Ineffable Beauty

Settling into the Gambiers took a little longer than expected. Answering questions such as, “What grocery stores are open at 2 PM?”, “I know this is France, but which restaurant is good at making something other than French fries?”, and, “How do I cook daikons?” took a while. Fortunately, with a combination of information sources such as French-speaking cruisers, Soggy Paw’s compendiums, WhatsApp groups, and locals who took pity on us after we walked around with confused-emoji faces, we have finally assembled the information necessary for our survival in a new country. Thusly acclimated, the Burnetts (and Jeremy) were finally able to explore.

The Intrepid Jerry recently visited the beautiful anchorages around the islands of Akamaru and Taravai. While dodging submerged pearl floats, Jerry traveled through waters striped in shades of luminous blues, as if he was gliding along the hide of a beautiful but dangerous blue tiger. Sometimes the dark areas meant coral. Sometimes, deep water. Sometimes, clouds. Translating the color coding of the Gambiers lagoon is almost as challenging as translating French or Mangarevan. Fortunately, the most important signals the sea sends us – shallow floats, lines, or coral, have come through perfectly clear through the crystalline water…so far.

Jerry’s crew has hiked, kayaked, and explored gorgeous coasts. They have met lovely locals and cruisers, ate wonderful food and played pétanque, and enjoyed lively dancing, drumming, and community at a Mother’s Day fashion show. While Mel has taken almost 700 photos in recent days, during our adventures the entire crew shared the same sentiment: it is hard to capture what it is like to finally be here exploring this beautiful place after such a long journey. It is all so…ineffable. A photo is taken, a video is shot, a caption is written, but on review, it is all disappointing. The experience of the place goes beyond the limits of language. Even the “1000 words” of a photo doesn’t do it justice. Since Mel finds herself speechless (a rare phenomenon), these photos will have to suffice. Enjoy!