I have now been here 6 weeks and the time has flown by.
Projects have been started, ideas have been discussed and acted upon.
The garden has been planted and the babies covered from the scorching sun,
The new grey water irrigation system is up and running,
Ron & Kerriann posters now adorn restaurant and hotel walls advertising our venues,
Whiskey's ear is better (although it will never be pretty again!),
Nessie has been castrated! Love Him!!
Pape has the new solar dryer well in hand
The solar cooker is loaded each day with my dinner,
The grass is cut, the shelves are full of food, the Blog is up to date,
This afternoon, for the first time, I realised there was nothing I HAD to do!!!
There are books to be read, there is the internet to scour for new ideas, there are letters to write, there is the sun to sit out in, but there is nothing pending, nothing awaiting my attention. I sat for a whole minute thinking about what I wanted to do.
I also realised that, over the past 6 weeks, I have learnt the way past the golf course to the vet by heart, I know the inside and out of Polymat, the Hardware Store.
I have repeatedly visited the two main supermarkets, I have memorised all the best deals and can find anything I needed in a moment, so familiar am I with their shelf lay out.
I know where to fill our drinking water bottles, I am on nodding terms with the people in the Chinese Wonder-shop (You name it, it is in there somewhere – for a price of course!)
I have been in all the Big Hotels, The Legend, The Pearl, The Kaveka, The Intercontinental, I have strolled by their pools, I have meandered along their jetties, I have eaten their Ice-cream, I have even sung in their halls!
I have dined at the Hilton, devouring crepes cooked for my pleasure, I have drunk their Cider cooled to perfection (although I had a very bad head the next day so I think I will stick to juice next time!)
I have watched the sharks swim beneath my feet!
but I have not been to the beach!!!!
The lagoon is 100m from my door, and I have been in it once since I got here, and that was on a rainy day too wet for gardening!!
We have two days off from our Singing Schedule, I have no where to go and all day to get there!
So, I packed the snorkel gear! I packed a bottle of water and my Indian Nightie (in case of Sun burn??), I packed Mozzie oil and sun cream, then dressed in my bikini and wrapped in a sarong, I headed to the beach!!
The sea bed just below the house is slightly muddy and the coral forms an impenetrable wall between the beach and the deeper water. The last time I tried to get in this way, I had stumbled and back tracked for an hour!
As I had no plans, and I was also in no rush, I headed for the public beach with its soft sand and crystal clear water, an easy 2k walk from the house along the dead flat road. I have also lost the key to the bike lock (Lisa is bringing a new combination lock with her in January!) so I left my bike safe in her shed and with my little bag upon my shoulders, I walked peacefully and slowly down to the beach, peering into peoples gardens and homes, waving and greeting people as I passed!
I wandered past Aito's,
I read the menu outside the Pension next door, Glace (Ice-cream) in a bowl for only 300 franks!! (£2),
they even had a little jetty out to the sea.
I wandered up to
and past the Hilton, wondering why on earth people were playing tennis in this heat!
I wandered past the work men sitting in the shade of a palm tree, doing what work men do all over the world – having a tea break!! (but I was too embarrassed to take their photo!!)
I met dogs and children, chickens and cats.
I walked with a cooling breeze in my face, my hat wedged firmly on my head against the gusts.
I walked past the coconut groves,
the tiny allotments,
the tin roofed hut selling pizza and burgers!!!
The walk seemed timeless as I watched the passing scenery, happy with my thoughts, at peace with the world.
Before I knew it I was at the beach.
Carved statues line the final sea-ward stretch, painted, mounted and varnished, they appear out of no-where.
Each is beautifully carved, each is surrounded by flowers, a tiny oasis of shape and colour beside the dust of the road, witnesses to all who pass!
The beach was deserted and the rhyme 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen Go Out in The Mid-day Sun' popped into my head as I dropped my bag, fumbled for the snorkel mask and entered the warm water.
Fish darted around my feet, the water lapped gently on the shore, the breeze blew softly though the trees. This was more like it, this is why I had travelled half way around the world dragging 28kg of my life with me.
Boats rocked gently in the deeper water 200m off shore.
I stood for a moment, studying the coral network, working out a clear path through the maze of shapes to the open sea. I lowered myself into the warm water and began to swim.
Although this is not the coral garden of Tioman, nor the drop off reef of Vietnam, the waters still held a wonder to behold. Box fish, Cleaner Wrasse, Angel Fish swam with the millions of others I have yet to learn the names of. The coral lies a bare 3 foot below the surface with channels running throughout. I entered the deeper water and swam with huge shoals of yellow fish. The sun warm on my back, the water cool on my face.
I returned to the shore and rested from my excursion with feet dipped in the soft waves, the fine white sand cushioning my body. The sun shone down, the breeze was cooling, the day was long and I realised just how content I was out here on the beach.
People began to arrive as the sun dipped slightly. Two French girls sat and chattered away beside me, a family set up camp to my right. Lovers and couples appeared, to stroll along the shore. An American couple motored in from one of the boats and set up their laptop on a nearby bench. Everyone caught up with their own priorities, everyone with things to do!!
I eventually left the beach and walked home, having showered the last of the sand and salt off my body with the aid of the sun heated hose beneath the trees that was set up specifically for that use. I smiled and sang as I went, the sun warm on my back, the breeze still perfect with its soft caress.
At home I removed my, now cooked, supper from the solar cooker, I quickly sliced some bread and poured the hot sauce into a bowl. This was my idea of a perfect day!
PS.
Today was another day off so this time I cycled to the beach to take the photos I needed to go with this story, then I cycled the 8km in the opposite direction to Luciano's for Ice-cream and more photos!
Then I rewarded myself for my diligent photography, by cycling to the beach for yet another afternoon of sun.
Having explored the reef once more, I sat in the shallow water quietly building Dribble Castles onto the dry sand, becoming the focus of attention for a young Tahitian boy of about 3 years. He edged closer, watching me, fascinated by the shapes the wet dribbled sand made. He joined forces with the building, helping me to create a wonderful structure, before we jumped on it!!
We then spent 2 hours totally enjoying the fun of the day. He spoke no English, and my French leaves a lot to be desired but we managed. We built faces out of sea-weed, “C'est il say en français” , I tried as we built up mounds of shells for the eyes “yeux “ he answered. I tried again pointing to the nose, “nez “ he laughed.
There is no language barrier with children. I laughed, he laughed, he pulled me through the water, I splashed him back. His mother and her friend looked on amused, they too spoke no English. Eventually it was time for them to go. 'Nana' we called to each other, Goodbye in Tahitian!
I spent another hour swimming and sitting, before leaving my beach once more.
I arrived home to find the new Solar Dryer up and painted!! My curry was cooked in the Solar Cooker, the water for my shower was hot from the Solar Heater.
There are definite advantages to living in never ending sunshine!!
