Ua Pou        Pronounced,  Lyn-erd Skin-erd      Just kidding. It’s pronounced WaPoo.  (Not sure if my Mom will get that joke but I think a couple of you 80s rock degenerates will.)

Very small place. Population 1000. ½ of which live in the town on the bay we are in. Baie D’Hakahau. Everything has some form of haka or hika or hiva in the name. No idea how they keep it all straight. We got the dingy tied up pretty well on the town quay. A few months ago I would have bitched about the setup here but after the docking we have been doing this is A-OK! Stern anchor. Up the slippery cement wall. Nicks and cuts for all. Awesome. Took a couple of bags of laundry to try to find the local Laundromat. And someplace for dinner. No luck. No one here has even heard of a Laundromat. So then we go to find the one restaurant that the guidebook says is here. No dice. Supposed to be by the church but nope. So eventually someone points to what they say is the only place that serves food. But it’s all take out. At least that’s what we gathered. Kind of a plywood shack that says Piza on it. Missed a Z there I guess. Were golden! Piza! But it’s not open yet. Opens at 6 they say. So we go back to Vivo. With our smelly laundry still on our backs. Actually a little smellier now with all the sweat that has been added. Kill some time. Enjoy the beautiful view off the stern. Huge rugged spires covered with deep green foliage. Most of the time they are in the clouds. Gorges that I doubt have ever been walked. So steep it seems to not have any interest in gravity. Local fellows in small outrigger canoes shooting the swells that come into the bay and wrap around the breakwater. Who gets to do this stuff? Incredible. Except we are getting kind of hungry. So we head back to town. Same routine with the dingy. Find the shack. No they are not open yet, but welcome. Come in, have a seat. Pick any table I guess. Since we are the only ones there. And will be the only ones there for the next 2-½ hours.

But as we have come to expect. When you least expect it. Some one or something comes along. This time in the form of the proprietor of “Piza”. George. Light skinned, “his words”, descendant of a Scott named George Lawson who came to Marquesas’ in 1840. Married a local Marquesian and off you go. Very nice fellow. Quite good English. Well traveled. Five kids. Six grand kids. Some light some dark, again, his words. Family in Hiva Oa where we just came from. Family in Tahiti where we are going. Retired teacher who, with a couple of his friends, started a cultural revival of Marquasian art and tradition. That was back in the 80s. Is now a rather large event held every four years at one of the islands. Big deal. Lots of sponsorships. Big press. Quite a grass roots effort to keep their old traditions and ways alive. Not particularly embraced by the youth but they are hoping.

George is also a farmer. Has quite a garden going it seems. So we ask if he has any fresh produce that we might be able to buy from him. It’s a little scarce here. And that starts a grocery list that is out of this world! Mangos, bananas, papaya, pineapple, lemons, grapefruit, dried bananas, lettuce, peppers, onions, WOW! We will be the envy of the fleet. If this guy had Stolies and Captain Morgan he would be held as a deity. But alas. Just fruit and veggies. His son works with him and will meet us there tomorrow to pick up our order. I told him I am bringing a Virgin Islands Beer Club T shirt for him. He kind of reminds me of Ryan. And he wants Ryan’s email address, so Ryan, If you get an email from a fellow named Atou (sp?) that’s the guy. He is interested in your business model.

But if nothing else. Other than meeting a couple of pretty interesting people. And having some really awesome thin crust brick oven piza. (I have permanently removed one Z from the word. Seems its not required.) I did find something to buy. It’s not a dress! It’s a sarong. Or pareo. Pronounced parauu. Not a dress. Sure is comfy though. Not sure where to put my cash or granola bars. And no, not looking for any suggestions for either issue. Thanks. I will handle that.

Ahhhhh   free and breezy!

But we are in the process of drifting all over this anchorage. Anchor alarm went off twice while I typed this up. Tide going out. Ripe tide sifting back around the corner of the breakwater. Wind shifting. We are everywhere at once. Glad there is only two other boats here. I have a reasonable chance of not hitting anything or ending up on the beach. But the night is young.

I have wifi at this anchorage. Quite a treat let me tell, you. Usually its planes trains and automobiles to get to some wifi. But tonight I am dangerous. Its getting late and I just might go on ebay.

Or maybe I should just go to bed.

M