Kosmos Travel Log

We started our day with another snorkel in the nice spot near our boat. We think it is one of the best snorkel spots we have been to. There are mooring lines and it appears to be a common spot people go. We finally remembered to bring bread to feed the fish. There were tons of fish around when we jumped in. Once Eric pulled out the bread, he was surrounded by hundreds of small fish, mostly sergeant and butterfly fish, all fighting for food. He held the bread in his hands and the fish came up and ate out of his hand. He could feel them biting on his skin a little as they attacked the bread. Some larger fish began to join the swarm. A large parrotfish came toward Eric, clearly after the bread. Eric dropped the bread. We have watched Parrotfish bite off and crush good size pieces of coral off a coral head. Eric was not about to let something capable of damage bite at his hands. (more…)

Pete had been contemplating getting a tattoo here well before he arrived. The Polynesians, especially the Marquesans, are some of the most noted and respected tattoo artists in the world. Tattoos were an important part of their culture in the pre-European days, especially for the warriors. The tattoos offered here are traditional Polynesian style artistry. They are only black ink. They are usually animals and usually have incredibly intricate and beautiful designs. Eric and Christi are not tattoo fans, but we think the traditional art work is beautiful and that the tattoos are really cool. (more…)

Christi was up early and decided that we needed to use up the fruit. We weren’t eating it fast enough and it would start going bad soon. Two of the pampelmousse had already gone bad (they may have already been bad when we got them as citrus fruit usually lasts a long time). She decided to make papaya-banana muffins, and recruited Shelley to help when Shelley got up shortly after. The recipe called for a cup of papaya. One papaya yielded three cups, so we made a triple batch. The muffins were really good. (more…)

This morning we went for a hike up to the top of the hill near the anchorage. There is a TV tower there, so we hiked up the service road to the tower. The hike was relatively short, but very steep. You would definitely need a four wheel drive to get up that road. The view was spectacular. Here we are looking to the southwest. The land is a little island motu in the center of the lagoon.

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We started the day by taking the dinghy into the main town of Vaitape, which is about a mile north by boat from where we are anchored (by land it is farther since the road follows the curvy lagoon). There is a nice protected quay (seawall area) right in the center of town. Facing town from the dinghy, on the right is a parking lot, on the left is an outdoor theater, and straight ahead is a visitor information center and handicraft market. They were setting up for a big concert at the theater. At the information center we picked up a fish guide, so we will actually be able to name a few of the fish we see now.

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