Hao, Tuamotu Atolls of French Polynesia – Celebrations!

Did someone say there is a party!?!?

My humans are terrible! No sooner do we arrive in Hao, and they are off partying. No self control these two. I am left behind on the boat with a mess from the passage, piles of laundry and repairs all left incomplete. My paws may be good at typing out the blog, but useless with a wrench. Do not ask about the teeth holes in the laundry. So it will all have to wait while the humans go off.

LE FARE PONIGA 20 ANS
The local high school/polytechnic colleges threw a 2 day event to celebrate their 20 years of service to the community. They provide free education and boarding for students from the Gambier Islands and all the atolls south of Rangiora. The government also pays for the transportation of the students between the school and their home islands/atolls. Because the distances are great, many of the islands only accessible by boat, many trips difficult/dangerous, the students stay at the school for 3 month periods before going home for holiday breaks. With students ranging from 11 to 28 yrs old, away from parents for 3 months at a time, the administrators and teachers here have a intimate job that can run 24/7. The school has been lucky enough to continually attract and employ gifted teachers and the school has been very successful. A good enough reason to throw a party!
What would you do if a couple of diesel smelling cruisers , who do not speak a stitch of French, Tahitian or Tuamotu, crashed your party? Well they did not only invite us in, but made us their special guests. What great hearts of warmth and generosity. It was certainly worth braving a ‘little’ stormy weather to have made the event.

WHIT SUNDAY
The humans have been away for two days and two nights. Time to get to work on the boat. But no! Apparently there is another party planned on the town peir. This one to celebrate Whit Sunday. Do they have nothing better to do on this atoll then throw parties?

**VIDEOS to follow of school and Whit Sunday fun.

FINALLY SOMETHING GETTING DONE
I was getting a little lonely there. The humans always off having fun without me. Finally they are back on the boat getting things sorted. They still manage to let themselves get distracted, even here in the harbor. New boats arriving and needing help to get into the tiny harbor. The atoll of Hao has never had more than 3-4 cruising boats visit them at any one time. The count at the moment is 17 boats. 11 of those in the tiny harbor. With the advent of better charts and more cruising way points and information the southern islands and atolls of French Polynesia have become more and more popular with cruisers looking for a path ‘less travelled’. But now these areas are getting ‘very’ travelled this season!?!

The protected harbor 15 minutes walk north of the main village is also a draw for vessels. There are only a tiny handful of places you can find ‘all round’ weather protection in the Tuamotu atolls. As the winds shift around boats normally shift anchorages with to get a little protection from the nearest motu. But if a boat wants to ‘stay put’ to complete repairs or be short crew, all round protection is nice. As ‘news’ about this free harbor mooring has spread cruisers have made it a destination to aim for. It was not our plan to utilize the habour, but we are glad it is here now that we have the auto helm to repair. There are a couple of other boats that have one of their crew members flying home for a quick visit or parts run. There is a small plane that flies to Tahiti once a week.
Some boats are remaining because….you guessed it….more parties!

HAEVA
It is Haeva time in French Polynesia. Every island/atoll will be throwing parties to celebrate. The largest be held at the capital in Tahiti. We hear tickets for the popular events sell out there months in advance. Even if you can not get to Tahiti, no fear, every island and atoll will be pulling out ‘ all the stops’ to put a party on for the community.
The Heva starts in Hao in just a few weeks. The local community has been preparing for the celebrations all year. We have seen one local dance group practice every night beside the harbor. Every school, church group, small community, community group and age group will have been working on entertainment or a presentation. Temporary ‘take out’ food vendor structures are being erected all around the main village square by the pier. The locals are very excited about the 3 weeks of nightly food and celebrations to come.
You have to understand. The main village of Hao has NO restaurant, no bar, no disco, no movie cinema and no theatre. For three weeks every family will descend on the main village square to buy takeout food, enjoy some entertainment and socialize for a couple of hours in the evening. Bliss for the inhabitants here, great fun for the humans to be able to participate. No fun for me, as I get left behind again.
The humans have to party less and work on the boat more!