Aahh Fakarava

We have spend the past week on the French Polynesian atoll of Fakarava in the Tuamoto archipelago. As on Rangiroa, we found the Tuamoto people friendly and happy hosts. People, even teenagers, make eye contact and wave, saying “la Orana” in greeting as we pass on our townie bikes. The island and beaches are very clean and the beach combing is the best I have ever found. 

The day has a different rhythm than we are used to. Everything starts as soon as the sun is up, with the few stores opening at 5:30 am and closing again at noon in the heat. Everything shuts down from noon to three and its anybody's guess after that. 

I was twice greeted by sunrise rainbows!

The seas on the inside of the atoll have been much calmer, often almost glassy, something we saw only briefly on Rangiroa. The sea life is like nothing I have seen anywhere. Sharks, coral, fish, eels, just off shore and easily seen from land or a snorkel in front of our cabin. 

“Snack” restaurants are open from 11-2 and serve fish, often right over the water with black tip reef sharks and other fish begging for scraps. Fish is what there is to eat, tuna, mahi mahi, and "fish". 

 

The flat atolls make for the best townie biking ever. Notice these two responsible white guys hiding from the sun. 

This was our un-airconditioned cabana for the week. One fan meant that one or two people could be cool enough to sleep at night. We took turns. 

The sunsets were off the hook. I might have to do an entire post of just Fakarava sunsets. 

The scuba diving was next level for Philip, Tre, and I. Fakarava’s north pass was filled with so many gray sharks and schooling fish it was impossible to count. The current was raging at anytime other than slack tide. We went deep, breathed nitrox, learned a lot, and saw a lot. I will try to post some pictures at video when we can spend some time editing underwater footage. 

We start our travels to New Zealand today, looking forward to cooling off, finding fruits and vegetables, and speaking English. We will miss the million colors of aqua-blue-green-water, the delicious fresh fish, the every present French baguettes and high quality butter, the sunsets, the friendly people, the easy swimming, the deserted beaches, the friendly sharks, and the long leisurely days.