We are winding up our time in the Tuamotus. We, as you read this, are underway to our final stop: Tikehau. We were supposed to make the trip yesterday, but the weather didn’t cooperate. Happily, it’s a quick one-only 50 nautical miles, so we’ll leave early and arrive in the afternoon.

Sunday church service is a time for community. Look closely and note the decorations are all seashells!

I’ve been reflecting on the Tuamotus as we’ve cruised the various atolls. It’s really difficult to imagine living here. It is sooooo remote. Some of the atolls have just a few families. Others, larger, have populations of several hundred. That means, no matter which atoll is your home, you will know EVERYONE on the island. Every day, at every stop you make, you will only see people you know, and have known for your entire life. Can you imagine rarely meeting a stranger? I cannot.

This is the main street of one of the larger atolls: Rangiroa

In addition, it’s difficult to imagine living without the luxuries and conveniences we’ve come to expect. Most homes here have no windows or doors-there may been a sheet or curtain across the opening, but there may not be. Because one cannot simply order up some windows or drop by the local Home Depot. And I will be honest, we’ve been away from the US for almost 5 months now and I REALLY want to visit an American grocery store. The stores here are tiny by comparison-think mini-mart at your local gas station-and the selection is, as a result, limited. A cargo ship comes by once a week, or once every two weeks. Maybe once a month for the smaller atolls. That’s when the fresh fruits and vegetables arrive. If you don’t snap them up quickly, you’re out of luck! And even then, the selection isn’t huge. We went yesterday to the market after the cargo ship arrived to find: tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers, zucchini, passionfruit, eggplant, onions, and potatoes. That’s it. I miss lemons, limes, oranges, apples, peppers, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, peas, beans…. I could go on. It’s one thing to go without these for a few months as we cruise. It’s another to think about going without them period. I suppose it’s a matter of what one is used to.

When you live in a remote spot, you decorate with what you have-in this case, pearl floats!

Yes, I’m up the mast, but note in the background the Pacific Ocean just on the other side.

It’s also troubling to think that the people in the Tuamotus may need to relocate soon. These atolls exist about 3 feet above sea level. From our peaceful anchorages, we can see and hear the great rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the reefs just a few hundred yards away. A little bit of sea level rise and these places will no longer be habitable. Kim and I are grateful to be able to enjoy them now. It’s truly a blessing. The Polynesian people are so friendly and kind. Life is full of tradeoffs, of course. They live in a remote area of the world, without access to many of what we consider “necessities”. On the other hand, they are surrounded by beautiful landscapes and seascapes. In the Tuamotus, we have truly felt like we’re far from home.

Meraviglia at sunset
That blur? That’s the International Space Station-take my word for it.
The bottom is littered with coral “bommies”, which is why we attach floats to our chain.