Four people come up on Bella Donna's starboard side in a dinghy to say hello. It turns out to be an Australian couple from the mono hull and an American couple from the PDQ catamaran. They want to know why we did not join them on the beach last night to party. We thought they were celebrating a birthday or anniversary, but it turns out they bought fireworks in Panama and were just celebrating the moment. The two couples had just met in The Marquesas Islands. Both couples are in their late 20's or early 30's, about the age of Kevin, Jenna, Kari and Colin. Both are in different stages of a circumnavigation, around the world trip. The Australian couple is on their way home. The American couple is from Boston and is just beginning the journey like Bella Donna. We did not get into if they have children or not, my guess is they do not. However, we have met many young families that are on a 3 to 5 year circumnavigation, having taken kids out of school and home schooling them along the way. The Australian couple stopped long enough to run a charter boat in the Caribbean, BVI, to make enough money to get home to Australia. John, Deborah and Ant did not know them, but they have many friends in common. We did not get into any similar background for the Boston couple.
The two couples told us about the manna rays, big ones. Every morning about 8:30 they enter the bay to grocery shop for breakfast. They asked us to go snorkeling with them; it seems they swim with the manna rays. They say the rays are very friendly. All I can think about is the Australian who died of a sting to the heart. Ant can't wait to jump into the water; he is really into animals and adventure. He used his underwater camera to capture the memory. Just as advertised here they come. Looking like an aircraft gliding in near the surface of the water, they have two little stabilizer fins one at each end of the wing. If you miss the floating blanket like body and just see the vertical fins, you would think 2 sharks were swimming in formation. Every so often the stinging barb on the ray's tail extends out of the water like a submarine's up periscope. Also the huge mouth on the ray's white underside can occasionally be seen. Swimming with rays is definitely an adrenalin rush experience. Ant says the rays are very friendly and curious creatures. One saw him, the ray's eyes clearly training on Ant. The ray swam over right up to Ant's face to get a close look before gliding off to resume shopping.
Later in the morning we hear an out of place familiar sound. It is a helicopter flying low overhead. We have not seen an airplane or heard the sound of an aircraft in a long time. Its funny, it's easier to see a spacecraft in the night sky than an airplane in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the helicopter is full of tourists. No it is the French Coast Guard and they are combing the mountainous terrain on the island for something. Their persistence puts a kibosh on a field trip to the mountains today; whatever they are looking for may be dangerous.
Don, John and Ant do go ashore to check out the beach and the coconut grove just beyond it. Even with insect repellant the visit is cut short by the nonos. A nono is a mosquito like thing that does not have a hypodermic ability to stick you and drink your blood. The good thing is we have not seen a mosquito since we left Panama. The bad news the nono is worse. They still lust for your blood and use their sharp little teeth to open a wound and drink. They only come out during hot sunlight during the day; they do not seem to bother you at night or early in the morning, we hear. There are 2 varieties one lives on the beach and another lives inland. They are not native to these islands. Over the years visits from outsiders have introduced diseases and ugly insects to these islands. Don lasts maybe half an hour till the nonos build their courage to ignore the repellant.
Last night just after sunset the two boats anchored near us left for Nuku Hiva. The Australians and the Bostonians said goodbye and they would see us soon in Nuku Hiva.
Tomorrow we have a guided tour to the other side of Hiva Oa. We have lost our satellite communication. It has been unreliable since before we arrived in Hiva Oa. So, we have not been able to receive and send email regularly, just in case you are not getting email responses from us. You are getting this thanks to SSB radio.
God Bless Bella Donna.
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