surprised me and knocked my socks off!  Visit her at www.tainakeishipearl.com.

I do not know how to put into words the love I felt today.  From my amazing local friends to all of my American friends.  The love that flowed freely across Facebook, Instagram, text, and emails was overwhelming.  I needed it, cherished it, and reveled in the pureness of it all.  Thank you for filling my soul with so much love!

Bon Voyage to Alan

Valerie and Herve’s oldest son is leaving for France to join the military.  He will be studying to become a pilot and will commit to 10 years of military service.  They had a HUGE going away party and sent him off with a spectacular celebration.

Hiking and Exploring

Matt and I go on a few hikes to explore the islands.  We’ve done these hikes several times, but they never disappoint.

The hike on Taravai between Valerie and Herve’s house and Edouard and Denise is a fairly easy and short hike.  It is about 5 miles round trip on a clearly marked, albeit small trail.  One side is a steep drop off, but easy to navigate.  We come across a few old houses with nothing but a few stone walls remaining, a few small beach coves, and lots of overgrown plants.

We also take a beautiful walk to the lookout point where the “Queen’s Throne” is located.  Most of the walk is along the road and is fairly flat.  It’s not until you get to the last .5 mile that you go off roading and uphill.  But then you are rewarded with such a pretty view.  This entire hike is about 6.5 miles round trip.

The rock “throne” I’m sitting on is called the “Queen’s Throne” and with this view it makes sense!

We visit the weather station and set the weather balloon free in our last blog.  Events from this blog post occurred in January.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.