Author: Margie

Agh…I’ve got a case of writers block. Maybe it’s because we’ve had a pretty quiet week here on Dosia. Right now Drew’s off trying to get some good live shots on camera of the surfers out on Teahupoo. I usually use alone time like this on the boat to lay out on the bow, get some sun, write a new blog post or in my journal, and blast the iPod to greats like Chicago, Journey, or Lionel Richie. What? Don’t judge me. Lionel Richie will never go out style in my book.

To be honest, the surfing competition is not measuring up to what I had in mind. As a spectator sport, I’m going to go ahead and throw it in there with the likes of golf, or tennis. No disrespect to any sports or those who like any individual one more than others. To some, I’m sure surfing is edge of your seat entertainment. Unfortunately for myself, I’m finding that even 45 guys with washboard abs and perfect tans isn’t enough to hold my attention for more than an hour or so. Now is when we really wish our fellow traveler, Kyber, who’s cruising on his boat Natural Mystic, were here so maybe he could explain things to us and I would be more into it.

I remember caring less about football until I was about 13 and my dad explained to me what it meant to play the game. Hooked. Now if I had a magic genie grant me three wishes, one would be that I could be a college football player just for one day so I could play in a football game between the hedges on a sunny Athens Saturday. Man…that’s got to be one of the greatest feelings in the world. Much the same, I would imagine, for these guys who have found a passion for the water.

Anyway, I think we both assumed this would be more of a party atmosphere…bands jamming out on the docks, people hanging out, meeting some new folks. After the competition on Saturday we went over to the marina and there was a band but poor things…no one was there and those who were were not paying a lick of attention to them. We stayed for a song or two, drank our two beers we’d come with, and went back to the boat. The one party that did go on that night was on a boat sponsored by Billabong and it happened to anchor about 50 feet from us. For that night we were going to live vicariously through the music, hoots, and hollars that were coming from that private party across the way.

Ah, we did come across one new person. Saturday night about ten (I was already watching the back of my eyelids) I hear Drew scream “HEY” out of nowhere. Turns out he heard something outside the boat and looked up out of the hatch above the bed and found himself face to face with some guy. We still aren’t sure what he was up to because as soon as Drew jumped out of the hatch the guy pushed back, cranked up his dinghy, and took off. He obviously had some intention because he used oars to get himself close enough to the deck of the boat instead of motoring over. Guess he wasn’t quiet enough. Maybe he thought we were on the party boat next door or something. Next thing I know Drew’s in our dinghy chasing after him. Never caught him but it was a little spooky. I’m sure he was just some drunk guy trying to sneak a peek or try and snag a gas can off the deck. Regardless, usually anybody and everybody is welcome to come aboard and hang out with us on Dosia but I think homeboy blew his chance.

Not real sure if we’re going to stick around for the rest of the competition or not. We may move on and check out some other parts of the island. Since it’ll only take a few more days, I think we are going to do the full lap around Tahiti. Hoping to find some hiking to stretch the legs a little.

We got to call both of our moms and Drew’s Nanny yesterday but we want to take the chance to say Happy Mother’s Day to all our followers. Hope you all had a great one yesterday : )

Yesterday Youri and Lydiane drove over from Papeete (about an hour by car) to Youenn’s house in celebration of “holiday.” We never could get the name from anyone as to what exactly they were celebrating or honoring but everyone had the day off and that meant it was time to party. After Drew and I had breakfast I made some homemade lemon bars to take with us, along with the stuff for spaghetti which I had promised to make for dinner. Around three we began our treck to Youenn’s. Oh man it was hot so when a guy pulled over in a jeep to offer us a ride we gladly accepted. Hitchhiking here is about as dangerous as clipping your nails. And believe me, the way some people drive over here, you are better off in the back of someone’s truck than you are walking on the side of the road!

So anyway, friendly guy in the jeep turns out to be from Hawaii and comes here enough times a year to surf that he has purchased a vehicle. So…we’re guessin’ he comes a good bit. He carried us as far as his driveway and about five minutes of walking later Youenn and Youri pull up from a day out on the jetski and we hop a ride with them the rest of the way. Lydian’s younger sister, Julie, was there for the day along with a friend. So we had a house full!

Nothing like a cold beer on a Friday afternoon, music on the ipod, sitting on the back porch, listening to the sound of the pacific ocean crash against the shoreline of your buddies backyard! That night Youri grilled a huge fish (Drew thinks we call it a Moonfish in English) on the grill and I made a big ol’ pot of spaghetti. American pop culture music is very well known here so we jammed out to everything from the likes of Notorious B.I.G., U2, and Bob Marley to Jason Mraz and Lady Gaga.

A few groups of people came and went throughout the night and amidst one of them was a guy named Danny. He was from Hawaii and here for the Billabong contest. He told us he took fifth place last year so chances are we were talking it up with someone a lot of young surfers would have drooled over but we are unfamiliar with the sport. Better internet connection and we’re gonna have to do some research on him!

9 o’clock rolled around and amidst the haze of Hinanos and my bedtime, I was ready to turn in for the evening. Youenn had a room all reserved for Drew and I so we crashed at his place and had ourselves a Polynesian slumber party. Which reminds me…the roosters here…they have no concept of time. Early in the morning, early in the afternoon…they are crowing. You never have to set an alarm clock cause one of them is guaranteed to wake you up. And bet your bottom dollar Drew and I were up at seven, Hinano haze worn off, ready to embrace another venturesome day!

Eight days on the boat, three books down. Man…I don’t know why it is that I never find time for literature when I am back home. Good literature. Learn a thing or two from it literature. Not Cosmo or US Weekly. I guess I make excuses as to why I don’t have the time or something. Over here, even if I wanted to read a gossip magazine I probably couldn’t. 1) You can’t stand and read a magazine on a rack here like you can at Target or Walmart. Someone comes along to tell you “you read, you pay.” 2) At a some odd $20 a pop here, there’s no breakup, plastic surgery epidemic, or good celebrity deed in the world that would persuade Drew to buy one of those. Lucky for me I don’t miss ’em that much and I can still log into people.com every now and then if I really need a fix.

We do have a lot of books though. Most every port/marina you pull into has a book exchange. It’s a really awesome, common, and free concept in the sailing world to trade bags upon bags of books at a time. I read as many as 5 books in a week so it’s great for me! I can get so nose deep in a novel that Drew will sometimes have to remind me that there is tropical paradise floating right around/beside/underneath me. Maybe I should learn to put the book down a little more during the day…

Nonetheless we both love reading ourselves to sleep at night. And the coolest part about it is it doesn’t give us a hangover in the morning : )