Location: Fare, Huahine, French Polynesia
This morning we had a surprise wake-up call thirty minutes before our usual time with a fire alarm due to intense cooking in the galley (pancakes). We all mustered in the cockpit and had a quick briefing, after which some of us headed back to bed. Our Argo crew split up again; half headed to do their marine biology surveys while the rest of us did our bike ride of Huahine. Our first stop was at a museum, where we learned some of the cultures of the island and its native inhabitants. Our next stop was at a freshwater stream, where we saw the sacred blue-eyed eels (slimy!) while the boys watched from the sidelines. Then we headed to an art museum, which also has some of the best ice cream on the island. We had a moment of disappointment, however, when we were told that the group yesterday finished off the ice cream and they hadn’t had time to resupply yet. We set off again to a relatively secluded beach, where we practiced our synchronized swimming skills. On our way back to Fare (the main town), we took a dirt path, winding around puddles and potholes, stopping at a beach with huge, beautiful waves. In town, we met up with the other group and got food (mainly ice cream) from the food trucks. The locals were super friendly and gave us free fruit and fries. Most of the group played pool, while a few headed off to a museum to see some of the artifacts found on the island during the development of a local hotel. After boarding Argo, we took our ocean showers and ate dinner. Tonight is our first night out, and we’re headed to the yacht club for responsible drinking!