Kings, celebrated the First Sunday after New Year, was hosted at Jane's over in Cooks Bay. A special cake is produced for the day, a cake of such sweetness many people can only eat a tiny slither.
Hidden in the cake, a bit like the six-pence in the old Christmas pudding, is a tiny baby in a basket. The theory is that who-ever finds the 'Baby Jesus' is then King for the day and waited upon by all other members of the family.
Last year I found the tiny crib which still nestled in my camera case having travelled all the way around the world and back again. This year Peter was the lucky finder! (Which had nothing to do with the fact that we ate half the cake between us!!) The two 'babies' were introduced and returned to my camera case for another year.
As we sat around the table on the verandah watching the rain fall steadily a few feet away but thankful for the lack of mosquitoes in the drizzle, Jane remarked again on the difference in size between Pape and Peter. The obvious difference of bulk was overshadowed by the difference in heigh when sitting.
The afternoon passed happily and discussions about cars abounded. Pape had bought himself a white Rover during my absence and was keen to discuss its pros and cons with Peter. Jane was also in need of a newer car and Peters advice was sort. As the afternoon progressed plans were made to have a morning out car gazing!!!
A few days later, with the sun beaming in true tropical style we all set out in Papes pride and joy to the garage by the Airport to see if we could find something suitable for Jane. Four doors, reliable and small were her only stipulations as we wandered around the forecourt of the local garage looking at the various cars on display.
Two door, reliable and small was found but no four doors. Peter examined the engine, the body work and took us all for a test drive but four doors she had her heart set on so we continued to look.
By the end of the week we had discovered that four doors, reliable and small just was not available on the Island but our return to the sweet two door reliable and small car proved to be in vain as the garage owners wife had suddenly taken a shine to the sweet little car out on the forecourt and had claimed it for her own. By the time I left the Island two months later we had still not found a car for Jane but we had had great fun looking!!
Peters Birthday was spent at the Hilton eating crepes over the lagoon and searching for sharks in the shallow water.
Dinner was superb, as it always is, and an after dinner stroll found us in one of the hammocks on the beach.
The last time we had tried to climb into a hammock together, back on the beach at the house, we had got hopelessly stuck and it had taken us a good five minutes of laughter to extract ourselves from the swinging, wrapping material.
These hammocks were strung along supporting pieces of wood but it was still with much laughter that we climbed aboard and tried to settle ourselves to gaze at the stars overhead.
Strange and wonderful pictures then followed as we tried to move ourselves into more comfortable positions!!
Eventually we extracted ourselves from our swinging bed and headed out of the Hilton (before we were asked to leave!!)
On the way out Peter discovered a status of himself obviously put there in honour of his Birthday
so we took an 'Official' photo and returned to our little hammock on the beach for a final beer (or three)!
I think we need a bigger hammock!!
As Pape now had his new 'Pride and Joy' to race around the Island in, he donated the van to us for the duration of Peters stay.
On our first small adventure around the Island of Moorea, we had had a blow out on one of the wheels. Peter had stripped, changed the wheel and we had returned to the garage to pick up another tyre before trying again.
A few days after we moved into Micheles house, on a trip to see Henri to arrange some dives, water decided to pour its way our of the engine as fast as we poured it in! The year before we had had the same problem and Pape had added a sealant to the water supply to plug the holes.
This sealant had at last given way so with a pack of new powder mixed to exact specifications the two guys gathered around the ailing van one sunny afternoon to repair and sooth the poor beast.
The scientifically measured, carefully studied mixture was poured lovingly and carefully in through an open orifice at the top of the engine, only to pour straight back out from somewhere near the bottom of the engine again! A large flat bowl was placed under the entire structure and the whole process started again!
This time when the mixture poured out they were ready to collect it. Time and again the sealant infused water was poured in, only to reappear in the bowl a few moments later. The boys looked on muttering and making decisions. Engine on, engine off. Fill it up quickly, trickle it down slow.
Eventually it was decided that the poor beast should be book into the garage for urgent repairs. Pape left to make the necessary arrangements, Peter retired to the beach and the van, left to her own devices, allowed the sealant to seep into the holes and plug the leaks!!!!
With the van 'fixed' but still due in the garage, Peter and I headed out for a day's diving with Henri, the ONLY Tahitian Dive Instructor on Moorea! Plus his French friend Le Capitan!
Wet suits were found and squeezed into,
fins were eventually found big enough for Peters feet and we ready for the long walk down the jetty to the awaiting boat.
Although very picturesque and impressive, the jetty is a long walk in hot blazing sun in wet suit carrying what seemed like loads of equipment and I for one was glad to get aboard
Tanks and BCDs were secured,
The boat was pulled gently through the shallow water,
while Peter did his bit to help!!
The jetty slipped away into the distance as Henri climbed back aboard.
Le Capitan to fire up the powerful engines and guided us out into the lagoon!
Dive briefings were given, news from the past year was exchanged, gossip and updates from the Island abounded as we headed out of the smooth water of the bay into the deeper waters of the Pacific for our fist of what was to be many dives!!
Henri took charge of the camera for a photos and then it was time to enter the warm 29C clear water off Moorea.
I was once again wearing two suits but this year I upgraded and got to wear Henri's personal Full suit over the top of a short suit (due to the fact I have grown a little bigger since my last visit and the extra small 5mm full suit that I wore during my last stay was just a wee bit too tight this year!! but we wont tell anyone that bit!)
The dive was amazing and we quickly booked a full set of 10 dives to be taken over the next week!!
We retired to bed that evening looking forward to another week of adventures still to come!!
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