After breakfast I prepared the dinghy and made a test to see if I can row the dinghy against the 4 – 5 Bft wind with waves nicely about 1/2 m high. It was not that difficult.

We went ashore and started walking into the village to see were we are and what’s going on here.

The first impression was the friendliness of the people. I have been on many Polynesian islands but here more than 99 % of the people greeted us. Often faster then we greeted them.

The main street we reached quickly. A long straight line. Longer and wider then in other islands. Not too surprising because the island here is just a very long stretch of land. At outer coast of the atoll its volcanic origin is still to be seen an also the growth of a coral reef.

Walking the main street towards NW we quickly found a store at the right side. We had a look and bought only water & cookies for OBM and me, and Ruslana brought a coke and a beer. Poor Ruslana she had to pour away her coke because it tasted diluted. Luckily she had her beer.

We parted. OBM and I went our way, Ruslana her’s.

Accidentally OBM and I found pretty immediately another store with a better offer on vegetables. OBM bought ice cream for us and we kept walking.

We reached the beach following a small canal between the outer and inter part of the lagoon. Locals use this canal to keep a few motor boats moored there. One of them appeared to me as unnecessary. A speed boat with 2 x 300 HP engines. But that’s only my opinion. I’m a bit conservative in this respect.

The water, crystal clear about 1 – 2 m deep. Groups of smaller black and yellow striped fish searched for food and whatever they wanted to do.

Then we reached the beach. The sand came from tiny pieces of corals but still to coarse to call it a fine sandy beach. Still quite some years necessary for a fine sandy beach.

Out there was MaRe and another cat which came in with the slack tide at about 0600 this morning. Two other catamarans left already. MaRe was hanging and swinging at her anchor. OBM mentioned that I sailed her now all the way from Europe to this Polynesian atoll in the Tuamotus. I looked back for short moment. Indeed I sailed her for thousands of miles half around the globe and here we are here already pretty close to the antipode of Croatia where we used to sail before. I’m just glad that OBM could sail with me also several thousand NM together. She’s a fine OBM getting better and better.

Back to the main street, we kept walking NW, when we on the left side I saw big poles pocking holes into the air. My curiosity jumped up because I saw them already when we came into the lagoon and looked for a good anchoring spot. Next I saw steel ropes attached to the poles. Coming closer I suddenly recognized that this is an abandoned wind park project with six wind converters.
It seems the company ran out of money just days or even hours before they could put up the first wind converter. What a pity, I thought. These six wind converters would have reduced the consumption of diesel fuel for the village by a bit chunk.

In general, I saw many places on my longer way, where wind and solar could cut diesel consumption by very big chunks. However, going for an alternative energy source requires understanding of environmental issues, technologies, and financials. On top of that a lot of initiative of individuals and even groups is required.

What is possible I saw on
one island in the Gambiers The power needed for a family with deep freezer, refrigerator, washing machine, TV, etc is produced by solar panels and stored in a block of batteries, which are not even yet lithium batteries.

Back to Makemo. We passed also the “Collège de Makemo”.
Nice buildings with beautiful paintings of sea and islands motives on the walls a visitor sees first. Across the street a sports ground indicated the community of Makemo consists of the island of Makemo, Katiu, Taenga, Raroia, and Takume. Thus, I assume that the college students are coming from these islands and live on the campus.

What a difference to the schools I visited!

Makemo is even divided in several smaller settlements. When seeing the street signs indicating the end of one settlement and the beginning of another one, I smiled. However, it’s also a way to indicate how far one lives down the long road.

On the way back we got tired and the heat also wore us out. So we decided to have a look into the church. It was s good decision. It was very cool inside and a breeze flew through the church.

There was also a kind of service attended by about less then 10 people. Among them a child of about 2 – 3 years. The child just enjoyed the freedom of running around and sometimes away from the following mother. A Polynesian relaxed service.

At the end we kept sitting to simply enjoy the quietness, the coolness and also the peacefulness of this building.

Towards 1500 we went back to the first shop where we agreed to meet all again. Together wl the three of us walked over to the shop with the better offer and the ladies bought what we needed on provisioning.

I should mention that I got a new pair of “heavy mountain boots”, as I call my beach sandals. I’m using in 99 % is all times when I go ashore. Well equipped for the next 6 – 12 month.

Finally we returned to MaRe and I had to row back all the way. A nice workout!

Dinner and preparations for departure next morning follow.