14 July 2007, Saturday, Day 8
Pouheva village:We arrived in Makemo after our next experience with increased current in an atoll pass. As we arrived at the opening to the pass, we could see the over-falls of the out going current, which were 1-3' high. This looked no worse than those we had experienced in the Northern Sea of Cortez most notably around Isla Angel de la Guardia, or at the entrance to Bahia San Francisquito. So with those experiences in mind, we headed for the pass. As we got into the thick of it, the Captain played the throttle to keep the engine temperature down and still make headway. There were moments the GPS read 0.00, and nothing was moving on shore. We were motionless. With the current running against us, we had plenty of steerage. That was ok; at least we were not going to turn sideways to the oncoming current. Continuing to play the throttle, he made our way through the pass, at times making only a knot over the ground. Captain suspected at worst, we were going through a 3-4 knot current. While we never felt in trouble, or would get into trouble, he thought that next time he'd wait for the current to subside. Ever since the engine died on us four years ago, he still has a nagging notion that it will happen again. Other than belts and the raw-water cooling pump, we have had no problems with the engine. Once burned, twice shy. At anchor, we were marginally protected from east wind and not at all from southeast to south winds.
In town, we discovered that there would be no celebration for Bastille Day or Job Tuit's birthday. Sadly, the mayor had declared that he had too many construction projects on schedule for the men of the town, and that a celebration would detract from the effort. True to his word, on our stroll through town we found the island pleasantly complacent. The few people we saw at the local store were enjoying a relaxing Saturday afternoon; men leaning up against the store wall under the porch sipping a bottle of beer, looking out on paradise. We too, spent a good amount of time just lingering at the storefront, watching time and people come and go. Like all the Polynesian islands, the people are kind and easy going. Nothing is rushed or hurried. We watched as a number of vehicles loaded up with cases of Heinkein, so there must have been a party going on some place. Two supply ships had unloaded in the morning, so the shelves were full and more bags of clean sand and lumber sat on the docks.
We have enjoyed products of New Zealand: Lamb, canned Corned Beef, delicious apples, potatoes, onions, canned butter, sugar, and flour. China supplies the fresh ginger, garlic, Jasmine Rice, Tapioca flour, Oyster Sauce, Soya Sauce, Fish Sauce, noodles and other Asian food products. Ice Cream is sold in vats; flavors of Purple Taro, Coco, Vanilla, Chocolate, and Coffee. My friends love to join me in the shops as I wander up the isles (so small a shop there are just two isles), noticing many items from my childhood that we would find in San Francisco's Chinatown, including preserved plums, dried shrimp, fermented soy beans and canned lychee. However, no Tofu to be found on the shelves, maybe I will find some in Tahiti's Chinatown.
Makemo has three small grocery stores, a post office, an artisan handicraft center (closed while we were there), a boulangerie (bakery), school, church and administrative building. A loop road runs the extent of the island where there is "enough" traffic to warrant a single speed hump, or "Tope as they call them in Mexico". An easy twenty-minute walk and you will soon be done with your tour of the island.